“Elle reste chez elle.”
“Quoi toute seule! que vos dames sont à plaindre! Que je me félicite d’être françoise! Sans les visites de quelques amis choisis, je mourrois d’ennui.”
What a dull life must your english manners afford! What dismal days must one pass in such a country! What can a poor english lady do after dinner?
She goes to assemblies, or to the opera.
But if she is ill—
She stays at home.
What quite alone? Oh, how I pity your poor english ladies! Oh, how I rejoice at being born a frenchwoman! without the visits of a few well chosen friends I should die of ennui.
Notwithstanding this passion for receiving and returning visits among one another, the french are frequently negligent in this respect towards the foreigners who are recommended to them. I have heard english ladies at Paris complain, that their visits were often not returned at all, and that that early attention was rarely shown as to this little etiquette, which well bred persons in England are so careful to observe.
[93] Boulotte is a gambling game much played at Paris, and said to be the support of several families.
[94] This was, of course, written before the late changes in the government, which appear to provide against this event. I leave the remark unaltered, as, in the first place, this provision comes not from the people, but from the first consul himself. Secondly, this arrangement is only on paper, and if it last the life of Bonaparte, will scarcely be respected after his death.