What was up with her? Was she mad
about the emperor? Were people not happy? Was business doing badly?
Paris would never enjoy itself so thoroughly again.
Gaga was beside herself; she woke up and was very indignant.
"Be quiet! It's idiotic! You don't know what you're saying. I--I've seen
Louis Philippe's reign: it was full of beggars and misers, my dear.
And then came '48! Oh, it was a pretty disgusting business was their
republic! After February I was simply dying of starvation--yes, I, Gaga.
Oh, if only you'd been through it all you would go down on your knees
before the emperor, for he's been a father to us; yes, a father to us."
She had to be soothed but continued with pious fervor:
"O my God, do Thy best to give the emperor the victory. Preserve the
empire to us!"
They all repeated this aspiration, and Blanche confessed that she burned
candles for the emperor. Caroline had been smitten by him and for two
whole months had walked where he was likely to pass but had failed to
attract his attention. And with that the others burst forth into furious
denunciations of the Republicans and talked of exterminating them on
the frontiers so that Napoleon III, after having beaten the enemy, might
reign peacefully amid universal enjoyment.
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