So they gathered around the Emperor as children will when something interesting is to be shown them.
"How lovely!" cried Jane, gazing at the miniature she was first allowed to hold in her hand.
It was indeed a beautiful picture, showing a baby asleep in his cradle, which was in the shape of a helmet of Mars. Above his head the banner of France was waving and in his tiny right hand was a small globe.
"What does it mean?" asked Betsy, a little timidly now, as she noted the expression of mingled pride and sadness in Napoleon's face.
"Ah, those are the symbols of greatness. He is to be a great warrior and rule the world."
"Yes--in a minute," murmured Betsy, as one of the boys whispered to her to translate "_Je prie le bon Dieu pour mon père, ma mère, et ma patrie_," inscribed beneath a picture of the child on a snuffbox cover, which showed the little fellow in prayer before a crucifix. Then they both looked at another miniature portraying him riding one lamb, while he was decking another with ribbons.
"Ah!" mused the Emperor again sadly. "Those were real lambs. They were given him by the inhabitants of Paris,--a hint, I suppose, that they would rather have peace than war."
"And this is his mother," continued the Emperor, as a woman, far less handsome than Josephine, was shown in the miniature with the boy, surrounded by a halo of roses and clouds.
"She is beautiful," exclaimed Napoleon; "but I will show you the most beautiful woman in the world."
The girls echoed his words. "I never saw any one so beautiful in my life," cried Betsy, gazing on the portrait of a young, charming woman.
"The Princess of--" queried one of the French.
"My sister Pauline," said Napoleon, "and you show good taste in admiring her. She is probably one of the loveliest women ever created."
"But now," he continued, when they had seen all the pictures, "let us go down to the cottage and play whist."
Turning reluctantly from the miniatures, the children walked down to the cottage and soon were ready to play.
But the cards did not deal smoothly enough. "Go off there by yourself," said Napoleon to young Las Cases, "and deal until the cards run better. And now, Mees Betsy, tell me about your _robe de bal_."
Betsy's face flushed with pleasure. "Do you really want to see it? I will go upstairs and get it."