THE COUNTESS NAPOLEONE CAMERATA, _daughter of Napoleon's sister, Elisa Baciocchi_ SARAH PERRY FANNY ELSSLER MARGARET GORDON SCARAMPI, _Mistress of the Robes_ FRANCIS COMSTOCK MINA, _a maid-of-honor_ EDITH SCOTT AN ARCHDUCHESS, _a child_ BEATRICE MORRISON _Princes_, _Princesses_, _Archdukes_, _Archduchesses_, _Maids-of-Honor_, _Officers_, _Noble Guard_, _Masks (Male and Female)_, _Crotian Peasants_, _Hungarian Peasant_, _Austrian Soldiers_, _Police Officers_. _The period covered by the play is from 1830 to 1832._ [Illustration] [Illustration: THE DUKE OF REICHSTADT FROM THE PAINTING BY SIR THOMAS LAWRENCE] [Illustration] THE FIRST ACT [Illustration] [Illustration] L'AIGLON THE FIRST ACT _At Baden, near Vienna, in 1830._ _The drawing-room of the villa occupied by_ MARIA LOUISA. _The walls are painted al fresco in bright colors. The frieze is decorated with a design of sphinxes._ _At the back, between two other windows, a window reaching to the ground and forming the entrance from the garden. Beyond, the balustrade of the terrace leading into the garden; a glimpse of lindens and pine-trees. A magnificent day in the beginning of September. Empire furniture of lemonwood decorated with bronze. A large china stove in the centre of the wall on the left. In front of it a door. On the right, two doors. The first leads to the apartments of_ MARIA LOUISA. _In front of the window on the left at the back an Erard piano of the period, and a harp. A big table on the right, and against the right wall a small table with shelves filled with books. On the left, facing the audience, a Récamier couch, and a large stand for candlesticks. A great many flowers in vases. Framed engravings on the walls representing the members of the Imperial Family of Austria. A portrait of the Emperor Francis._ _At the rise of the curtain a group of elegant ladies is discovered at the further end of the room. Two of them are seated at the piano, with their backs to the audience, playing a duet. Another is at the harp. They are playing at sight, amid much laughter and many interruptions. A lackey ushers in a modestly dressed young girl who is accompanied by an officer of the Austrian Cavalry. Seeing that no one notices their entrance, these two remain standing a moment in a corner. The_ COUNT DE BOMBELLES _comes in from the door on the right and goes toward the piano. He sees the young girl, and stops, with a smile._ THE LADIES. [_Surrounding the piano, laughing, and all talking at the same time._] She misses all the flats!--It's scandalous!-- I'll take the bass!--Loud pedal!--One! Two!--Harp! BOMBELLES. [_To_ THERESA.] What! You! THERESA. Good-day, my Lord Bombelles! A LADY. [_At the piano._] _Mi, sol._ THERESA. I enter on my readership-- ANOTHER LADY.