embraces；　and　laughing　with　his　friends　at　the　singular　characteristics
  by　which　he　had　caused　himself　to　be　recognized。　　As　for　his　Majesty　the
  Emperor；　if　any　of　his　old　masters　had　failed　to　recognize　him；　it　could
  not　be　by　reminiscences　of　this　kind　that　he　could　have　recalled　himself
  to　them；　for　every　one　knows　that　he　was　distinguished　at　the　military
  school　for　his　application　to　work；　and　the　regularity　and　sobriety　of
  his　life。
  A　meeting　of　the　same　nature；　saving　the　difference　in　recollections；
  awaited　the　Emperor　at　Brienne。　　While　he　was　visiting　the　old　military
  school；　now　falling　to　ruin；　and　pointing　out　to　the　persons　who
  surrounded　him　the　situation　of　the　study　halls；　dormitories；
  refectories；　etc。；　an　ecclesiastic　who　had　been　tutor　of　one　of　the
  classes　in　the　school　was　presented　to　him。　　The　Emperor　recognized　him
  immediately；　and；　uttering　an　exclamation　of　surprise；　his　Majesty
  conversed　more　than　twenty　minutes　with　this　gentleman；　leaving　him　full
  of　gratitude。
  The　Emperor；　before　leaving　Brienne　to　return　to　Fontainebleau；　required
  the　mayor　to　give　him　a　written　account　of　the　most　pressing　needs　of　the
  commune；　and　left　on　his　departure　a　considerable　sum　for　the　poor　and
  the　hospitals。
  Passing　through　Troyes；　the　Emperor　left　there；　as　everywhere　else；
  souvenirs　of　his　generosity。　　The　widow　of　a　general　officer；　living　in
  retirement　at　Joinville　（I　regret　that　I　have　forgotten　the　name　of　this
  venerable　lady；　who　was　more　than　an　octogenarian）；　came　to　Troyes；
  notwithstanding　her　great　age；　to　ask　aid　from　his　Majesty。　　Her　husband
  having　served　only　before　the　Revolution；　the　pension　which　she　had
  enjoyed　had　been　taken　from　her　under　the　Republic；　and　she　was　in　the
  greatest　destitution。　　The　brother　of　General　Vouittemont；　mayor　of　a
  commune　in　the　suburbs　of　Troyes；　was　kind　enough　to　consult　me　as　to
  what　should　be　done　in　order　to　present　this　lady　to　the　Emperor；　and　I
  advised　him　to　have　her　name　placed　on　the　list　of　his　Majesty's　private
  audiences。　　I　myself　took　the　liberty　of　speaking　of　Madame　de　to　the
  Emperor；　and　the　audience　was　granted；　though　I　do　not　pretend　to
  attribute　the　merit　of　it　to　myself；　for　in　traveling　the　Emperor　was
  always　very　accessible。
  When　the　good　lady　came　to　attend　the　audience　with　M。　de　Vouittemont；　to
  whom　his　municipal　scarf　gave　the　right　of　entrance；　I　happened　to　meet
  them；　and　she　stopped　to　thank　me　for　the　little　service　which　she
  insisted　I　had　rendered　her；　and　mentioned　that　she　had　been　obliged　to
  pawn　the　six　silver　plates　which　alone　remained　to　her；　in　order　to　pay
  the　expenses　of　her　journey；　that；　having　arrived　at　Troyes　in　a　poor
  farm　wagon；　covered　with　a　cloth　thrown　over　a　hoop；　and　which　had　shaken
  her　terribly；　she　could　find　no　place　in　the　inns；　all　of　which　were
  filled　on　account　of　the　arrival　of　their　Majesties；　and　she　would　have
  been　obliged　to　sleep　in　her　wagon　had　it　not　been　for　the　kind
  consideration　of　M。　de　Vouittemont；　who　had　given　up　his　room　to　her；　and
  offered　his　services。　　In　spite　of　her　more　than　eighty　years；　and　her
  distress；　this　respectable　lady　related　her　story　with　an　air　of　gentle
  gayety；　and　at　the　close　threw　a　grateful　glance　at　her　guide；　on　whose
  arm　she　was　leaning。
  At　that　moment　the　usher　came　to　announce　that　her　turn　had　come；　and　she
  entered　the　saloon　of　audience。　　M。　de　Vouittemont　awaited　her　return
  while　conversing　with　me；　and　on　her　return　she　related　to　us；　scarcely
  able　to　control　her　emotion；　that　the　Emperor　had　in　the　kindest　manner
  received　the　memorial　she　presented　to　him；　had　read　it　attentively；　and
  passed　it　to　a　minister　who　was　near　him；　with　the　order　to　do　her
  justice　this　very　day。
  The　next　day　she　received　the　warrant　for　a　pension　of　three　thousand
  francs；　the　first　year's　pay　being　handed　her　at　once。
  At　Lyons；　of　which　Cardinal　Fesch　was　archbishop；　the　Emperor　lodged　in
  the　archiepiscopal　palace。＇Joseph　Fesch；　born　in　Corsica；　1763；　was
  half…brother　to　Napoleon's　mother。　　Archbishop　of　Lyons　1801；　cardinal
  1803；　died　1839＇
  During　the　stay　of　their　Majesties　the　cardinal　exerted　himself　to　the
  utmost　to　gratify　every　wish　of　his　nephew；　and　in　his　eagerness　to
  please；　monseigneur　applied　to　me　many　times　each　day　to　be　assured　that
  nothing　was　lacking；　so　everything　passed　off　admirably。　　The　zeal　of　the
  cardinal　was　remarked　by　all　the　household；　but　for　my　part　I　thought　I
  perceived　that　the　zeal　displayed　by　monseigneur　in　the　reception　of
  their　Majesties　took　on　an　added　strength　whenever　there　was　a　question
  of　all　the　expenses　incurred　by　this　visit；　which　were　considerable；
  being　paid　by　them。　　His　eminence；　I　thought；　drew　very　fine　interest　on
  his　investment；　and　his　generous　hospitality　was　handsomely　compensated
  by　the　liberality　of　his　guests。
  The　passage　of　Mont　Cenis　was　by　no　means　so　difficult　as　had　been　that
  of　Mont　St。　Bernard；　although　the　road；　which　has　since　been　made　by　the
  Emperor's　orders；　was　not　then　commenced。　　At　the　foot　of　the　mountain
  they　were　obliged　to　take　the　carriage　to　pieces；　and　transport
  it　on　the　backs　of　mules；　and　their　Majesties　crossed　the　mountain　partly
  on　foot；　partly　in　very　handsome　sedan　chairs　which　had　been　made　at
  Turin；　that　of　the　Emperor　lined　with　crimson　satin；　and　ornamented　with
  gold　lace　and　fringes；　and　that　of　the　Empress　in　blue　satin；　with　silver
  lace　and　fringes。　　The　snow　had　been　carefully　swept　off　and　removed。　　On
  their　arrival　at　the　convent　they　were　most　warmly　received　by　the　good
  monks；　and　the　Emperor；　who　had　a　singular　affection　for　them；　held　a
  long　conversation　with　them；　and　did　not　depart　without　leaving　rich　and
  numerous　tokens　of　his　liberality。　　As　soon　as　he　arrived　at　Turin　he
  gave　orders　for　the　improvement　of　their　hospice；　which　he　continued　to
  support　till　his　fall。
  Their　Majesties　remained　several　days　at　Turin；　where　they　occupied　the
  former　palace　of　the　kings　of　Sardinia；　constituted　the　imperial
  residence　by　a　decree　of　the　Emperor　during　our　stay；　as　was　also　the
  castle　of　Stupinigi；　situated　a　short　distance　from　the　town。
  The　Pope　rejoined　their　Majesties　at　Stupinigi；　the　Holy　Father　had　left
  Paris　almost　at　the　same　time　as　ourselves；　and　before　his　departure　had
  received　from　the　Emperor　magnificent　presents。　　Among　these　was　a　golden
  altar　with　chandeliers；　and　holy　vessels　of　the　richest　workmanship；　a
  superb　tiara；　Gobelin　tapestries；　and　carpets　from　the　Savonnerie；　with　a
  statue　of　the　Emperor　in　Sevres　porcelain。　　The　Empress　also　made　to　his
  Holiness　a　present　of　a　vase　of　the　same　manufacture；　adorned　with
  paintings　by　the　best　artists。　　This　masterpiece　was　at　least　four　feet
  in　height；　and　two　feet　and　a　half　in　diameter　at　the　mouth；　and　was　made
  expressly　to　be　offered　to　the　Holy　Father；　the　painting　representing；　if
  my　memory　is　correct；　the　ceremony　of　the　coronation。
  Each　of　the　cardinals　in　the　suite　of　the　Pope　had　received　a　box　of
  beautiful　workmanship；　with　the　portrait　of　the　Emperor　set　in　diamonds；
  and　all　the　persons　attached　to　the　service　of　Pius　VII。　　had　presents
  more　or　less　considerable；　all　these　various　articles　being　brought　by
  the　furnishers　to　the　apartments　of　his　Majesty；　where　I　took　a　list　of
  them；　by　order　of　his　Majesty；　as　they　arrived。
  The　Holy　Father　also　made　in　return　very　handsome　presents　to　the
  officers　of　the　Emperor's　household　whose　duties　had　brought　them　near
  his　person　during　his　stay　at　Paris。
  From　Stupinigi　we　went　to　Alexandria。　　The　Emperor；　the　next　day　after
  his　arrival；　rose　early；　visited　the　fortifications　of　the　town；　reviewed
  all　the　positions　of　the　battlefield　of　Marengo；　and　returned　only　at
  seven　o'clock；　and　after　having　broken　down　five　horses。　　A　few　days
  after　he　wished　the　Empress　to　see　this　famous　plain；　and　by　his　orders
  an　army　of　twenty…five　or　thirty　thousand　men　was　assembled。　　The　morning
  of　the　day　fixed　for　the　review　of　these　troops；　the　Emperor　left　his
  apartment　dressed　in　a　blue　coat　with　long　skirts；　much　worn；　and　even
  with　holes　in　some　places。　　These　holes　were　the　work　of　moths　and　not　of
  balls；　as　has　been　said　in　certain　memoirs。　　On　his　head　his　Majesty　wore
  an　old　hat　edged　with　gold　lace；　tarnished　and　frayed；　and　at　his　side　a
  cavalry　saber；　such　as　the　generals　of　the　Republic　wore；　this　was　the
  coat；　hat；　and　sword　that　he　had　worn　on　the　day　of　the　battle　of
  Marengo。　　I　afterwards　lent　these　articles　to　Monsieur　David；　first
  painter　to　his　Majesty；　for　his　picture　of　the　passage　of　Mont　St。
  Bernard。　　A　vast　amphitheater　had　been　raised　on　this　plain　for　the
  Empress　and　the　suite　of　their　Majesties；　the　day　was　perfect；　as　is　each
  day　of　the　month　of　May　in　Italy。　　After　riding　along　the　ranks；　the
  Emperor　took　his　seat　by　the　side　of　the　Empress；　and　made　to　the　troops
  a　distribution　of　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honor；　after　which　he　laid
  the　corner　stone　of　a　monument；　which　he　had　directed　to　be　raised　on　the
  plain　to　the　memory　of　the　soldiers　who　had　fallen　on　the　battlefield。
  When　his　Majesty；　in　the　short　address　which　he　made　to　the　army　on　this
  occasion；　pronounced　in　a　strong　voice；　vibrating　w