M. de Stael told me of a curious interview he had with Buonaparte when he was enraged with his mother, who had published remarks on his government concluding with "Eh! bien vous avez raison aussi. Je concois qu'un fils doit toujours faire la defense de sa mere, mais enfin, si Monsieur veut ecrire des libelles, il faut aller en Angleterre.

Without reading it, I can vouch for that." "Je concois, je concois: on sait ce que c'est qu'un ami. Bonjour, Mademoiselle!" "But, Monsieur, here is your handkerchief." "Keep it, keep it, till the letter is read, then bring it me; I shall read the billet's tenor in your eyes."