My First Years as a Frenchwoman, 1876-1879 | Page 8

immense advantage to him. He had never served any other government,
and was therefore perfectly independent and was bound by no family
traditions or old friendships--didn't mind the opposition papers at
all--not even the caricatures. Some of them were very funny. There was
one very like him, sitting quite straight and correct on the box of a
brougham, "John Cocher Anglais n'a jamais verse, ni accroche"
(English coachman who has never upset nor run into anything).
There were a few political salons. The Countess de R. received every
evening--but only men--no women were ever asked. The wives rather
demurred at first, but the men went all the same--as one saw every one
there and heard all the latest political gossip. Another hostess was the
Princess Lize Troubetskoi. She was a great friend and admirer of
Thiers--was supposed to give him a great deal of information from
foreign governments. She was very eclectic in her sympathies, and
every one went to her, not only French, but all foreigners of any
distinction who passed through Paris. She gave herself a great deal of
trouble for her friends, but also used them when she wanted anything.
One of the stories which was always told of the Foreign Office was her
"petit paquet," which she wanted to send by the valise to Berlin, when
the Comte de St. Vallier was French ambassador there. He agreed
willingly to receive the package addressed to him, which proved to be a
grand piano.
The privilege of sending packages abroad by the valise of the foreign
affairs was greatly abused when W. became Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He made various changes, one of which was that the valise should be
absolutely restricted to official papers and documents, which really was

perhaps well observed.
The Countess de Segur received every Saturday night. It was really an
Orleanist salon, as they were devoted friends of the Orleans family, but
one saw all the moderate Republicans there and the centre gauche
(which struggled so long to keep together and be a moderating
influence, but has long been swallowed up in the ever-increasing flood
of radicalism) and a great many literary men, members of the Institute,
Academicians, etc. They had a fine old house entre cour et jardin, with
all sorts of interesting pictures and souvenirs. Countess de S. also
received every day before three o'clock. I often went and was delighted
when I could find her alone. She was very clever, very original, had
known all sorts of people, and it was most interesting to hear her talk
about King Louis Philippe's court, the Spanish marriages, the death of
the Duc d'Orleans, the Coup d'Etat of Louis Napoleon, etc. When she
first began to receive, during the reign of Louis Philippe, the feeling
was very bitter between the Legitimists (extreme Royalist party) and
the Orleanists. The Duc d'Orleans often came to them on Saturday
evenings and always in a good deal of state, with handsome carriage,
aides-de-camp, etc. She warned her Legitimist friends when she knew
he was coming (but she didn't always know) and said she never had any
trouble or disagreeable scenes. Every one was perfectly respectful to
the duke, but the extreme Legitimists went away at once.
We went quite often to Monsieur and Madame Thiers, who received
every evening in their big gloomy house in the Place St. Georges. It
was a political centre,--all the Republican party went there, and many
of his old friends, Orleanists, who admired his great intelligence, while
disapproving his politics,--literary men, journalists, all the diplomatists
and distinguished strangers. He had people at dinner every night and a
small reception afterward,--Madame Thiers and her sister,
Mademoiselle Dosne, doing the honours for him. I believe both ladies
were very intelligent, but I can't truthfully say they had any charm of
manner. They never looked pleased to see any one, and each took
comfortable little naps in their armchairs after dinner--the first comers
had sometimes rather embarrassing entrances,--but I am told they held
very much to their receptions. Thiers was wonderful; he was a very old

man when I knew him, but his eyes were very bright and keen, his
voice strong, and he would talk all the evening without any appearance
of fatigue. He slept every afternoon for two hours, and was quite rested
and alert by dinner time. It was an interesting group of men that stood
around the little figure in the drawing-room after dinner. He himself
stood almost always leaning against the mantelpiece. Prince Orloff,
Russian ambassador, was one of the habitues of the salon, and I was
always delighted when he would slip away from the group of men and
join the ladies in Madame Thiers's salon, which was less interesting. He
knew everybody, French and foreign, and gave me most amusing