He asked me, "Did you ever hear anything like that?" I tried to fancy how any one would look placarded like that, but replied that I had never heard of anything quite so awful; but I _had_ heard that every cloud had a silver lining. He laughed and said, "I shall call myself a cloud in future."
The dinner to-night was very good. I give you the menu:
Potage tortue clair, Crème de volaille, Brisotins de foie gras, Saumon Napolitain, Filet de boeuf à la moderne, Suprême de perdreaux, Homards à la Parisienne, Gelinottes rôties, Salade, Petits pois à l'Anglaise, Ananas Montmorency, Glaces assorties, Café--Liqueur (both served at the table).
Dinner over, we filed before the _Cent Gardes_ in their shining uniforms through the long gallery.
It was earlier than usual when we began to dance; but we were (at least I was) interrupted by receiving a message from their Majesties, asking me if I would kindly sing something for them. Of course I did not refuse, and we adjourned to the music-room, where the Erard piano was.
[Illustration: THE MUSIC HALL--CHÂTEAU DE COMPIÈGNE]
I did not exactly know what to sing; but Prince Metternich soon relieved my mind on that score by saying, "Don't bother about singing anything serious, and especially _don't_ sing anything classical." The Princess Metternich could accompany anything which was not too difficult; therefore we thought I had better sing "_Ma mère était bohémienne_," of Massé, which I did. I saw directly that this melodramatic music, beautiful as it is, did not suit the occasion, for though the gaily attuned audience was visibly affected by the phrase, _Et moi j'ai l'âme triste_, they did not show more signs of emotion than by making a little dab at their eyes with their pocket-handkerchiefs.
The Princess remained at the piano, ready to accompany the other songs I had brought, which were of the same character, and I stood by her, trying to decide what I should sing next, when the Emperor came up and asked me for "Beware!" Charles accompanied that, and I sang it. The Empress asked me if I would sing some Spanish songs for her. I sang "Chiquita," which I learned with Garcia, and the "_Habañero_." She seemed very pleased, and made me many compliments. Then the Emperor begged me for some negro songs, and asked me if I knew "Massa's in the Cold, Cold Ground," or "Suwanee River," or "Nelly Bly," all of which he remembered having heard in America.