Chapter II: Preface: vii

I

MADAME VIGÉE LE BRUN

CHAPTER I

The _ancien régime_—Close of the reign of Louis XIV.—The
Regent Orléans—The court of Louis XV.—The philosophers—The
artists—M. Vigée 3

CHAPTER II

The childhood of Lisette—Extraordinary talent—The convent—The
household of an artist—Death of M. Vigée—Despair
of Lisette—Begins her career—Re-marriage of
her mother—The Dauphine 15

CHAPTER III

Brilliant success of Lisette—Love of her art—The Vernet—Life
in Paris before the Revolution—Mme. Geoffrin—Marriage
of Lisette to M. Le Brun—A terrible prediction 29

CHAPTER IV

Marie Antoinette—Birth of Mme. Le Brun’s daughter—The
Royal Family—Brussels—Antwerp—The charms of
French society—The Opera ball—An incident in the
terror—A Greek supper—_Le jeu de la Reine_ 45

CHAPTER V

The theatre—Raincy—Chantilly—Calonne—Attempt to ruin
the reputation of Mme. Le Brun—Two deplorable
marriages—Fate of Mme. Chalgrin—Under the shadow
of death—Mme. Du Barry 60

CHAPTER VI

End of the _ancien régime_—Foretaste of the
Revolution—Threatened—Resolves to emigrate—Another
alarm—Preparations—“You are wrong to go”—A terrible
journey—Safe across the frontier 79

CHAPTER VII

Turin—Parma—The Infanta—Florence—Rome: Delightful
life there—Artistic success—Social life—The French
refugees—The Polignac—Angelica Kaufmann—An Italian
summer—Life at Gensano—The Duchesse de Fleury 90

CHAPTER VIII

Naples—Lady Hamilton—Marie Caroline, Queen of Naples—Mesdames
de France—Their escape—_Les chemises de
Marat_—Rome—Terrible news from France—Venice—Turin—The
Comtesse de Provence—The 10th August—The
Refugees—Milan—Vienna—Delightful society—Prince
von Kaunitz—Life at Vienna 104

CHAPTER IX

Dresden—St. Petersburg—The Empress Catherine
II.—Orloff—Potemkin—Russian hospitality—Magnificence of society
at St. Petersburg—Mme. Le Brun is robbed—Slanders
against her—The Russian Imperial family—Popularity
and success of Mme. Le Brun—Death of the Empress Catherine 122

CHAPTER X

Paul I.—Terror he inspired—Death of the mother of Mme.
Le Brun—Marriage of her daughter—Moscow—The
Tsarevitch Alexander—Assassination of Paul I.—“I
salute my Emperor”—Mme. Le Brun returns to
Paris—Changes—London—Life in England—Paris—Separated
from M. Le Brun—Society during the Empire—Caroline
Murat—Switzerland—Fall of the Empire—Restoration—Death
of M. Le Brun—Of her daughter—Travels in
France—Her nieces—Conclusion 139

II

LA MARQUISE DE MONTAGU

CHAPTER I

The House of Noailles—The court of Louis XV.—The
Dauphin—The Dauphine—An evil omen—The Queen—The
Convent of Fontevrault—Death of Mme. Thérèse—The
Infanta—Madame Henriette and the Duc d’Orléans—Mesdames
Victoire, Sophie, and Louise 161

CHAPTER II

The Greatest Names in France—The Maréchale de Noailles—Strange
proceedings—Death of the Dauphin—Of the Dauphine—Of the
Queen—The Children of France—Louis XIV. and Louis XV. 173

CHAPTER III

The Duchesse d’Ayen—Birth and death of her sons—Her five
daughters—Their education at home—Saintly life of the
Duchess—Marriage of her eldest daughter to the Vicomte
de Noailles—Of the second to the Marquis de la Fayette—Of
the Dauphin to the Archduchess Marie Antoinette—The
Comtesse de Noailles—Marriages of the Comtes de
Provence and d’Artois to the Princesses of Sardinia—Death
of Louis XV.—Unhappy marriage of the third
daughter of the Duc d’Ayen to the Vicomte du Roure—Afterwards
to Vicomte de Thésan—Paulette and Rosalie
de Noailles—Adrienne de la Fayette—Radical ideas of
the Vicomte de Noailles and Marquis de la Fayette—Displeasure
of the family and the King—La Fayette and
de Noailles join the American insurgents—Grief and
heroism of Adrienne—Marriage of Pauline to the Marquis
de Montagu 182

CHAPTER IV

The Marquis de Montagu rejoins his regiment—Life of Pauline
at the _hôtel de Montagu_—Affection of her
father-in-law—Brilliant society—Story of M. de Continges—Death
of Pauline’s child—Marriage of Rosalie to Marquis de
Grammont—Birth of Pauline’s daughters—The court of Louis
XVI.—The royal family—Dissensions at court—Madame
Sophie and the storm—Extravagance of the Queen and
Comte d’Artois—The Comte d’Artois and Mlle. Duthé—Scene
with the King—_Le petit Trianon_—The Palace of
Marly—A sinister guest 194

CHAPTER V

Weak character of Louis XVI.—Quarrels at court—Mme. de
Tessé—Forebodings of Mme. d’Ayen—La Fayette—Saintly
lives of Pauline and her sisters—Approach of the
Revolution—The States-General—Folly of Louis XVI.—Scenes
at Versailles—Family political quarrels—Royalist
and Radical—Death of Pauline’s youngest child 206

CHAPTER VI

The Château de Plauzat—Varennes—Increasing danger—Decided
to emigrate—Triumphal progress of La Fayette—The
farewell of the Duchesse d’Ayen—Paris—Rosalie—A
last mass—Escape to England 219

CHAPTER VII

M. de Montagu returns to Paris—M. de Beaune—Richmond—Death
of Noémi—Aix-la-Chapelle—Escape of the Duc
d’Ayen and Vicomte de Noailles—La Fayette arrested in
Austria—The Hague—Crossing the Meuse—Margate—Richmond—Hardships
of poverty—Brussels—Letter from Mme. de Tessé—Joins her in
Switzerland—Murder of M. and Mme. de Mouchy—Goes to meet the
Duc d’Ayen—He tells her of the murder of her grandmother, Mme.
de Noailles, her mother, the Duchesse d’Ayen, and her eldest
sister, the Vicomtesse de Noailles—Mme. de la Fayette
still in prison 227

CHAPTER VIII

Illness—Leaves Switzerland with Mme. de Tessé—They settle
near Altona—Hears of Rosalie’s safety—Life on the farm—Release
of Adrienne—Her visit—Farm of Wittmold—Peaceful
life there—Rosalie and Adrienne—Birth of
Pauline’s son—He and her other children live—Release
of La Fayette—Their visit to Wittmold—Meeting of
Adrienne, Pauline, and Rosalie at the Hague 248

CHAPTER IX

Return to France—The inheritance of the Duchesse d’Ayen—Loss
of the Noailles property—Inherits the Castle of
Fontenay—Death of Mme. de la Fayette—Prosperous
life at Fontenay—Conclusion 258

III

MADAME TALLIEN

CHAPTER I

Térèzia Cabarrus—Comes to Paris—Married to the Marquis
de Fontenay—Revolutionary sympathies—Unpopularity
of royal family—The wig of M. de Montyon—The
Comte d’Artois and his tutor—The Comte de Provence
and Louis XV. 269

CHAPTER II

The makers of the Revolution—_Fête à la
Nature_—Tallien—Dangerous times—An inharmonious
marriage—Colonel la Mothe—A Terrorist—The beginning of
the emigration—A sinister prophecy 281

CHAPTER III

The 10th of August—The September massacres—Tallien—The
emigrant ship—Arrest at Bordeaux—In prison—Saved by Tallien 297

CHAPTER IV

Divorced—M. de Fontenay escapes to Spain—The mistress of
Tallien—Her influence and his save many
lives—Robespierre—Singular circumstances at the birth of
Louis XVII.—The vengeance of the Marquis de —— —Enmity
of Robespierre—Arrest of Térèzia—La Force 308

CHAPTER V

The Bastille—Prisons of the Revolution—Les Carmes—Cazotte—The
Terrorists turn upon each other—Joséphine
de Beauharnais—A musician in the Conciergerie—A
dog in prison—Under the guardianship of a
dog—Tallien tries to saves Térèzia—A dagger—La Force—The
last hope—The Tocsin—The 9th Thermidor 323

CHAPTER VI

“Robespierre is dead!”—Notre Dame de Thermidor—End of
the Terror—The prisons open—Decline of Tallien’s
power—Barras—Napoleon—“Notre Dame de Septembre!”—M.
Ouvrard—Separates from Tallien—He goes to Egypt—Consul
in Spain—Dies in Paris—Térèzia stays in Paris—Ingratitude
of some she had saved—Marries the Prince de Chimay—Conclusion 335

IV

MADAME DE GENLIS

CHAPTER I

Birth of Félicité Ducrest—Château de Saint-Aubin—Made
_chanoinesse_—Story of her uncle and her mother—Her
childhood—Comes to Paris—Goes into society—Evil
reputation of the _hôtel Tencin_ 351

CHAPTER II

M. de la Haie—Death of the Dauphin—M. de Saint-Aubin
goes to St. Domingo—Taken prisoner by the English—Returns
to France—Imprisoned for debt—His death—Difficulties
and poverty—Félicité marries the Comte de
Genlis—His family—The Abbesse de Montivilliers and
the robbers—Life in the convent—Birth of a daughter 362

CHAPTER III

Presentation at Versailles—La Rosière—Father and son—Mme.
de Montesson—A terrible scene—The Comtesse
de Custine—Mme. de Genlis enters the Palais Royal 375

CHAPTER IV

Society of the Palais Royal—Philippe-Égalité—An apparition—Mlle.
Mars—M. Ducrest—Marriage of Mme. de
Montesson—Marly—The Prime Minister of France 386

CHAPTER V

La Muette—Sunrise—Italy—Nocturnal adventure—Governess
to the children of Orléans—Scandalous reports—Marriages
of her daughters—Death of the elder one—The
Comte de Valence 397

CHAPTER VI

Death of the Duc d’Orléans—M. de Genlis—Sillery—Coming
of the Revolution—The Bastille—Anger of the Duchesse
d’Orléans—Dissensions 411

CHAPTER VII

In England—Sheridan—Strange adventure—Raincy—Farewell
to Philippe-Égalité—Proscribed—Tournay—Pamela—Death of the King 426

CHAPTER VIII

Flight and danger—Mons—Zurich—Zug—The Convent of
Bremgarten—Death of M. de Sillery—Of Égalité—Mademoiselle
d’Orléans and the Princesse de Conti 438

CHAPTER IX

A wandering life—“The tyrant is no more”—Marriage of
Henriette—Hamburg—Berlin—Antwerp—Brussels—Returns
to France—Terrible changes—Shattered fortune—Literary
success—The Empire—Napoleon—Mme.
de Genlis and her friends—Death of Mme. de Montesson 449