M. L began to hesitate and stammer, while his hostess continued to question him; and Mme. Le Brun, coming out from behind the curtain, saidThey then returned to Lyon, where they parted company; Flicits aunt and cousin returning to Paris, while she and her mother went back to Burgundy.
But the pictures and churches filled Lisette with delight, especially the masterpieces of Correggio, the glory of Parma.During her exile in England, she was in the habit of visiting and helping the French who were poor or sick, and one day being in a hospital, and seeing a French soldier evidently very ill, she spoke to him with compassion and offered him money, which he refused, with a strange exclamation, apparently of horror.Napoleon had insisted upon his marrying Mme. Grandt, his mistress, who had always received his guests during the loose society lately prevalent: people said that since he had done so, his salon was not nearly so amusing. She was a pretty but extremely stupid person, always making some mistake. On one occasion the celebrated traveller, M. Denon, was going to dine with them, and Talleyrand told her to be sure to talk to him about his travels, addingShe neither feared death nor desired it, her life was spent for others not for herself, she regretted to leave them, but the thought of the other world, and of those who had gone before her, drew her heart towards that radiant, immortal future, the thought of which had ever been her guide and consolation.
