RECOLLECTIONS　OF　THE　PRIVATE　LIFE　OF　NAPOLEON；　V4
  BY　CONSTANT
  PREMIER　VALET　DE　CHAMBRE
  TRANSLATED　BY　WALTER　CLARK
  CONTENTS：
  CHAPTER　XXIII。　　to　　CHAPTER　XXXI。
  CHAPTER　XXIII。
  It　was　the　2d　of　January；　1805；　exactly　a　month　after　the　coronation；
  that　I　formed　with　the　eldest　daughter　of　M。　Charvet　a　union　which　has
  been；　and　will　I　trust　ever　be；　the　greatest　happiness　of　my　life。　　I
  promised　the　reader　to　say　very　little　of　myself；　and；　in　fact；　how　could
  he　be　interested　in　any　details　of　my　own　private　life　which　did　not
  throw　additional　light　upon　the　character　of　the　great　man　about　whom　I
  have　undertaken　to　write？　　Nevertheless；　I　will　ask　permission　to　return
  for　a　little　while　to　this；　the　most　interesting　of　all　periods　to　me；
  and　which　exerted　such　an　influence　upon　my　whole　life。　　Surely　he　who
  recalls　and　relates　his　souvenirs　is　not　forbidden　to　attach　some
  importance　to　those　which　most　nearly　concern　himself。　　Moreover；　even　in
  the　most　personal　events　of　my　life；　there　were　instances　in　which　their
  Majesties　took　a　part；　and　which；　from　that　fact；　are　of　importance　in
  enabling　the　reader　to　form　a　correct　estimate　of　the　characters　of　both
  the　Emperor　and　the　Empress。
  My　wife's　mother　had　been　presented　to　Madame　Bonaparte　during　the　first
  campaign　in　Italy；　and　she　had　been　pleased　with　her；　for　Madame
  Bonaparte；　who　was　so　perfectly　good；　had；　in　her　own　experience；　also
  endured　trials；　and　knew　how　to　sympathize　with　the　sorrows　of　others。
  She　promised　to　interest　the　General　in　the　fate　of　my　father…in…law；　who
  had　just　lost　his　place　in　the　treasury。　　During　this　time　Madame　Charvet
  was　in　correspondence　with　a　friend　of　her　husband；　who　was；　I　think；　the
  courier　of　General　Bonaparte；　and　the　latter　having　opened　and　read　these
  letters　addressed　to　his　courier；　inquired　who　was　this　young　woman　that
  wrote　such　interesting　and　intelligent　letters；　and　Madame　Charvet　well
  deserved　this　double　praise。　　My　father…in…law's　friend；　while　replying
  to　the　question　of　the　General…in…chief；　took　occasion　to　relate　the
  misfortunes　of　the　family；　and　the　General　remarked　that；　on　his　return
  to　Paris；　he　wished　to　meet　M。　and　Madame　Charvet；　in　consequence　of
  which　they　were　presented　to　him；　and　Madame　Bonaparte　rejoiced　to　learn
  that　her　protegees　had　also　become　those　of　her　husband。　　It　had　been
  decided　that　M。　Charvet　should　follow　the　General　to　Egypt；　but　when　my
  father…in…law　arrived　at　Toulon；　Madame　Bonaparte　requested　that　he
  should　accompany　her　to　the　waters　of　Plombieres。　　I　have　previously
  related　the　accident　which　occurred　at　Plombieres；　and　that　M。　Charvet
  was　sent　to　Saint…Germain　to　bring　Mademoiselle　Hortense　from　the
  boarding…school　to　her　mother。　　On　his　return　to　Paris；　M。　Charvet
  searched　through　all　the　suburbs　to　find　a　country…seat；　as　the　General
  had　charged　his　wife　to　purchase　one　during　his　absence。
  When　Madame　Bonaparte　decided　on　Malmaison；　M。　Charvet；　his　wife；　and
  their　three　children　were　installed　in　this　charming　residence。
  My　father…in…law　was　very　faithful　to　the　interests　of　these　benefactors
  of　his　family；　and　Madame　Charvet　often　acted　as　private　secretary　to
  Madame　Bonaparte。
  Mademoiselle　Louise；　who　became　my　wife；　and　Mademoiselle　Zoe；　her
  younger　sister；　were　favorites　of　Madame　Bonaparte；　especially　the
  latter；　who　passed　more　time　than　Louise　at　Malmaison。　　The　condescension
  of　their　noble　protectress　had　rendered　this　child　so　familiar；　that　she
  said　thou　habitually　to　Madame　Bonaparte。　　One　day　she　said　to　her；　〃Thou
  art　happy。　　Thou　hast　no　mamma　to　scold　thee　when　thou　tearest　thy
  dresses。〃
  During　one　of　the　campaigns　that　I　made　while　in　the　service　of　the
  Emperor；　I　wrote　to　my　wife；　inquiring　about　the　life　that　her　sister　led
  at　Malmaison。　　In　her　answer；　among　other　things；　she　said　（I　copy　a
  passage　from　one　of　her　letters）：　〃Sometimes　we　take　part　in　performances
  such　as　I　had　never　dreamed　of。　　For　instance；　one　evening　the　saloon　was
  divided　in　half　by　a　gauze　curtain；　behind　which　was　a　bed　arranged　in
  Greek　style；　on　which　a　man　lay　asleep；　clothed　in　long　white　drapery。
  Near　the　sleeper　Madame　Bonaparte　and　the　other　ladies　beat　in　unison
  （not　in　perfect　accord；　however）　on　bronze　vases；　making；　as　you　may
  imagine；　a　terrible　kind　of　music。　　During　this　charivari；　one　of　the
  gentlemen　held　me　around　the　waist；　and　raised　me　from　the　ground；　while
  I　shook　my　arms　and　legs　in　time　to　the　music。　　The　concert　of　these
  ladies　awoke　the　sleeper；　who　stared　wildly　at　me；　frightened　at　my
  gestures；　then　sprang　up　and　ran　with　all　his　might；　followed　by　my
  brother；　who　crept　on　all　fours；　representing　a　dog；　I　think；　which
  belonged　to　this　strange　person。　　As　I　was　then　a　mere　child；　I　have　only
  a　confused　idea　of　all　this；　but　the　society　of　Madame　Bonaparte　seemed
  to　be　much　occupied　with　similar　amusements。〃
  When　the　First　Consul　went　to　live　at　Saint…Cloud；　he　expressed　his　high
  opinion　of　my　father…in…law　in　the　most　flattering　manner；　and　made　him
  concierge　of　the　chateau；　which　was　a　confidential　position；　the　duties
  and　responsibilities　of　which　were　considerable。
  M。　Charvet　was　charged　with　organizing　the　household；　and；　by　orders　of
  the　First　Consul；　he　selected　from　among　the　old　servants　of　the　queen
  those　to　whom　he　gave　places　as　porters；　scrubbers；　and　grooms　of　the
  chateau；　and　he　gave　pensions　to　those　unable　to　work。
  When　the　chateau　took　fire　in　1802；　as　I　have　related　previously；　Madame
  Charvet；　being　several　months　pregnant；　was　terribly　frightened；　and　as
  it　was　not　thought　best　to　bleed　her；　she　became　very　ill；　and　died　at
  the　age　of　thirty　years。　　Louise　had　been　at　a　boarding…school　for
  several　years；　but　her　father　now　brought　her　home　to　keep　house　for　him；
  though　she　was　then　only　twelve　years　old。　　One　of　her　friends　has　kindly
  allowed　me　to　see　a　letter　which　Louise　addressed　to　her　a　short　time
  after　our　marriage；　and　from　which　I　have　made　the　following　extracts：
  〃On　my　return　from　boarding…school　I　went　to　see　her　Majesty　the
  Empress　（then　Madame　Bonaparte）　at　the　Tuileries。　　I　was　in　deep
  mourning。　　She　took　me　on　her　knee；　and　tried　to　console　me；　saying
  that　she　would　be　a　mother　to　me；　and　would　find　me　a　husband。　　I
  wept；　and　said　that　I　did　not　wish　to　marry。　　Not　at　present；'
  replied　her　Majesty；　I　but　that　will　come；　be　sure　of　it。　　I　was；
  however；　by　no　means　persuaded　that　this　would　be　the　case。　　She
  caressed　me　a　while　longer；　and　I　withdrew。　　When　the　First　Consul
  was　at　Saint…Cloud；　all　the　chiefs　of　the　different　departments　of
  the　household　service　assembled　in　the　apartments　of　my　father；　who
  was　the　most　popular；　as　well　as　the　eldest；　member　of　the
  household。　　M。　Constant；　who　had　seen　me　as　a　child　at　Malmaison；
  found　me　sufficiently　attractive　at　Saint…Cloud　to　ask　me　of　my
  father；　subject　to　the　approval　of　their　Majesties；　and　it　was
  decided　that　we　should　be　married　after　the　coronation。　　I　was
  fourteen　years　old　fifteen　days　after　our　marriage。
  〃Both　my　sister　and　I　are　always　received　with　extreme　kindness　by
  her　Majesty　the　Empress；　and　whenever；　for　fear　of　annoying　her；　we
  let　some　time　pass　without　going　to　see　her；　she　complains　of　it　to
  my　father。　　She　sometimes　admits　us　to　her　morning　toilet；　which　is
  conducted　in　our　presence；　and　to　which　are　admitted　in　her
  apartments　only　her　women；　and　a　few　persons　of　her　household；　who；
  like　us；　count　among　their　happiest　moments　those　in　which　they　can
  thus　behold　this　adored　princess。　　The　conversations　are　almost
  always　delightful；　and　her　Majesty　frequently　relates　anecdotes
  which　a　word　from　one　or　another　of　us　recalls　to　her。〃
  Her　Majesty　the　Empress　had　promised　Louise　a　dowry；　but　the　money　which
  she　intended　for　that　she　spent　otherwise；　and　consequently　my　wife　had
  only　a　few　jewels　of　little　value　and　two　or　three　pieces　of　stuff。
  M。　Charvet　was　too　refined　to　recall　this　promise　to　her　Majesty's
  recollection。　　However；　that　was　the　only　way　to　get　anything　from　her；
  for　she　knew　no　better　how　to　economize　than　how　to　refuse。　　The　Emperor
  asked　me　a　short　time　after　my　marriage　what　the　Empress　had　given　my
  wife；　and　on　my　reply　showed　the　greatest　possible　vexation；　no　doubt
  because　the　sum　that　had　been　demanded　of　him　for　Louise's　dowry　had　been
  spent　otherwise。　　His　Majesty　the　Emperor　had　the　goodness；　while　on　this
  subject；　to　assure　me　that　he　himself　would　hereafter　look　after　my
  interests；　and　that　he　was　well　satisfied　with　my　services；　and　would
  prove　it　to　me。
  I　have　said　above　that　my　wife's　younger　sister　was　the　favorite　of　her
  Majesty　the　Empress；　and　yet　she　received　on　her　marriage　no　richer　dowry
  than　Louise；　nevertheless；　the　Empress　asked　to　have　my　sister…in…law's
  husband　presented　to　her；　and　said　to　him　in　the　most　maternal　tone；
  〃Monsieur；　I　recommend　my　daughter　to　you；　and　I　entreat　you　to　make　her
  happy。　　She　deserves　it；　and　I　earnestly　hope　that　you　know　how　to
  appreciate　her！〃　　When　my　sister…in…law；　fle