_July 2nd._--We went to the Avenue de Paris to see the funeral of
the Duchesse d'Orléans, which was to come from Paris. It was close
weather; one heavy shower came on and obliged us to take shelter under
the trees. There was a person sitting on a stone who told us she was
reduced, and talked[34] a great deal. There were soldiers along both
sides of the avenue as far as the eye could reach. There were a great
many cuirassiers; when the sun shone on their steel armour it glittered
very much; two of their horses got loose and galloped all the way down.
We waited above two hours before the funeral came. First there came
three men on horseback, and after them several other men, then several
shabby post-chaises, and next the hearse, which was covered with black
velvet and silver. After that came guards, pages, people, carriages,
etc. The avenue was _crowded_ with people.
[Illustration: CUIRASSIER]
At twelve o'clock we went along with Miss Ward and Miss Johnson[35] to
Notre Dame to see the marriage of Marshal Soult's nephew to the _femme
de chambre_ of the Duchesse d'Angoulême. We sat very near the altar.
The church was excessively full; there were a great many English.
The bride was not at all pretty. She wore a white gauze gown trimmed
with flowers, over a white satin slip, and a veil fastened round her
head with a wreath of white roses. She was little, and had not a good
figure; the waist of her gown was very long and made very high in
front (which most of the French gowns are), which was not improving
to her figure. Marshal Soult was a vulgar-looking man, with a cross,
disagreeable countenance. His nephew was not ill-looking. There were
three bridesmaids, who looked old enough to be the bride's mother; they
were little and fat, and queerly dressed. The marriage ceremony was
chiefly done by the priest; he read and prayed by himself, and seemed
to have nothing to do with them. At last they each held a lighted
candle; the priest read some prayers to them; and one of the little
boys brought them a silver castle and a silver plate to kiss. Marshal
Soult seemed to look at it with great contempt. During one part of the
ceremony a curtain was held over them. While the ceremony was going on
we saw the priest do something that appeared very irreverent. After he
had been praying on the steps of the altar, no sooner had he risen than
he spit on them: we afterwards saw him dancing across the vestry. After
the ceremony there was a collection of money. Miss Ward told us only to
give a sous or two; we observed the bridegroom thought he had given too
much, as he took out of the plate what he had at first given, and put
in a smaller sum.
After we returned from the church there was a great deal of rain,
thunder and lightning.