He commanded every one to salute his palace, even when he was not there. He forbade round hats, and sent police about with long sticks to knock off any they met.
There were spies everywhere; people never dared mention him, and began to be afraid to receive their friends at all, or if they did, carefully closed the shutters; if a ball took place, the carriages were sent away for fear of attracting attention.
The order was given for every one to wear powder, but as Mme. Le Brun did not like it in portraits, and was painting that of Prince Bariatinski, she begged him to come without it. One day he arrived in her studio pale and trembling.
“What is the matter?” she exclaimed.
“Ah!” cried he. “I have just met the Emperor as I came to you. I had only time to rush under a portico and am dreadfully afraid he recognized me.”
One night, at a masked ball, a young man accidentally in a crowd pushed against a woman, who cried out.
Paul turned to one of his aides-de-camp, saying—
“Take that gentleman to the fortress and come back and tell me when he is safely shut up there.”
The aide-de-camp returned, saying that he had executed the order, but adding—