Fouché had once been desperately in love with Sophie Arnould, and now pitied her in her distress. Thanks to her influence with the minister, the Chevalier Ferrière obtained an order, authorizing him to return to France, though he had never left Paris, except occasionally to drive a fare to one of the suburbs. * * * * * The natural effect of Napoleon's campaigns in Italy was to create among the French army a taste for Italian music. The First Consul and many of his generals were passionately fond of it; and a hint from the Tuileries in 1801 was sufficient to induce Mademoiselle Montansier to engage an Italian company, which performed for the first time in Paris on the 1st of May in the same year. The enterprise, however, was not successful; and in 1803 the directress, who had been arrested before because money was owing to her, was put in prison for owing money. If, by taking his troops to Italy, Napoleon was the means of introducing a taste for Italian music among the French, he provided his country with Italian singers in a far more direct manner. At Dresden, in 1806, he was delighted with the performance of Brizzi and Madame Paer in the opera of _Achille_, composed by the prima donna's husband. "You sing divinely, Madame Paer," said the emperor. What do they give you at this theatre?" "Fifteen thousand francs, Sire." "You shall receive thirty. M. Brizzi, you shall follow me on the same terms." "But we are engaged." "With me. You see the affair is quite settled. The Prince of Benevento will attend to the diplomatic part of it." [Sidenote: NAPOLEON AND PAER.]