Especially was she interested in Eugenie, and as the
subject was one upon which I was equally interested in talking it ended
in a rhapsody upon my part, amid little sympathetic ejaculations from
the Empress and titterings from Madame de Remusat.
'But you must certainly bring her over to the Court!' cried the kindly
woman. 'Such a paragon of beauty and of virtue must not be allowed to
waste herself in this English village. Have you spoken about her to the
Emperor?'
'I found that he knew all about her, your Majesty.'
'He knows all about everything. Oh, what a man he is! You heard him
about those diamonds and sapphires. Lefebvre gave me his word that no
one should know of it but ourselves, and that I should pay at my
leisure, and yet you see that the Emperor knew. But what did he say,
Monsieur de Laval?'
'He said that my marriage should be his affair.'
Josephine shook her head and groaned.
'But this is serious, Monsieur de Laval. He is capable of singling out
any one of the ladies of the Court and marrying you to her within a
week.
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