CHAPTER IX

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Louis-Philippe and his family -- An unpublished theatrical skit on his mania for shaking hands with every one -- His art of governing, according to the same skit -- Louis-Philippe not the ardent admirer of the bourgeoisie he professed to be -- The Faubourg Saint-Germain deserts the Tuileries -- The English in too great a majority -- Lord ----'s opinion of the dinners at the Tuileries -- The attitude of the bourgeoisie towards Louis-Philippe, according to the King himself -- Louis-Philippe's wit -- His final words on the death of Talleyrand -- His love of money -- He could be generous at times -- A story of the Palais-Royal -- Louis-Philippe and the Marseillaise -- Two curious stories connected with the Marseillaise -- Who was the composer of it? -- Louis-Philippe's opinion of the throne, the crown, and the sceptre of France as additions to one's comfort -- His children, and especially his sons, take things more easily -- Even the Bonapartists admired some of the latter -- A mot of an imperialist -- How the boys were brought up -- Their nocturnal rambles later on -- The King himself does not seem to mind those escapades, but is frightened at M. Guizot hearing of them -- Louis-Philippe did not understand Guizot -- The recollection of his former misery frequently haunts the King -- He worries Queen Victoria with his fear of becoming poor -- Louis-Philippe an excellent husband and father -- He wants to write the libretto of an opera on an English subject -- His religion -- The court receptions ridiculous -- Even the proletariat sneer at them -- The _entree_ of the Duchesse d'Orleans into Paris -- The scene in the Tuileries gardens -- A mot of Princesse Clementine on her father's too paternal solicitude -- A practical joke of the Prince de Joinville -- His caricatures and drawings -- The children inherited their talent for drawing and modelling from their mother -- The Duc de Nemours as a miniature and water-colour painter -- Suspected of being a Legitimist -- All Louis-Philippe's children great patrons of art -- How the bourgeoisie looked upon their intercourse with artists -- The Duc de Nemours' marvellous memory -- The studio of Eugene Lami -- His neighbours, Paul Delaroche and Honore de Balzac -- The Duc de Nemours' bravery called in question -- The Duc d'Aumale's exploits in Algeria considered mere skirmishes -- A curious story of spiritism -- The Duc d'Aumale a greater favourite with the world than any of the other sons of Louis-Philippe -- His wit -- The Duc d'Orleans also a great favourite -- His visits to Decamps' studio -- An indifferent classical scholar -- A curious kind of black-mail -- His indifference to money -- There is no money in a Republic -- His death -- A witty reply to the Legitimists 185

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