Lea de Horn, who had a political salon where
former ministers of Louis Philippe were wont to indulge in delicate
epigrams, shrugged her shoulders and continued the conversation in a low
tone:
"What a mistake this war is! What a bloodthirsty piece of stupidity!"
At this Lucy forthwith took up the cudgels for the empire. She had been
the mistress of a prince of the imperial house, and its defense became a
point of family honor with her.
"Do leave them alone, my dear. We couldn't let ourselves be further
insulted! Why, this war concerns the honor of France. Oh, you know I
don't say that because of the prince. He WAS just mean! Just imagine, at
night when he was going to bed he hid his gold in his boots, and when we
played at bezique he used beans, because one day I pounced down on the
stakes for fun. But that doesn't prevent my being fair. The emperor was
right."
Lea shook her head with an air of superiority, as became a woman who was
repeating the opinions of important personages. Then raising her voice:
"This is the end of all things. They're out of their minds at the
Tuileries. France ought to have driven them out yesterday. Don't you
see?"
They all violently interrupted her.
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