When we were all arranged in a row round the two halls of audience, with the ambassadors and ministers in the order of their reception at Court, the King, the Queen with the Princess Clementine on her arm, the Duchess of Orleans, Madame Adelaide, and the Duke of Orleans entered and went round, speaking generally a word to each individual as he was presented; for we were all gentlemen, the ladies being presented later. It took them a little more than an hour. One thing was soon apparent from their manners. They wished to please.
. . . . The King came first. He is stout without being fat, and clumsy from having too short legs. He spoke English to all the English and to all the Americans, and spoke it uncommonly well. He asked me about my former visit to Paris, inquired particularly after Mr. Gallatin, and praised Boston and its hospitalities, which he said he remembered with much pleasure and gratitude. He took some time to say this, of course, and bowed and smiled most profusely. The Queen came next. She looked much older than he does, is very thin and gray-headed, and seemed worn and anxious. But she, too, smiled abundantly, and asked me about the differences between Paris now and when I was here before; which adroitly relieved her from the necessity of saying much herself. She spoke French to me, as did all the ladies to those who could understand it. Her lovely daughter, with the most intellectual countenance in the family, looked very naturally uninterested, and only courtesied to each as she passed, without thinking it necessary to smile or to speak to anybody. She was dressed with perfect simplicity, in a light pink satin, without lace or ornament of any kind on any part of her person. She must be admitted to be lovely, perhaps beautiful, but certainly she had a very dull time to-night.
After her came the Duchess of Orleans, the only one much dressed. She wore many diamonds, and, without being beautiful, is very good-looking, graceful, and winning. She spoke to me in German, and said some very pretty things about Germany, and how much she still loves her ‘Vaterland,’ where, she said, the people are so true and so happy. Her manner was more natural than that of any of the rest of the family. Indeed, perhaps it was quite natural. Mad. Adelaide, who followed, is short and stout, like her brother, whom she resembles both in countenance and in an air of firm, full health.
