Monsieur,
Par ordre de l'Empereur, j'ai l'honneur de vous prévenir que vous êtes
invité, ainsi que Madame Charles Moulton, à passer huit jours au
Palais de Compiègne, du 22 au 29 Novembre.
Des voitures de la Cour vous attendront le 22, à l'arrivée à Compiègne
du train partant de Paris à 2 heures 1/2, pour vous conduire au
Palais.
Agréez, Monsieur, l'assurance de ma considération très distinguée.
Le Premier Chambellan.
V'te de Laferrière.
Monsieur,
Madame Charles Moulton.
This gave me plenty of time to order all my dresses, wraps, and everything else that I needed for this visit of a week to royalty.
[Illustration: THE MAIN FAÇADE—CHÂTEAU DE COMPIÈGNE]
I was obliged to have about twenty dresses, eight day costumes (counting my traveling suit), the green cloth dress for the hunt, which I was told was absolutely necessary, seven ball dresses, five gowns for tea. Such a quantity of boxes and bundles arrived at the house in Paris that Mademoiselle Wissembourg was in a blue fidget, fussing about, boring me with silly, unnecessary suggestions, and asking so many useless questions that I wished her at the bottom of the Red Sea.
A professional packer came to pack our trunks, of which I had seven and C—— had two; the maid and the valet each had one, making, altogether, quite a formidable pile of luggage. As we saw it on the wagon driven from the house, it seemed an absurdly large amount for only a week's visit.
We arrived at the St. Lazare Station at 2.30, as indicated on the invitation.