Note 247 — BOOK V[218]
Alexander Teixeira de Mattos translation
Ginguené was accredited as Ambassador of the French Republic at Turin in the early part of 1798. By affectation of simplicity, and also doubtless from economy, he caused his wife to be dispensed from appearing at the audiences in Court dress. He did not lose an hour before dispatching a special courier to carry the great piece of news to the Foreign Minister: the Citizeness Ambassadress had appeared in a pet-en-l'air! Within a very few days, Talleyrand had signed Ginguené's recall.—B.
A pet-en-l'air is a very vulgar term for a short morning gown.—T.