At one of those remarkable _omnium-gatherum_ receptions at the Tuileries, of which I have spoken in a former chapter, she heard an American lady, to whom Louis Philippe was talking of his American recollections and of various persons he had known there, say to him, "Oh, sire, they all retain the most lively recollections of your majesty's sojourn among them, _and wish nothing more than that you should return among them again_!" The Duke of Orleans, who was standing behind the King, fairly burst into a guffaw.
There was a story current in Rome, in the days of Pius the Ninth, which may be coupled with this as a good _pendant_.

His Holiness, when he had occupied the papal throne for a period considerably exceeding the legendary twenty-five years of St.Peter, was one day very affably asking an Englishman, who had been presented to him, whether he had seen everything in Rome most calculated to interest a stranger, and was answered; "Yes indeed, your Holiness, I think almost everything, except one which I confess I have been particularly anxious to witness--a conclave!" Here are a few jottings at random from my diary, which may still have some little interest.
"Madame Le Roi, a daughter of General Hoche, told me (22nd January, 1840), that as she was driving on the boulevard a day or two ago, a sou piece was thrown with great violence at the window of her carriage, smashing it to pieces.

This, she said, was because her family arms were emblazoned on the panel.

Most of the carriages in Paris, she said, had no arms on them for fear of similar attacks." Then we were active frequenters of the theatres.

We go, I find, to the Francais, to see Mars, then sixty years old, in _Les Dehors Trompeurs_ and in the _Fausses Confidences_; to the opera to hear _Robert le Diable_ and _Lucia di Lammermuir_, with Persiani, Tamburini, and Rubini; and the following night to the Francais again, to see Rachel in _Cinna_.
I thought her personally, I observe, very attractive.