He
was as assiduous behind the scenes of the opera as any journalist, or any
young dandy of twenty years. He "ranged himself," as the French phrase
is, shortly before his marriage, just like any other young bachelor: took
leave of Phryne and Aspasie in the coulisses, and proposed to devote
himself henceforth to his charming young wife.
The affreux catastrophe of July arrived. The ancient Bourbons were once
more on the road to exile (save one wily old remnant of the race, who
rode grinning over the barricades, and distributing poignees de main to
the stout fists that had pummelled his family out of France). M. le Duc
d'Ivry, who lost his place at court, his appointments which helped his
income very much, and his peerage would no more acknowledge the usurper
of Neuilly, than him of Elba. The ex-peer retired to his terres. He
barricaded his house in Paris against all supporters of the citizen king;
his nearest kinsman, M. de Florac, among the rest, who for his part
cheerfully took his oath of fidelity, and his seat in Louis Philippe's
house of peers, having indeed been accustomed to swear to all dynasties
for some years past.
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