Although Baroque symbolized Luxury, the Baroque style of Louis XIV's era was clearly different from the Baroque Georgiana had seen in Antwerp.
She said she was going to draw a bath, but she did not actually do so. Instead, she went sightseeing. Unlike Versailles, which had been looted and damaged, this palace of Louis XIV's remained perfectly preserved. It was impossible to tell that it had originally been a market for bread and cloth.
In fact, no king had ever lived in this palace since the day it was built. Unlike Versailles, it was not covered in thick carpets that muffled every sound and concealed both the marble floor and the mirror-like sheen of its polished surface. Yet the Sun King's emblem could still be seen everywhere on the ceilings and wall panels. In any case, she felt that Bonaparte could not possibly live in a place like this for long.
On the third floor of the palace was a room specifically for storing little Julien's clothes, and next door was Bertin's workshop. When Georgiana found her, Bertin was staring blankly at the little outfits Louis XV had given Julien. Several human-shaped mannequins stood beside the worktable, all draped in unfinished police uniforms. They truly showed the craftsmanship of Italy's Golden Scissors; every piece was striking.
A title could make its holder seem grander in others' eyes. The fees charged by an ordinary ballet coach and the chief coach of the Paris Opera were certainly not the same.
Clothing was another symbol of authority. Kings' clothes were exceptionally splendid, while police and military uniforms represented the law and the army. They were more immediately recognizable than titles, but such coats were also easy to forge. Swindlers were like chameleons, wearing military uniforms one moment and black clerical robes the next.