of our acquaintance, and another to insult those whom one has thought
proper to invite.

In their own houses, the inhabitants of the Faubourg St. Germain were
scrupulously polite: even if some enterprising foreigner should have
got in surreptitiously, as long as he was under his host's roof he was
treated with perfect courtesy; though ignominiously "cut" for the remainder
of his days. All this was not very amiable; but the inhabitants of
the "noble Faubourg" were never distinguished for their amiability.
Their best characteristics were the undaunted courage with which they
met death upon the scaffold, and the cheerfulness and resignation with
which they ate the bitter bread of exile. In general, les grandes dames
were not remarkable for their personal attractions, nor for the elegance
of their appearance or dress. The galaxy of handsome women that formed
the court of the Emperor had perhaps sent beauty somewhat out of fashion;
for the high-born ladies who took their place were what we should call
dowdy, and had nothing distinguished in their appearance. Many of those
who belonged to the most ancient families were almost vulgar in outward
form and feature: their manner had a peculiar off-hand, easy style;
and they particularly excelled in setting down any unlucky person who
had happened to offend them. Their main object, at this time, was to
stand well at court, therefore they adapted themselves to circumstances,
and could be devout with the Dauphine and sceptical with Louis the Eighteenth.

The men of the aristocracy of the Revolution were less clever and satirical
than the women; but, on the other hand, they had far more of the distinguished
bearing and graceful urbanity of the grands seigneurs of the olden time.
The emigre nobles would have gazed with unutterable horror at their
degenerate descendants of the present day; but these young, booted,
bearded, cigar-smoking scions of la jeune France would have run round