"Ah!" mused the Emperor again sadly. "Those were real lambs. They were given him by the inhabitants of Paris,—a hint, I suppose, that they would rather have peace than war."
"And this is his mother," continued the Emperor, as a woman, far less handsome than Josephine, was shown in the miniature with the boy, surrounded by a halo of roses and clouds.
"She is beautiful," exclaimed Napoleon; "but I will show you the most beautiful woman in the world."
The girls echoed his words. "I never saw any one so beautiful in my life," cried Betsy, gazing on the portrait of a young, charming woman.
"And you never will," avowed Napoleon.
"The Princess of—" queried one of the French.
"My sister Pauline," said Napoleon, "and you show good taste in admiring her. She is probably one of the loveliest women ever created."
"But now," he continued, when they had seen all the pictures, "let us go down to the cottage and play whist."
Turning reluctantly from the miniatures, the children walked down to the cottage and soon were ready to play.
But the cards did not deal smoothly enough. "Go off there by yourself," said Napoleon to young Las Cases, "and deal until the cards run better. And now, Mees Betsy, tell me about your robe de bal."