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Ch. XII.]
the Emperor Napoleon.
135

idea made him laugh heartily, in spite of his suffering, and caused him to remark, that he thought I should never cut my wisdom teeth;—he was always in extra good humour with himself whenever he was guilty of any thing approaching to the nature of a witticism.

Napoleon had a peculiar horror of ugly women, and knowing this weakness, I one day begged he would allow me to introduce to him a Mrs. S., the wife of a gentleman holding a high official appointment in India. I must confess feeling rather nervous at the time, knowing her to be one of the very plainest persons ever seen. She had, nevertheless, all the airs and graces of a beauty, and believed herself to be as lovely as Chinerey had pourtrayed her on ivory. She thought she might make an impression on the great man, and for that purpose loaded herself with all the finery an Indian wardrobe could afford. She dressed in crimson velvet bordered with pearls, and her black hair she

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