"Monsieur Lethière was at once a fine talent, a good heart and a charming wit. He had with him, as the soul of the house, a young blonde woman, tall, slim, almost always dressed in black, who was called Mademoiselle d'Hervilly, and who, under this name, did painting and literature, who has since been called Madame Hahnemann, and who, under this name, did medicine. It was a cold spirit, a dry heart, but a strong will.
Today, I see Madame Hahnemann, a widow, very wealthy. She was a very superior person, and did the honors of the house to Mr. Lethière's old friends, some of whom had been friends of my father. The old friends were: M. Gohier, the former president of the Directoire, Andrieux, Desgenettes, a painter named Renaud, and a few others. [...] Of all these men, the most remarkable to me was Gohier." [Alexandre Dumas, Mes Mémoires (CXIII)] |