Life in the Tuileries Under the Second Empire

ess?High mass on Sundays ? The Emperor's demeanor ? The sermon ? Etiquette ? The wardrobe regions above the apartments of the Empress ? "Pepa," the Empress's Spanish maid ? The jailer's daughters ? Anecdote of the Emperor ? The privy-purse of the Empress. ALL the inmates of the palace of every rank were JL. subjected to a sort of military discipline. The gates, always guarded by sentinels, were closed at midnight; any one returning after that hour was noted by the officer in command, and reported the next morning. Every day the picket of guards was changed, and a fresh password was given. Shortly after my arrival at the Tuileries I had gone to an evening party, with the permission of the Duchess, escorted by some friends, who brought me back after the fatal hour?of which, as yet, I did not know the rule. The next morning I was much teased, good-humoredly, by the Duc de Tascher as to my delinquencies; I had been "reported to him as having returned after the gates had been closed," and he looked very solemn. I was a good deal startled, pleading the permission of the Duchess, and the safety of my escort; but after having sufficiently enjoyed my alarm he laughed, and explained that it was a general rule to keep the heads of the different private households informed of the doings of all those inhabiting their quarters in the palace; but that I might safely commit the offense again, under the same circumstances. There was, however, so much trouble and ceremony ...