Page:Scribner's Monthly, Volume 12 (May–October 1876).djvu/183

Rh must end at once. Heaven knows when you will hear from me but act promptly. Do not be caught among those Mexicans when the Dons are fighting the Monsieurs. But I think there will be no war before we are well home. When war comes, I am glad we are on the side that always wins.

Roland will tell you in his letter in what scene of vanity I picked up my information. If I can, I shall add more. But I must now sign myself, Your affectionate brother, SILAS PERRY. ROLAND PERRY TO INEZ PERRY. Passy, near Paris, Nov. 16, 1800. DEAR LITTLE SISTER, Father has left me his let- ter to read and seal, and has bidden me give you all the particulars of his triumphs at court. I tell him that nobody has made such an impression as he, since Ben Franklin. It has all been very droll, and when I see you, I can make you understand it bet- ter than I can write it. To be brief, papa is what they call here " ten grand succes. " He says, and you say, that I have not written enough abouc how I spend my time. I can see that he is surprised at knowing the chances I have for good society. But it has all come about simply enough. When I came here, Mons. Beauharnais, as you know, welcomed me as cordially as a man could ; and when there was an off-day at school, they made me at home there. Just as soon as Eugene entered at the Polytechnic, well, I knew the ways a little better than he did. As dear old Ransom used to say, " I had the hang of the school- house." Anyway, he took to me, and I was always glad to help the boy. You see, they called him an American, because of his father and mother : so, as the senior American in I'Ecole, I had to thrash one or two fellows who were hard upon him. Now that he is one of the young heroes of Egypt, I have reason to be proud of my protege. I only wish I had gone there with them ! Well, if I have not told you of every call I have made there, I mean at his mother's, it is because it has been quite a matter of course in my life. When Eugene and the General were both away, there were many rea- sons why I should be glad to be of service to her, and she has never forgotten them. Well, when papa came, I told him that his first visit must be to Madame Buonaparte at Malmaison; and he must thank her, if he meant to thank any one, for my happy life here. You know how papa would act ! He said he was not going to pay court to First Consuls, and put on court dresses. Some fool had told him great lies about the state at Mal- maison. I told him if I did not know how to take my own father to see a friend of mine, I did not know anything. He was very funny. He asked if he need not be powdered. I told him no. I told him to put on his best coat, and go as he would go to a wedding at Squam Bay. Inez he was very handsome. He was perfectly dressed, you know he would be, and his hair, which is the least bit more gray than I remember it, was very distingue in the midst of all those heads of white powder ! We drove out to Mal- maison, and I can tell you we had a lovely time ! I was as proud as I could be. There is not much fuss there, ever, about getting in ; and with me, well, they all know me, you know, and the old ones have, since I was a boy. By good luck, Mad- ame was alone (you know we say Madame, now, without having our heads cut off). She was alone, VOL. XII. 12. and I presented papa. She was so pleased ! Inez, I cannot tell you how pleased she was ! You see, she does not often see people of sense, who have any knowledge of the islands, or of her father and mother, or her husband's friends. Then, it was clear enough, in two minutes, that papa must have been of real service to Major Beauharnais, and to her, which he had never told me of. He lent her money, perhaps, when she was poor, or something. My dear Inez, she treated papa with a sort of welcome I have never seen her give to any human being. Well, right in the midst of this, who should come in but the General Buonaparte himself, the First Consul, boots muddy, and face all alive ! He had ridden out from the Thuilleries. He looked a little amazed, I thought a little mad. But Madame Josephine has tact enough. tl Mon ami." she said to him, " here is an American my oldest and best friend. I present to you Monsieur Perry, the best friend of the Vicomte, and but for whom I should never have been here. Monsieur Perry, you had the right to be the godfather of Eugene." Dear papa bowed, and gave the First Consul his hand, and said he hoped he was we'll ! Was not that magnificent ? Oh ! Inez, it was ravishing to see him ! The Consul was a little amazed, I think; but he is a man of immense penetration, and immense sense. So is papa. The General asked him at once about Martinique and all the islands, and Toussaint and St. Domingo, and everything. Well, in two minutes, you know, papa told him more than all their old reports and dispatches would tell him in a month, more, indeed, than they knew. Well, the General was delighted. He took papa over to a sofa, and there they sat and sat; and, Inez, there they sat and sat, and they talked for two hours. What do you think of that? People kept coming in, and there was poor I talking to Madame, and to half the finest women in France ; and everybody was looking into the corner, and wondering who " rAmericain magnifique " was, whom the Consul had got hold of. Madame sent them some coffee. But nobody dared to interrupt, and at last General Buonaparte rose, and laughed, and said, " Madame will never forgive me for my boots;" but he made papa promise to come again last night. Now last night, you know, was one of the regular court receptions one of the Malmaison ( 2S, I menn. You know the state receptions are at the Thuilleries. Of this I must take anotV' sheet to tell you. When Inez read this letter, she said to her aunt: " Do you know what Malmaison is ? It is not a very nice name." " It must be their country-house ; read on, and perhaps you will see." I have shown papa what I have written. He laughs at my account of him, and says it is all trash. But it is all gospel true, and shall stand. He also says that you will not know what Malmai- son is. Malmaison is an elegant place, about ten miles from Paris, which Madame Buonaparte bought, oh, two years or more ago. She carries with her her old island tastes, and is very fond of flowers; and at this house with the bad name she has made exquisite gardens. She really does a good deal of gardening herself, that is, such gardening as you Just started.