diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/62965-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/62965-0.txt | 3457 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 3457 deletions
diff --git a/old/62965-0.txt b/old/62965-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 45c4644..0000000 --- a/old/62965-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3457 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Eugénie, Empress of the French, by Erich Holm - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Eugénie, Empress of the French - Life Stories for Young People - -Author: Erich Holm - -Translator: George P. Upton - -Release Date: August 18, 2020 [eBook #62965] -[Most recently updated: August 22, 2021] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: D A Alexander, Stephen Hutcheson, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EUGÉNIE, EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH *** - - - - - [Illustration: _EUGÉNIE_] - - _Life Stories for Young People_ - - - - - EUGÉNIE - EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH - - - _Translated from the German of - Erich Holm_ - - BY - GEORGE P. UPTON - _Author of “Musical Memories,” “Standard Operas,” etc._ - _Translator of “Memories,” “Immensee,” etc._ - - WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS - - [Illustration: A. C. McCLURG & CO.] - - CHICAGO - A. C. McCLURG & CO. - 1910 - - Copyright - A. C. McCLURG & Co. - 1910 - Published September 24, 1910 - - THE · PLIMPTON · PRESS - [W · D · O] - NORWOOD · MASS · U · S · A - - - - - Preface - - -In a recent interview at her villa in the Riviera, the ex-Empress -Eugénie is reported to have said: “I have lived; I have been; I do not -ask more. I ask not to be remembered. Between my past and my present -there exists not half a century, but ten centuries. Men have changed, -times have changed. It is a dream that is dissipated.” It is a -fascinating story, as told in these pages, the career of this -granddaughter of a Scotch wine-merchant, who by the power of her -personal charm, the incentive of her ambition, and the boldness of her -resolution, achieved her purpose, though stigmatized an upstart and -adventuress, and eventually driven from the throne and doomed to spend -her remaining days brooding over the loss of her power and her beauty; -over France’s crushing defeat in what the short-sighted Empress lightly -termed “my war”; over her folly in urging Napoleon into the war; -sorrowing over his death, and chiefly, lamenting the death of her son at -the hands of Zulu savages in that far-away land whither she had urged -him to go. Hers is an adventurous, a romantic, in every way an -extraordinary, life-story. It shows what one of determined will and -fixed purpose may do. But was it worth the doing? In these days, looking -back over her career, all she can say is: “I am the past. I am the -distant horizon where exists a mirage, a shadow, a phantom, a living -sorrow. I am an old woman, poor in everything that makes a woman rich. -My husband, my son—that brave boy—they are gone. My eyes no longer turn -to the future. I live only in my youth. There is nothing for me but to -wait. My dreary winter is nearly over.” Poor Eugénie! That she still -clings to the hope of seeing a descendant of Napoleon on the throne of -France is evidenced by a letter to an old soldier who recently appealed -to her for help, in which she says: “As her majesty admits that every -old soldier of the empire has remained faithful to the sacred cause, to -the imperial eagles, it is necessary so that her majesty may be assured -of a devotion of which she—or rather the legitimate heir to the -throne—will perhaps have need sooner than one thinks, that she receives -from you a letter in which she will find the expression of your -unshakable devotion to the memory of Napoleon III and to the Imperial -cause, as well as the expression of your mistrust of the present -regime.” - - G. P. U. - -Chicago, _July_, 1910. - - - - - Contents - - - Chapter Page - I The Youth of Eugénie 11 - II Eugénie’s Marriage to Louis Napoleon 23 - III Eugénie’s Personality 36 - IV State Visit to England 42 - V Birth of the Prince Imperial 49 - VI The Empress in Politics 54 - VII Private Life of the Empress 62 - VIII Paris under the Second Empire 68 - IX Eugénie as a Leader of Fashion 79 - X Decline of the Empire 88 - XI The War of 1870 97 - XII Eugénie’s Flight to England 109 - XIII The Empress in Exile 119 - XIV Death of the Prince Imperial 126 - Appendix 136 - - - - - Illustrations - - - Eugénie _Frontispiece_ - Empress Eugénie 30 - Napoleon the Third 92 - The Empress-Widow 134 - - - - - Eugénie - Empress of the French - - - - - Chapter I - The Youth of Eugénie - - -At the beginning of the last century there dwelt in the city of Malaga -in Spain a merchant named Kirkpatrick. Although descended from a Scotch -family of distinction that had been forced by the fall of the Stuarts to -flee their native land, this later scion of the race earned his -livelihood by the sale of wines which he dispensed with his own hand in -a room at the rear of his shop. The business prospered and he became a -rich man, exporting large quantities of Spanish wines to foreign -countries; but he still kept his wine-room in Malaga, assisted by his -four daughters, who did much to attract custom. - -The lofty family traditions of the Kirkpatricks of Closeburn could -scarcely have been expected to be remembered amid the practical duties -of the merchant’s busy life, but his beautiful daughters were by no -means unaware of their high descent nor without hope of elevating -themselves once more to the rank of their ancestors. Of the four -sisters, Manuela, the third, was the most aspiring as well as the most -beautiful. Even when busy serving wine and chatting gayly with the -gentlemen who frequented her father’s wine-room, her mind was constantly -dwelling on the traditions of her house, and in the glories of the past -she forgot the sordid surroundings of the present. Although a true -daughter of the soil from which she sprang, Manuela was very different -from the ordinary Spanish girl, who is often indolent and ignorant; for -with her Scotch blood she inherited the energy without which her dreams -and ambitions could never have been realized. Determined to rise in the -world, and with nothing but herself and her beauty to depend upon, she -decided that only a brilliant marriage could accomplish her ends; and to -achieve this she was ready to use any means or make any sacrifice. - -Among the officers stationed at that time in Malaga, most of whom were -frequent patrons of Kirkpatrick’s wine-room, was a colonel of artillery -in the Spanish army, Count Manuel Fernandez de Teba. No longer young, -and far from attractive in person, having lost an eye, and being very -short-sighted besides, he was little fitted to awaken tender sentiments -in the fair sex; but Manuela was not to be daunted by this. His heart -seemed a citadel not too difficult of conquest, and without regard to -his appearance she devoted herself to the study of his antecedents. The -result of these genealogical researches exceeded her fondest hopes, for -they proved that the bluest blood of Spain flowed in Count Teba’s veins. -He was descended from the noble Genoese family of Porto-Carrero, which, -emigrating to Estremadura in the fourteenth century, had secured by -marriage the right to bear some of the most illustrious names of Spain -as well as the heirship to the joint estates of Teba, Banos, and Mora. -He was the second son, it is true, but his elder brother was unmarried; -and if she united her future with his, the ambitious maiden could reckon -with some security on attaining in time the rank and position to which -she aspired. - -Her father’s increasing prosperity, no less than her own remarkable -beauty, caused many younger and handsomer suitors to lay their homage at -Manuela’s feet, but however favored any one of these may have believed -himself, he was now cast remorselessly aside. Her course once decided -on, she lost not a moment in setting her hand to the work. She showed -Count Teba the most delicate attentions, the most flattering deference; -for him were reserved her sweetest smiles, her tenderest glances, until -at last the credulous nobleman’s admiration kindled into passion, and -without even consulting his family, Manuel Fernandez, afterwards Count -de Montijo and Duke de Peneranda, married Maria Manuela, daughter of the -wine-merchant Kirkpatrick. The young Countess at once set up an -establishment on the grandest scale. Her salons became the resort of the -richest and most distinguished officers, and she charmed every one with -her hospitality, her beauty, and her wit. - -While she was enjoying her triumph to the full, however, evil tongues -were soon busy over the free and easy tone said to prevail in the home -of the worthy pair—a rumor that quickly found its way to the Count de -Montijo. From the first he had strongly disapproved of his brother’s -unsuitable marriage, and, indignant at the gossip caused by his -sister-in-law’s behavior, he determined to prevent their becoming his -heirs, by making a marriage himself in his old age. Manuela was seized -with fury at this news; but prudence soon gained the upper hand, and -instead of sulkily avoiding her new relatives she made every effort to -win their approval, a course that was the less difficult for her to -pursue, as, to her secret joy, the marriage remained childless. Tired of -living in her native place where she was constantly reminded of her -humble origin, she finally persuaded her husband to leave Malaga; and -with their little daughter Francisca Theresa they moved to Granada, -where the Count’s brother had his residence. There, on the fifth of May, -1826, the future Empress of the French, Maria Eugénie, was born—the same -day of the same month on which Napoleon the Great had died. - -Eugénie’s mother was a perfect woman of the world. Brilliant and clever -and mistress of the art of conversation, she far surpassed the ordinary -Spanish woman in intellect as well as wit. It was not strange, -therefore, that with all these charms at her command she had succeeded -in winning over her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, and establishing -herself in their favor; so that Count Teba’s family soon became welcome -guests at all the Montijo entertainments, where they were received with -the utmost courtesy and respect. But even this did not satisfy Manuela. -She longed for a life of more freedom and unrestraint, and to climb yet -higher in the ranks of society. Her ambition was destined to be -fulfilled, for before many years had passed Count Teba stood beside the -bier of his childless brother; and his wife now persuaded him to take up -his residence in Madrid. - -The domestic life of Eugénie’s parents had never been a harmonious one. -Her mother’s extravagance and coquetry, together with the jealous and -violent temper of her father, soon banished the genius of peace from the -household; and their quarrels were the more frequent and bitter from the -Countess’s lack of any real affection for her husband. Matters grew even -worse after their arrival in the capital, for Manuela gave herself up -entirely to intrigues and made her husband’s life miserable. Here, too, -she was prompted less by passion than by ambition, since it was through -her connection with influential persons that she hoped to obtain a -position at court. Among the many she attracted to her house was General -Narvaez, at that time the most powerful man in Spain. At his -intercession, the wine-merchant’s daughter was made first -lady-in-waiting to the youthful Queen Isabella. This coveted post she -could no doubt have easily retained had she not allowed her passions for -once to gain the upper hand. A young Italian for whom she had a fondness -disappeared one fine day with all her jewels; and on this occasion she -so far overstepped the bounds permissible even at the Spanish court that -it was intimated to her she would do well to leave Madrid. - -While their mother was thus coquetting and intriguing at court, Eugénie -and her sister, two years older than herself, had been left at the -Sacred Heart Convent in Paris. The Countess now took the two girls away -with her, and, leaving her husband in Madrid, began a pleasant life of -travel, dividing her time between London, Paris, and the fashionable -watering-places, everywhere gathering about her a circle of friends and -adorers, many of them men distinguished in the world of art and -learning,—although the greater part of her admirers belonged to that -class which lives in enjoyment of the present, preferring the pleasures -of the senses to those of the mind. Over her young daughters’ -acquaintances and associates, however, she kept a close watch; whatever -her own indiscretions may have been during this period, she carefully -guarded their innocence from all evil influences. She neglected no -opportunities for improving their minds, and it was then that the -foundations were laid of that excellent education which no one ever -ventured to deny the Empress Eugénie. - -It was impossible for the careful mother not to perceive the attention -excited wherever they went by her younger daughter’s beauty, her regular -features, exquisite coloring, large clear eyes, and wonderful golden -hair; and while she little dreamed that Eugénie was destined to become -the sovereign of a great European nation, with justifiable maternal -pride she began to hope that her child might rise to even greater rank -than she herself had attained. To pave the way to this good fortune, the -Countess Montijo made another attempt to regain her position at court, -but met with a prompt refusal. Narvaez, however, who was still in power, -took her under his protection without more ado; and on the death of her -husband, in 1839, she determined to return to Madrid, where, at the -expiration of her period of mourning, the handsome widow accordingly -appeared, accompanied by her still more lovely daughters, Francisca, at -that time seventeen years old, and Eugénie, fifteen. The sisters were a -complete contrast to each other though equally beautiful. The elder was -darker and more slender, and her features were softer than Eugénie’s, -though her face had less character. - -Through the zeal and influence of Narvaez and their mother’s prudence -and perseverance, the Queen was finally induced to take the young girls -into her court, but their position there was by no means an enviable -one. As daughters of a woman who in spite of her personal attractions -was well known to have led an irregular life, they were looked upon with -general suspicion; and as they constantly appeared with this mother in -society, it was only natural that members of their own sex should hold -aloof from them, while the men redoubled their attentions in -consequence. The Countess Montijo was shrewd enough to see that she must -proceed with caution if she wished her plans realized; therefore, to -protect her daughters from the reefs on which her own reputation had -been wrecked, she kept all undesirable cavaliers at a respectful -distance. Among all those who sought the young Countesses’ favor there -was only one she considered worthy to occupy the position of her -son-in-law, the Duke of Berwick and Alva; him she encouraged in every -way, permitting him to ride and drive with her daughters and accompany -them to the theatre, giving him an intimate footing in the family. His -companionship was a source of delight to both sisters, and he soon -became the centre of their thoughts, possessing as he did the art of -making himself so agreeable to both that each one fancied herself the -object of his preference. - -Eugénie adored Alva with all the intensity of a first love, endowing him -with all the loftiest and most noble qualities; and, worshipping this -image created by her fancy, believed herself loved in return. The -mother, however, more experienced in the faithlessness of man, began to -suspect that he had no intention of choosing either daughter as a -companion for life; accordingly she set before him, when he came one day -to call, the serious alternative of declaring himself or severing all -intercourse with the family; to which ultimatum the Duke replied by -requesting the hand of the elder. When Francisca, radiant with joy, -hastened to her sister’s room to announce the great news she found her -in bed. At first she thought her asleep, but on coming closer discovered -to her horror that Eugénie’s eyes were fixed and staring, her forehead -covered with beads of moisture, her features drawn and convulsed—she had -taken poison! Francisca’s screams of distress quickly brought her mother -and the maid to the scene. A physician was summoned, and Eugénie was -restored to consciousness. A long and serious illness followed. In her -delirious ravings she betrayed the fact that, hidden behind a door, she -had overheard the Duke’s avowal and in despair had tried to end her -life. Her recovery was slow and tedious. Even after she had been -pronounced out of danger, her nervous system showed traces of the shock -in a slight trembling, a nervous quiver of the eyelids, that never -entirely left her. The sudden attacks of depression, the fits of weeping -that sometimes seized her in after years, even in the midst of some -festivity, may also be ascribed to the effects of the poison taken in -her youth. - -Still deeper were the traces left on the young girl’s character by this -unhappy experience. Though taught by pride to conquer her love for the -husband of her sister, she was forced to be a daily witness of that -sister’s happiness and to endure the pity with which she was universally -regarded, added to which was the galling conviction that the Duke -himself suspected her secret. The once shy and modest maiden became a -bold, forward coquette, striving to forget her sufferings in a whirl of -pleasure and amusement, craving admiration, ambitious and frivolous. As -a child she had always preferred boys’ sports to the usual occupations -of girls, and excelled in riding, swimming, and fencing. Now she might -be seen any afternoon galloping bareback through the streets of Madrid, -smoking a cigar or a cigarette. She devised all sorts of fanciful -costumes that only she could wear, often appearing in the Andalusian -national dress. She was a frequent visitor at the theatre and all public -places of amusement, and had a passion for bull-fights. One of the -toreadors, for whom she embroidered a splendid cloak, was her declared -lover. She rarely missed one of these gory festivals; and, seated on the -lowest tier among the most enthusiastic spectators, in her Andalusian -costume, she was always the centre of attraction. The womanly modesty -that had made Eugénie so charming in her early girlhood had vanished, -but she was even more beautiful and fascinating. She was surrounded by -admirers, and encouraged the addresses of dukes and princes till her -coquetries aroused the jealousy of the Queen. But no one paid court to -her seriously. Suitors were naturally shy of choosing a wife who often -appeared in masculine attire, who wore the most startling and -conspicuous bathing costumes to excite admiration while in the water, -and whose hand was as familiar with riding-whip and stiletto as with fan -or bouquet. - -In spite of her many extravagances, however, Eugénie’s youth was marked -by a gay thoughtlessness and daring that were most attractive. Her -self-reliant nature could brook no restraint. She scorned prudence and -yielded rashly to every impulse. The attention she attracted could not -fail to furnish food for gossip, and malicious tongues were soon busy -with her reputation—a fact which did not deter her in the least from -pursuing her fondness for adventure. This indifference to public opinion -also led her, unfortunately, to defy custom and snap her fingers at the -strict etiquette prescribed at court. At last she went out alone one -evening with one of the young pages for a long walk. Whispers of this -romantic promenade soon reached the ears of Queen Isabella, who, though -setting the worst possible example herself in regard to morals, insisted -on the strictest propriety in the behavior of her ladies; and both -culprits were summarily dismissed from her service. - -Like all Spanish girls, Eugénie had been brought up from her earliest -years a devout Catholic, with the deepest reverence for the Pope and the -Roman religion, a devotion that in time became almost fanaticism and -furnished her enemies with a weapon of attack against which she was -powerless to defend herself. After her dismissal from court she began to -reflect on the difference between a religious life and one of idle -pleasure. While at the convent, the contrast between the unselfish -devotion of the nuns and the atmosphere of her parents’ disordered -household made a deep impression on the young girl’s mind, and the -Church seemed a blissful refuge from the storms of life. Now—feeling -more and more conscious of the void within her—a passion for religion -seized her, a longing to escape from the world of lies and slander in -which she lived, into a purer atmosphere, a new field of activity. The -Church held out its arms to her, and in them she determined to seek -relief and to find strength to devote her life to the poor and -suffering. It is said that when Eugénie went to the convent prepared to -take the vows, an old half-witted nun approached, gazed at her with -dull, vacant eyes, and suddenly exclaimed, “My daughter, do not seek -shelter behind our walls. You are destined to adorn a throne!” - -In her state of religious ecstasy these words could not fail to impress -Eugénie deeply. It seemed a voice from heaven, speaking to her through -the nun and consecrating her to the world. The Countess Montijo, too, -did all she could to strengthen her daughter in this conviction, and -persuaded her at length, instead of burying herself in a cloister, to -travel abroad with her again. - - - - - Chapter II - Eugénie’s Marriage to Louis Napoleon - - -As a child, Eugénie was seldom seen without a knot of violets in her -hair or in her belt; and when the scorching summer sun of Spain made -these blossoms scarce, a shepherd boy was commissioned to bring them to -her from the heights of the Sierra Nevada. Even when older, she still -wore her favorite flowers on all occasions, for a gipsy had foretold -that her fortune “would flourish with the violet.” So on that memorable -evening toward the end of the thirties, when at a Spanish watering-place -Napoleon and Eugénie (she, then, almost a child) saw each other for the -first time, she wore a wreath of violets in her hair. - -“I shall never forget,” said an eye-witness of the scene, “the way in -which the Prince gazed at the young Countess when she was presented to -him.” - -The acquaintance was renewed some years later during a winter residence -in London (1847-48), and it was only natural that these two, brought -together by chance, should be attracted to one another. Both were of -noble rank; both had a longing for fame and splendor; both were -unfaltering in the pursuit of their ambitions; both were rich in hopes, -yet poor in worldly possessions; and though full of courage and faith in -the future, both were in reality adventurers. They were soon on terms of -intimacy, and Louis Napoleon could no doubt have won the hand of Eugénie -at that time. But his future was still uncertain. He was poor and -heavily in debt, with the reputation of leading a dissipated life; and -although she returned his love, she was prudent enough to renounce for -the time being the opportunity of becoming a princess. Convinced that -her lover’s aspiring dreams would be realized, however, and wishing to -have a claim on his gratitude as well as his affections, she wrote him -as follows, on their parting:— - -“You want to go to Paris to begin the struggle for power; to become -consul, president, dictator. But suppose these goals are attained, will -you stop there? Will that satisfy your ambition? Without a doubt you -will aim yet higher, and then how troublesome you would find a wife! An -Emperor must keep the place beside him for an Empress. Should your plans -fail, on the other hand, should France not offer what you expect, then -and only then, come back to me and I will give you an answer to your -proposal. Do not forget there is one heart ready to recompense you for -any troubles—for all disappointed hopes.” - -On the news of the Revolution of February and Louis Philippe’s flight, -Napoleon hastened to Paris. At the first election for a constitutional -National Assembly (April, 1848) his cause met with little support. Not -until the supplementary election did the Prince’s adherents appear as a -party, but once in the field they spared no pains to win the victory. -Bonapartist proclamations were distributed throughout Paris; and in the -course of eight days no less than six of the principal organs of the -press came out for him openly. Results showed the progress made by the -party even in this short time, for the Prince was chosen representative -of the capital of France; and similar faith was shown in him by three -other Departments. His election aroused long and heated debates in the -National Assembly, and his friends began to fear for his safety if he -remained in Paris. Returning to London, therefore, he sent a letter to -the legislature, stating that in consideration of the hostile attitude -toward him taken by the executive power, he felt it his duty to renounce -an honor it believed him to have won by fraud. - -This politic withdrawal, together with the unceasing efforts of his -friends, served to influence public opinion still more in his favor. At -the new election following the June uprising the people of Paris chose -Napoleon for the second time as their representative, and after an exile -of thirty years, he hastened back to the capital to take his place in -the Assembly, from which a few months later (December 20) he was -elevated to the Presidency of the Republic. - -About the time of Napoleon’s departure Eugénie and her mother also left -London, spending that summer at Spa and the following winter in -Brussels, surrounded as usual by a swarm of admirers. But all this time, -while the Prince was swiftly and surely approaching the throne of -France, Eugénie’s eyes were firmly fixed on Paris. With eager gaze she -watched the rising of Napoleon’s star, and shortly before the Empire was -proclaimed, the Spanish Countesses appeared in the capital. At last -Louis Napoleon was made Emperor. More than eight million Frenchmen had -voted for the restoration of the dynasty, and on the first of December, -1852, the Senate, the legislative body, and the Council of State paid -him homage at St. Cloud. Although formally assuming the title for the -first time on this occasion, he had in reality ruled as absolute -sovereign since the _Coup d’État_ (December 2-5, 1851). His entry into -Paris as Emperor, amid the thunder of cannon, the pealing of trumpets, -and the shouts of the multitude, was merely the crowning of a work -shrewdly planned and cleverly executed, denounced by his enemies as a -crime and glorified by his friends as a heroic achievement. - -The magnificent entertainments given by the Prince-President in the -Élysée Palace, and the yet more splendid ones that followed at the -Tuileries after he became Emperor, had been presided over with tact and -grace by his cousin Mathilde, daughter of the ex-King of Westphalia. -Fifteen or sixteen years before, during a visit which Mathilde de -Montfort had paid to Arenenberg, the residence of Queen Hortense, there -had been some talk of a marriage between her and Louis Napoleon. -Hortense, who loved her niece with all a mother’s tenderness, had looked -forward with joy to a union so suitable in every respect, and it had -been agreed upon in a family council of Bonapartes. But the Prince’s -first premature attempt to secure his uncle’s throne put an end to the -plan, and Mathilde was married, in 1841, to the millionaire Prince of -San Donato, Anatole Demidoff. After a few years of childless and unhappy -marriage they separated, the Princess retiring to a villa near Paris, -whence she was summoned to the capital by her cousin when he became -President. The youthful lovers had each led a stormy life since their -last meeting, and the romantic attachment that had drawn them together -at Arenenberg had long since evaporated. In its place a firm and quiet -friendship had arisen, and for the second time Napoleon thought -seriously of marrying his cousin. It was the dearest wish of all the -Bonapartes; but again fate intervened, this time by the Church’s refusal -to annul the Princess’s marriage with Demidoff. The Prince-President -found himself forced therefore to seek elsewhere for a bride. - -He sued in vain for the hand of a Russian Princess, and was refused in -turn by a sister of the King of Spain, and the Portuguese Duchess of -Braganza. However alluring may have been the chance of becoming -sovereign of France, these princesses had little desire to trust their -fate in the hands of an adventurer. Well-meaning friends next drew his -attention to the poor but beautiful Carola de Wasa, a cousin of King -Gustavus the Fourth of Sweden, afterwards Queen of Saxony. An envoy was -sent to negotiate preliminaries, and her family requested time for -consideration; but the Princess, who was most unfavorably impressed with -Napoleon’s portrait, protested with tears against the proposed marriage. -Beside himself at these repeated rebuffs, the Prince swore to win the -daughter of some royal house if forced to do it sword-in-hand, and -continued in his quest. Through his friend Lord Malmesbury, he urged -Queen Victoria to arrange an alliance between himself and her cousin, -Princess Adelaide; and though some objections were raised by the Queen -and Prince Consort, the matter was still under consideration when, on -January 19, 1853, the world was amazed by the following paragraph which -appeared in _La Patrie_, the semi-official organ of Paris, and was -copied without comment in all the other journals: - - “According to reliable report, a happy event, calculated to strengthen - His Majesty’s Government and ensure the future of his dynasty, is soon - to take place. It is said that the Emperor is about to be married to - Mlle. de Montijo de Teba. Official announcement of the approaching - marriage will be made to the Legislature on Thursday, the - twenty-second of January. The Countess belongs to one of the noblest - families of Spain. She is a sister of the Duchess of Alva and is noted - for her wit and cleverness, as well as her remarkable beauty.” - -Needless to say, Eugénie had gone to Paris solely for the purpose of -meeting Napoleon, and after her arrival she had waited patiently for an -opportunity of obtaining access to him. Introduced by Rothschild and his -daughter, and accompanied by the Spanish Prince Camerata, she finally -made her appearance in the court circle for the first time at Compiègne -in 1852. It was at one of the hunts given by the Prince-President; and -the grace and skill with which she managed her fiery Andalusian excited -the admiration of all present. Napoleon himself was completely -fascinated. Their former meetings at once recurred to him with a rush of -youthful memories, and for the rest of the day he scarcely left her -side. Nor did it end here; after the court had returned to Paris the -Countess and her mother were never permitted to miss an entertainment at -the Tuileries or the Élysée. - -The flattering attentions paid to Mlle. Montijo by the sovereign could -not remain long unnoticed or unremarked. It was now merely a question of -improving the moment. No opportunity for bringing herself to his notice -or of displaying her charms to the best advantage was neglected, and far -outshining, as she did, all the women of Napoleon’s circle at that time, -Eugénie soon succeeded in arousing his old passion for her. His warm and -ardent devotion was such a contrast to his usual calm self-possession -that the whole court was astonished, although no one dreamed that the -affair would end in marriage. It is doubtful whether the Emperor himself -had any such idea in the beginning, having resolved in his days of -poverty and exile to wed none but a royal princess. He only went so far -as to intimate to Eugénie that he would esteem himself happy in being -her lover. - -But she was no longer the innocent girl of sixteen, cherishing a -romantic passion for an Alva and deeming no sacrifice too great for her -love. Genuine as her affection doubtless was for Louis Napoleon, she -would make no sacrifices without gaining something in return. At the -height of his power and fame the man who had brought about a revolution -and made himself sole ruler of France by his shrewdness and resolution -seemed in her eyes the ideal of manly courage and heroism; yet none the -less, the hot-blooded Andalusian showed herself in this case as cold as -ice. Her experience of life had taught her that denial was the surest -means of stimulating a passion. The Emperor was not easily caught, -however. He despatched a confidential friend to the Countess de Montijo, -not to ask for her daughter’s hand, but to make it clear to the shrewd -woman of the world that Eugénie could not count on being Empress. -Reasons of state prevented his placing the crown on the head of his -beloved, although such an event might not be an impossibility should he -be free to follow his desires in the future. But the Countess, like her -daughter, being well aware of the surest means of attaining her end, -made short work of the Emperor’s envoy. Repeated attempts at persuasion -proved equally fruitless, and Eugénie finally sent Napoleon, with her -respectful greetings, the message: “Cæsar’s wife should be above -suspicion.” - - [Illustration: _EMPRESS EUGÉNIE_] - -Goaded on by this reserve, the Emperor could no longer restrain himself, -and the Countess’s persistent refusals furnished him a welcome excuse -for broaching the plan of a marriage with her. It met with violent -opposition from all his relatives and friends, who did all in their -power to dissuade him from it, imploring him to choose, in default of a -royal princess, at least some French lady of rank or lineage known to -the people. To divert him from his purpose a marriage was proposed with -the Polish Princess Czartoryska. But completely absorbed by his passion -for Eugénie their opposition only served to fan the flame, and at last, -to end the painful subject, he asked one of his court ladies, the -Princess Lieven, whether he should choose the Princess Czartoryska or -Mlle. de Montijo. To which she cleverly replied, “If you leave it to me, -Sire, I prefer the Cachucha to the Mazurka”—an answer which Napoleon -accepted as the voice of fate. At the earliest opportunity he sent a -formal request to the Countess Montijo for the hand of her daughter, and -was of course welcomed by both with open arms. - -The news of the betrothal excited endless wonder but little -satisfaction. There was almost a panic in the Bourse, that political -barometer, and the Emperor’s intimate friends and family went about with -gloomy faces. The proposed marriage was openly opposed in the -ministerial council and regarded with great disfavor by the general -public; in short, only three persons were really pleased—Eugénie, her -mother, and Napoleon. As for the first, her wildest hopes were at last -to be realized. From doubtful obscurity she was to rise to loftiest -heights. Providence had chosen her for this position and she bowed to -its decree. The week that intervened between the betrothal and the -wedding ceremonies slipped by in an intoxication of happiness. She was -greeted on all sides with respect and adulation, and overwhelmed with -protestations of devotion from the courtiers. The proudest nobles of -France paid homage to her. Her enemies were silent, while Napoleon’s -friends who had been most bitterly opposed to the match now fawned upon -her, greedy for favors from their future Empress. - -The civil marriage was celebrated quietly on the twenty-ninth of -January; but the magnificence of the religious ceremony exceeded -anything that had been seen in France since the days of the great -Napoleon. From early morning a double row of troops lined the way from -the Tuileries to Notre Dame. All Paris was on the alert to catch at -least a glimpse of the spectacle. The railroads brought more than two -hundred thousand people into the capital from the provinces, and a -motley throng filled the streets, richly decorated with flags and -banners bearing the names of Napoleon and Eugénie, and gay with the -light _toilettes_ of the ladies, and the gold embroidered uniforms of -the soldiers glittering in the sun. Although midwinter, the sky was -clear and the air mild as spring. About half-past eleven, Eugénie -started from the Élysée for the Tuileries. Her mother was seated beside -her, and opposite them the master of ceremonies, Count Tascher de la -Pagerie. The natural beauty of the bride was enhanced still more by the -magnificent gown she wore, a gift from the city of Liége. It was of -white velvet with an overdress of costly lace woven in a pattern of -violets. A jewelled girdle encircled the waist, and on her head was the -diamond coronet worn by Marie Louise on her wedding day, attached to -which were the lace veil and a wreath of orange blossoms. As the -prospective Empress entered the gates of the Tuileries, Prince Napoleon -and the Princess Mathilde appeared at the foot of the staircase to -receive her, while trumpets sounded and the troops presented arms. - -Precisely at noon a salute of a hundred and one guns from the Hôtel des -Invalides proclaimed that Their Majesties were entering their coach. A -huge vestibule had been erected in front of the Cathedral, adorned with -paintings representing the saints and olden kings and queens of France. -The church was brilliantly illuminated with thousands of wax tapers; and -as the imperial pair emerged from the vestibule, the trumpets again -sounded, all the bells of Paris rang out, the organ pealed, and the -whole assembly arose while the Archbishop of Paris advanced and stood -before Their Majesties. At the lower end of the church was a platform -occupied by five hundred musicians, and everywhere a mass of gilding and -floral decoration met the eye. Curtains embroidered with golden bees -covered the great windows. From the galleries fell velvet hangings -bearing the name of the Empress in raised embroidery. In the nave of the -church stood the throne; above it, supported by a huge golden eagle, a -canopy of red velvet bordered with ermine. The transepts, in which the -highest dignitaries of the Empire were seated, were lined with superb -paintings, and from the ceiling hung banners bearing the names of the -principal cities of France. The court officials stationed themselves on -one side, the ministers and deputies on the other, as the imperial pair -took their places under the canopy surrounded by princes, princesses, -ladies, and cavaliers. - -About one o’clock the ceremony began. It was performed by the Archbishop -of Paris. The Archbishop of Versailles spread a silver bridal veil over -Their Majesties, who sank on their knees; and at the conclusion of the -ceremony, during the singing of the _Te Deum_, Abbé Legran handed to -them the imperial marriage contract. Shrouded in costly lace and -sparkling with jewels, a glittering coronet upon her head, Eugénie -passed out of the Cathedral, leaning on the arm of the Emperor and -preceded by the archbishops and all the clergy. She had reached the -summit of all her hopes. The world lay at her feet. Yet at this supreme -moment it was less a feeling of gratified ambition that filled her bosom -than one of humility and anxiety at the burden of responsibility laid -upon her shoulders. At the zenith of her fortunes, surrounded by pomp -and splendor, and greeted by the cheers of the populace, she was -suddenly seized with a foreboding of her coming fate. It may have been -owing to her overtaxed nerves or the excitement of these new -experiences, but as she came out of the Cathedral she seemed to see the -features of Marie Antoinette among the crowd. Wherever she looked this -face rose up before her, and with a sinking of the heart she began to -realize that all this coveted splendor might be indeed a heavy burden. - - - - - Chapter III - Eugénie’s Personality - - -After the wedding a glowing account of the ceremony was published in the -_Moniteur_, which concluded as follows: - - “The interest displayed by the people in their new sovereign was - prompted by more than idle curiosity. The universal admiration she - excited was genuine. Those noble features, enhanced by their - expression of sweetness and modesty, irresistibly attracted the - working classes, who felt that the Empress regarded them with kindness - and good-will.” - -This assertion was not groundless, for although public opinion, as we -have seen, had been against the Emperor’s choice, and although among the -cheering throngs that greeted the sovereigns there was much secret -dissatisfaction, the spell of Eugénie’s beauty and charm of manner was -so potent that even her enemies were silenced by it. The lovely face -with its regular delicate features suggests in contour the portraits of -Mary Stuart. Her complexion was dazzling and her brown hair full of -golden gleams. Under the heavy lashes and delicately pencilled eyebrows, -her blue eyes, so dark as almost to seem black, were full of fire and -softness, reflecting the tender heart and dauntless soul within. The -Andalusians are famous for the beauty of their hands and feet, and -Eugénie’s did not belie her origin. The lines of her figure and the -curves of her neck were as perfect as those of an antique statue; in -short, hers was a flawless exterior in which no discord marred the -complete harmony of the picture. - -Thus elevated to a throne, Eugénie burned with desire to make herself -beloved by the people, to excite the admiration of those about her, and -silence all hints as to her birth and checkered past. Controlling her -naturally impulsive and passionate nature when necessary, concealing her -pride and ambition under a modest, almost humble air, she left nothing -undone to add to her popularity and strengthen her position. Two -qualities invaluable to a sovereign she naturally possessed—magnanimity -and an open hand. Before the wedding the official journals had brought -many proofs of her kindness of heart to the knowledge of the public—such -as, that the Empress, having beheld an accident to a poor workman who -fell from a scaffold, sprang from her coach to hasten to the aid of the -unfortunate man and had him carried to a hospital; and on another -occasion, seeing a poor abandoned child wandering in the street, the -Emperor’s bride had taken it into her own carriage and promised to -provide for its future. Still another and striking instance of this was -her refusal to accept a diamond necklace valued at six hundred thousand -francs which the Municipal Council of Paris had intended to present to -her. She wrote a most gracious letter conveying her thanks to the -Council for their loyal intention, but declaring she could not consent -that Paris should make so great a sacrifice in her behalf, or that the -Emperor’s wedding should lay any more burdens on the country; adding -that her sole desire was to share with the Emperor the affections of the -people, and expressing a wish that the six hundred thousand francs might -be devoted to charity. This could not fail to create a good impression; -and after the wedding many other examples of the same kind occurred. She -gave freely to all who approached her with petitions, conscious only -that help was needed; and many kind and consoling words accompanied the -large sums she privately bestowed. Indeed, in 1863 she went so far as to -insure her life in favor of the poor that they might not suffer by her -death; and she laid the foundations of many noble works of charity that -will cause her name to be honored long after she herself is forgotten. - -Besides her generosity Eugénie possessed a thousand ways of attracting -and winning people to her. The Emperor’s love had raised her to the -throne; it depended solely on herself and her tact to maintain her -position on it. With her inborn dignity, her beauty, and her queenly -grace, she was as well equipped by nature for the part as any royal -princess; indeed many a sovereign born might well have envied her, as, -sparkling with jewels, she stood beneath the canopy of the throne to -receive the foreign diplomats and nobles of the Empire. When she -appeared on horseback beside the Emperor at grand reviews, or rode -through the city in the imperial coach, bowing in response to the shouts -of the dazzled crowds, nothing could have been more beautiful. It was -plain to all that the Empress well knew how to play her part. - -Seldom have two persons better suited to one another than Napoleon and -Eugénie, or more completely in accord, been united. In all the pomp and -power of her sovereignty she never forgot that it was to him she owed it -all; and in proportion as the sense of her own importance rose, her love -and admiration for him increased also. In the eyes of the world he had -taken a step downward in his choice of a bride; it was now her task to -prove that “the adventuress” could be as useful to the dynasty as a -consort born in the purple. - -“I would rather be spoken ill of than not be spoken of at all!” Louis -Napoleon had exclaimed when his first attempts to bring about a -political revolution had only excited pity and derision. Even at that -time he had studied the French people well, and knew their weak spot was -vanity. To flatter the national vanity therefore became one of his -principal agencies for maintaining his power; and while in private life -he loved an almost plebeian simplicity, in public no effect was too -striking or too spectacular to keep up his imperial state. - -No one knew better than Eugénie how to arrange these brilliant effects. -Ever since the days when she was the companion of toreadors and the -heroine of the Corso, love of display and notoriety had been her ruling -passion. She may not have been conscious of this in the beginning, but -what was at first a habit became by degrees a necessity; and just as the -actress thirsts for applause, so Eugénie craved the admiration and -approval of the populace. As the actress eagerly searches the newspaper -columns after each appearance for the notices of her performance, so -Eugénie, after every public entertainment or review or excursion, -devoured the descriptions published of her costumes and appearance, -revelling in the praises lavished on her person, and spurred on thereby -to fresh efforts to win public favor. She studied the question of her -_toilettes_ as if it were a religion and she its high priestess. Most of -the fashions of that brilliant period were set by her, and the lists of -guests invited to court entertainments were subjected to her personal -supervision. Even ladies of high rank were sometimes refused admission -to the Tuileries should their costumes not suit Her Majesty. - -Brought up among the Spanish aristocracy, famous for elegance and -stateliness of manner, and yet perfectly familiar with the lighter -customs of French society, Eugénie succeeded in imparting to her court a -tone of delicacy as well as luxury and magnificence that made it famous, -not only throughout France, but over half the world. Before she had been -a month on the throne, a thousand tales were circulated of her beauty, -wit, and generosity. The most enthusiastic accounts were printed of all -she said and did; and the attention of the public was so occupied with -her that it almost forgot to criticise the politics of the Emperor. -Wherever the imperial pair appeared they were surrounded by eager -throngs; and although here and there some expressions of disapproval -might be heard, the Parisians were dazzled by a magnificence of display -such as no other city of Europe could equal, and which conjured up -memories of a glorious past that filled their hearts with pride. - - - - - Chapter IV - State Visit to England - - -However the young Empress may have been regarded in other countries, it -was generally agreed that she understood better than any of her -predecessors how to hold the favor of the fickle Parisians. It was not -public homage, however, that Eugénie craved so much as recognition from -those princes and princesses who had scorned Mlle. Montijo, the -_parvenue_. It rankled deeply in her mind that she was not of royal -birth; and the most insignificant princess who could lay claim to the -sovereignty which she adored became an object of envy to her. Since she -could never hope to attain this or escape a past that must always serve -as a weapon against her, she centred all her desires on being accepted -as an equal by other reigning sovereigns and received as a guest in -their palaces. Thus for a short time, at least, her origin might be -forgotten. - -To achieve this was by no means an easy task. All the crowned heads -carefully avoided Paris, nor with all her efforts could she even win -over the old aristocracy of France. Unable to comprehend that the -devotion of the Legitimists to _le Roy_ and his heir was a sacred -principle, linked with precious memories of the old kingly race, she -nevertheless admired their loyalty and resorted to every possible device -to lure the _grandes dames_ of the Faubourg St. Germain to her newly -established court. But willingly as they had borne the yoke of the -Bourbons, they were too proud to bend the knee before the Spaniard, and -made it plain that any overtures from the usurper of their rightful -sovereign’s throne would be rejected with contempt. - -Compared with the sorrows of her after life, these humiliations were a -small matter; but galling as they were to her vanity, they were one of -the sharpest thorns in her new crown. In spite of her failure to win -over the old French nobility, she was not long in earning the respect of -the sovereigns of Europe. Her first opportunity was unexpectedly offered -by the Crimean War (1854-56) in which France’s victories restored the -country to its old place as foremost military power of Europe, and -greatly increased the importance of Napoleon. England had reaped -material advantage from the war and was loud in praise of the new -Empire, and Victoria was finally forced to invite the usurper and his -wife to visit her at Windsor. A personal acquaintance with the Queen of -England had long been Eugénie’s most ardent wish, and this invitation -afforded her the greatest satisfaction. Victoria had hitherto ignored -her in a very marked manner, while at the time of her marriage the -English journals had not only cast slurs upon her origin, but boldly -criticised her life and conduct. Thus it was doubly desirable for her to -be received at the court of England and to make a good impression there, -for could she but accomplish this, her position among other sovereigns -would be greatly strengthened. By no means certain as to the reception -that awaited her, she persuaded Napoleon to send over one of his -ministers in advance, ostensibly to arrange articles of peace with the -other powers, but charged at the same time to settle all questions of -etiquette concerning the impending visit. - -The event itself, however, was of a kind to gratify the most susceptible -vanity and the most aspiring ambition. Toward evening of the sixteenth -of April, 1855, Napoleon and Eugénie with their suite landed on the -shores of England, and on the following day set out on their journey to -London, accompanied by the Prince Consort. Every town and village on -their route was gaily decorated. They were greeted everywhere with the -greatest enthusiasm. As they passed through Hyde Park, a long line of -aristocratic equipages and equestrians was drawn up on either side. At -Windsor triumphal arches had been erected. Shops were closed, houses -decorated, and the whole town was on foot to greet Their Majesties. Amid -the shouts and cheers of the populace they entered the old castle, where -Victoria welcomed them most cordially, having personally seen to all the -arrangements for her guests’ comfort. - -The day after their arrival the Queen bestowed the Order of the Garter -on Napoleon. Following this impressive ceremony was a state banquet at -which the famous Windsor gold service made its appearance; and at the -gala performance in the court theatre that evening a verse in honor of -Napoleon was interpolated in the English National hymn. The next day -London held a grand celebration. The Emperor and Empress were lauded in -the most flattering songs and speeches; and the people who had been the -deadly enemies of Napoleon the First, the country in which Prince Louis -Napoleon had lived as a refugee, ill, friendless, often in dire need, -now hailed Napoleon the Third as its friend and ally. - -The results of this visit to Great Britain were most gratifying to the -imperial pair. The enthusiasm of the British made an excellent -impression in France and strengthened public confidence in Napoleon’s -wisdom and prudence, while the friendship of the English royal family -added importance to the young dynasty in Germany, and left no excuse for -other sovereign houses to hold aloof from the Tuileries. Lastly, not -only were Eugénie’s fondest hopes realized, but she had also made a -life-long friend. At their very first meeting Eugénie’s charm completely -won the Queen’s heart. This beautiful woman with her ease and dignity of -manner bore little resemblance to the notorious belle of gay resorts as -she had been described; and forgetting all these unpleasant rumors, she -succumbed at once to the Empress’s attractions. The friendship thus -begun grew closer with subsequent meetings and continued unbroken for -many years. - -A few months later, the Queen of England with her husband and two eldest -children came to Paris to return her new friend’s visit. For more than -four hundred years no English sovereign had visited the French capital, -so it was an event of great importance. The Queen, who writes with -enthusiasm in her diary of the journey to France, describes their -reception as follows: - -“On the eighteenth of August we left Osborne about five o’clock in the -morning on our yacht, the Victoria and Albert, reaching Boulogne about -two, where we were greeted with shouts of welcome from the people and -troops drawn up along the shore. The Emperor, with his staff, stood -waiting in the sun till the gangplank was thrown out, when he stepped -aboard. I went forward to meet him, and he kissed my hand. We four, that -is, the Prince, the Prince of Wales, Princess Victoria, and myself, then -entered a coach and drove through the streets, everywhere crowded with -people and beautifully decorated with flags, to the railway station, the -Emperor accompanying us on horseback.” - -In the capital great preparations had been made for their reception, -Napoleon having ridden about everywhere in person to see that all was -complete. At the railway station, which was covered with floral -decorations, eighty beautiful young girls were waiting to present the -Queen with bouquets. Through a sea of light from lamps and torches, amid -the strains of music, the rolling of drums, and incessant cheering, the -royal party made its way through the Bois to St. Cloud, where the -Empress, Princess Mathilde, and all the ladies of the court were waiting -to receive it. - -The World’s Exposition had just been opened in Paris at that time, and -the week spent by the English guests at the French court was devoted to -seeing that, as well as the sights of the city itself. Besides this, a -number of state entertainments were given in their honor, concluding -with a ball at Versailles that exceeded in magnificence any given since -the time of Louis the Fourteenth. Three thousand invitations were issued -for this, and all the _élite_ of France were present, with many -distinguished foreigners. The gay uniforms and court dresses of the men -and the gorgeous costumes of the ladies, who vied with one another in -their display of jewels, laces, and brocades, made a scene of surpassing -brilliancy. - -The Empress, who appeared at this ball in all her radiant loveliness, -was taken ill during the supper and obliged to retire to her own -apartments. On several other occasions also she was indisposed and -forced to excuse herself. Yet though unable to take an active part in -public festivities, Eugénie and Victoria became all the more intimate in -their own private circle. Napoleon and the Prince Consort sang duets -together. Victoria made several sketches of the country about St. Cloud -and often visited Eugénie in her own apartments where the two princesses -sat for hours together in confidential talk. A friendship so close and -lasting between such widely different natures must have been founded on -more than physical attraction. A mutual appreciation of each other’s -best qualities drew them together. Eugénie was bolder and more -independent than her friend, and freer from prejudice; but Victoria had -the strength and repose that come from an inherited consciousness of -power, while they were united by a common devotion to their own -families, and pride in the nations over which they ruled. - - - - - Chapter V - Birth of the Prince Imperial - - -Early on the morning of the sixteenth of March, 1856, a son was born to -the imperial pair, and a salute of a hundred and one guns proclaimed the -great news to the public, who received it with the wildest enthusiasm. -The whole city was decorated with flags, garlands, and portraits of the -Emperor and Empress, and ablaze with illuminations at night; while the -City Council granted a sum of two hundred thousand francs for a feast -for the poor. Greater still was the joy of the royal parents. The -Emperor took the little Prince in his arms and carried him out to show -to the assembled court, with tears of pride and happiness. He at once -ordered a million francs to be distributed in charity to celebrate the -event; had it publicly proclaimed that he and the Empress would act as -sponsors to all legitimate children born on that day within the borders -of his Empire, and issued a decree permitting all political exiles to -return to France on condition that they would swear to uphold the -Government and obey the laws of the country. - -Soon after the birth of the Prince Imperial a congress met to determine -the articles of peace which concluded the Crimean War and restored the -peace of Europe, and Napoleon was appointed arbiter. At the zenith of -his power and with the future of his dynasty seemingly secured, it did -not appear altogether presumptuous when in replying to the -congratulations of the Assembly he expressed a hope in the brightness of -his son’s future as heir to the throne of France. - -Eugénie’s position was greatly strengthened by this happy event, for -now, should she survive her husband (as seemed probable from the -difference in their ages), as mother of Napoleon the Fourth she would -have still greater influence in public affairs. Her marriage to Napoleon -the Third had revived memories of Josephine. Like the wife of the great -Emperor she had been born under a southern sky; like her she had seemed -destined from the cradle to wear a crown; and as long as she remained -childless there were not lacking hints that a similar fate might be in -store for her. But Providence had ordained otherwise. As a mother -Eugénie was seated more firmly than ever on the throne of France, and -universally regarded with respect, almost with reverence. Gifts flowed -in from all sides. No less than twenty-eight orders were bestowed on the -baby Prince. Messages of congratulation came from all parts of the -Empire. Even the fishwives of the Halle came to offer their good wishes, -and engravings of the Empress and her child were scattered by hundreds -of thousands throughout the country. - -In the early Summer of 1856, terrific floods caused much suffering and -distress in many parts of France, in consequence of which there was some -talk of having the Prince Imperial’s christening celebrated quietly. -Unwilling, however, to lose an opportunity of showing the world that his -dynasty, though young in years was inferior to none of the older -monarchies in wealth and splendor, Napoleon determined to send the flood -victims one half of the sum which would originally have been devoted to -the christening festivities, and with the other half he still managed to -make an impressive display. - -Not for many years had there been such excitement in Paris as on that -summer day, which was to witness the baptism of the heir of Napoleon the -Third. At six o’clock in the morning the pealing of bells and the -thunder of cannon proclaimed that the great day had come, and at the -first sound, swarms of eager spectators poured into the streets. All the -boulevards and squares were filled in a few hours, and by the time -incoming trains had deposited their freight of strangers and -provincials, the crowds were so dense it was impossible to cross the -Seine. A deafening shout greeted the appearance of the gilded state -coach bearing the little Prince with his governess and nurse; nor was -the enthusiasm lessened when close behind followed the happy parents -with their suite. No less a person than the Holy Father at Rome was -godfather to the Spaniard’s child, while Queen Josephine of Norway and -Sweden acted as godmother. The ceremony at Notre Dame was most striking -and impressive. All the clergy of France were present; on entering the -great shadowy Cathedral, dimly lighted by the myriad wax tapers on the -altar, one might easily have imagined himself suddenly transported to a -scene in the Middle Ages. - -That evening the city of Paris gave a magnificent banquet in honor of -the imperial family, at which the whole court and many foreign guests -were present. It was held in the great hall of the Hôtel de Ville, lit -up by eighteen thousand wax candles. The silver service used was made -expressly for the occasion at a cost of two hundred and fifty thousand -francs and the flowers alone came to twenty thousand francs. Two -orchestras alternated in furnishing music; and at the close all present -rose and sang “_Vive l’Empereur!_” The popularity of the Empress was -proven by a surprise that had been prepared for her in the form of a -diorama representing the various places with which she had some special -association:—Granada her birthplace; Madrid, with the Prado; the forest -of Compiègne; Fontainebleau, where the Emperor had confessed his love -for her; the chamber which she had occupied in the Élysée before her -marriage; the wedding of the imperial pair at Notre Dame; the Prince -Imperial’s apartment at the Tuileries; the palace of St. Cloud; and the -cascade in the Bois de Boulogne. At the conclusion of the banquet -Napoleon and Eugénie appeared on one of the balconies of the Hôtel de -Ville and were greeted with the wildest enthusiasm by the crowds that -had gathered to admire the fireworks and the illuminations. All were -charmed with the Emperor’s graciousness and the beauty of the Empress, -but most of all with the little Prince Imperial whom the people -affectionately nicknamed “Lulu.”[1] - - - - - Chapter VI - The Empress in Politics - - -Napoleon’s position at this time seemed impregnable. France had played -an honorable part in the Crimean War and covered herself with glory at -the fall of Sebastopol. Yet the nephew of the great Napoleon had -remained far from the field of battle himself, and felt the need of -winning some personal laurels to add to his prestige. The shrewd policy -of Count Cavour, the Italian statesman, had greatly increased the power -of the kingdom of Sardinia; and thither the Emperor now turned his -glances. At a secret meeting with Cavour he guaranteed the support of -France to Sardinia in case of war with Austria; but before this pledge -could be redeemed an event occurred which might have made the agreement -of little avail. It deserves mention here as furnishing a proof of -Eugénie’s courage. - -On the eleventh of January, 1858, a special performance of grand opera -was to be given, and a crowd of loyal subjects had gathered about the -theatre to witness the arrival of the sovereigns. As the state coach -drew up before the entrance, two bombs were hurled at it, and a -frightful explosion followed. Windows in all the neighboring streets -were shattered, and a hundred and sixty persons, among them a number of -soldiers and outriders, were killed or badly wounded. A fragment of -shell pierced the Emperor’s hat; and Eugénie, who tried to protect her -husband’s body with her own, received a slight graze on the temple, -bespattering her white silk dress with blood. Yet, perfectly calm and -undismayed, she stood up at once and called out words of reassurance to -the panic-stricken people. As if nothing had happened, Their Majesties -entered the theatre, and with her usual winning smile the Empress bowed -her thanks to the burst of applause that greeted them. Felix Orsini, the -Italian who had thrown the bombs, was immediately seized and thrown into -prison with his accomplices. - -In a proclamation issued on January first, 1859, the Emperor revealed -his intention of severing friendly relations with Austria; and on the -outbreak of war between that country and Sardinia, he hastened to the -support of his new ally, May 10, 1859, publicly declaring that “Italy -must be free from the Alps to the Adriatic.” The victories of Magenta -and Solferino, which followed, added fresh glories to the arms of -France; and although the peace of Villafranca failed to redeem all his -lofty promises, Napoleon was hailed as the deliverer of Italy. - -Meanwhile there had been a change in the Government at home which -greatly added to Eugénie’s importance. Shortly after Orsini’s -unsuccessful attempt, the Assembly passed a law appointing her Regent of -France in the Emperor’s absence, or during her son’s minority in case of -his death; and on Napoleon’s departure for Italy the reins of government -were placed for the first time in her hands. It was a critical period at -which to confide the direction of affairs to a woman; had the war been -less fortunate in its issue, the situation might have proved as -dangerous as it afterwards became, in 1870. - -If any decisive influence on French politics was attributed to Eugénie -on this or subsequent occasions, it was a mistaken idea. As a matter of -fact her regency was little more than an empty farce in which Napoleon -allowed his wife to play the chief part. It deluded the people and -flattered the Empress to see her name at the head of all state -documents; but absent or present, although he permitted Eugénie to share -in the ministerial councils, he was careful not to trust the reins of -government for any length of time to other hands than his own. On the -other hand, it cannot be denied that the Empress, when she chose to -exert herself, well knew how to achieve her ends. Once an idea became -fixed in her mind she would assail the Emperor with arguments and -entreaties until he finally yielded, if only for the sake of peace; nor -did she scruple to intrigue against the ministers when they refused to -carry out her wishes in the bestowal of honors and positions on -favorites of her own, often quite unworthy of such favors. - -Her real political influence was greatly overestimated. Her talents did -not lie in that direction, nor had she any conception of the intricate -machinery of government. Absorbed in a thousand trifles, court -festivals, fashions, and intrigues, she had neither time nor inclination -to pursue such aims with any system or resolution. Yet there was one -case in which she did make trouble by her interference. This was shortly -before the Franco-Prussian War, when she brought all her influence to -bear in behalf of the Church. - -The Papal party had spared no pains to secure Eugénie’s friendship and -strengthen her in the conviction that she had been chosen by Providence -as one of the chief supports of God’s vicegerent on earth. Full of -gratitude to the Deity for this special mark of favor, and firmly -believing in her destiny, she yielded blindly to all the wishes of the -clergy, thus openly proclaiming herself the head of the clerical party. -She devoted her energies to the support of the Papal power and to a -revival of the spirit of Catholicism throughout the country. No mercy was -shown to those who dissented from the old faith. Even her attendants, -with few exceptions, were chosen according to their religious views. -Naturally this overzealousness could not fail to excite much opposition, -and Eugénie soon had not only the envy and prejudice of society to -contend against, but the enmity of the free-thinkers, including many of -Napoleon’s best friends. - -Of these, Prince Napoleon was the most bitter. Quite as firmly as -Napoleon the Third believed it his mission to be sovereign of France, -did this Prince feel himself destined to the throne; but while the -former supported his ideas with Napoleonic tactics, the latter based his -claims chiefly on a remarkable likeness to the first Emperor. Louis -Napoleon had worked hard to attain his goal. His cousin contented -himself with spending hours before his mirror, arranging the Napoleonic -lock of hair upon his forehead—a sign that he should one day wear the -crown of France. As long as the Emperor was without issue he regarded -himself as certainly the heir. The birth of the Prince Imperial -therefore was a bitter blow to him; and when the law was passed giving -Eugénie the power of Regent, his rage and chagrin knew no bounds. He had -never been able to endure the Spaniard, but had hidden his dislike at -first under a mask of cold politeness. Now that he no longer had any -reason for concealing his true feelings, he gave full vent to his -malice, annoying the Empress constantly by petty personal attacks, and -circulating the most shameful reports concerning her private life. - -Eugénie returned the Prince’s hatred with all her heart. His dissolute -life, evil tongue, and above all, the cowardice he had shown on more -than one glaring occasion, made him detestable to her. She retaliated by -exposing this side of his character on every possible occasion, thus -provoking him constantly to fresh attacks. The relation between them was -not improved by the Prince’s marriage in January, 1859, to Clothilde of -Savoy, the lovely young Princess to whom the people of Paris gave the -name of St. Clothilde. He knew that his marriage to a royal princess -would enrage the Empress. While Clothilde had yielded to her father’s -wishes in the matter, personally she felt nothing but aversion for the -cynical, dissolute free-thinker, for many years the avowed lover of the -actress Rachel; nor was he a person likely to capture the fancy of -Victor Emanuel’s innocent young daughter. - -At court, as in her own household, Clothilde stood well-nigh alone, -therefore. She excited the jealousy rather than the sympathy of -Eugénie—while in her own heart the Princess of royal birth felt little -but contempt for the adventurous Empress. She absented herself from -court as much as possible and gathered about her a little circle of her -own, those aristocrats who had scorned to pay homage to the Countess -Montijo. Yet whenever obliged to appear at the Imperial Court, she -fulfilled all the requirements of her position with charming dignity. -Once when Eugénie, who found court etiquette most tiresome and -fatiguing, asked if it did not weary her, she replied innocently, -unconscious of the sting that lay within the words, “Certainly not! I -have been accustomed to it all my life.” - -Although Prince Napoleon was the most hated of all Eugénie’s enemies, he -was by no means the only member of the Emperor’s family who disliked -her. Even the kindly, gentle Princess Mathilde looked askance at her -cousin’s wife, though she was tactful enough not to betray her feeling. -Napoleon’s friendly attachment for her had continued even after his -marriage, and he used often to ask her advice in important matters; but -the Empress never visited her, and the Princess, who had once presided -at the Tuileries, no longer appeared there except on state occasions -when it was unavoidable. - -The general feeling against Eugénie that prevailed did not find open -expression till 1861, when the Emperor returned as victor to his capital -from Italy. The Italian people had chosen Victor Emanuel as their -sovereign, and the unity of that country met with such approval in -France, that when Napoleon failed formally to recognize the new order of -things, many attributed his delay to Eugénie’s influence. As a devout -Catholic she would gladly have seen the hated Victor Emanuel’s kingdom -overthrown and the Pope’s supremacy restored; and while Napoleon can -scarcely have shared these feelings, he realized that it was to his -interest to keep on good terms with the clerical party, and that to -renounce the friendship of the Pope would deprive him of a powerful -support. He therefore permitted the Pope to retain Rome and the -“Patrimonium St. Petri,” and, on the Empress’s insistence, he agreed to -leave a body of French troops in Italy to defend the Papal interests, at -the same time publicly recognizing Victor Emanuel as King of Italy, and -the provinces revolting from the Church as parts of the new kingdom. -This vacillating course pleased neither party, and blame was laid -chiefly on the Empress, whose zeal for the Papacy was but too well -known. Her exclamation, “If the Pope leaves the Quirinal, I shall leave -the Tuileries! I would rather have the Emperor murdered than see him -delivered over to everlasting damnation!” passed from mouth to mouth and -added still further to the prejudice against her among the intelligent -population of France. - - - - - Chapter VII - Private Life of the Empress - - -Besides the annoyances caused by the ill-will of the anti-clerical -party, Eugénie at this time had also sorrows and anxieties of her own to -endure. Painful as her youthful passion for the Duke of Alva had been, -it had failed to affect the close affection of the two sisters—an -attachment that only deepened as time went on. The Duchess and her -husband frequently spent their winters in Paris, and were always sure of -a cordial welcome from the imperial pair. - -Eugénie’s life before her marriage was one of such freedom that although -she fulfilled all her duties as sovereign with dignity and apparent -content, there were many lonely hours when her thoughts turned longingly -to those youthful days in Spain and to the dear ones there, especially -her mother, with whom the Duchess of Alva was now her only link. The -Duchess had been afflicted for some time with an incurable malady, -though Eugénie was ignorant of its serious nature. While travelling with -the Emperor in August, 1860, she was shocked to receive word that her -sister’s condition had changed greatly for the worse. The august -travellers were then in Algiers, and Eugénie begged Napoleon to turn -back at once. But elaborate preparations had been made for their -entertainment and to abandon the festivities would have been too great a -disappointment to the people. Torn with anxiety, the Empress attended a -grand ball given in their honor, and not till it was over did she learn -the sad truth that her sister was dying. She sailed at once for France, -but it was too late. Before she reached land the Duchess had expired. It -was a terrible blow to Eugénie; overcome with grief she shut herself up -in her own apartments, refusing to see any one. It was months before she -recovered herself sufficiently to appear again in court circles. - -Nor was this all. Although Napoleon’s marriage with the beautiful -Spaniard had been one of love alone, yet the passion with which she -inspired him gradually cooled, and although he continued to treat his -wife invariably with the same respect and admiration he had shown in -their early married life, there were many occasions when he gave her -cause for jealousy. - -In these conjugal trials the Duchess of Alva had been her confidante and -had helped her through many bitter hours. Now that this gentle comforter -was gone she felt doubly the neglect so hard for her warm and generous -nature to endure; and these sorrows, added to anxiety for the health of -her son, cast a permanent shadow over her bright spirits. She fell more -and more under the influence of the priesthood, devoted herself to -religious works, had new convents built, and even thought of making a -pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This plan was afterwards abandoned, but her -irritability, capriciousness, and bigotry reduced her household to -desperation. The constant alternations of religious frenzy and feverish -pursuit of pleasure, of extreme gayety and deepest melancholy, -characteristic of the Empress’s later life, were no doubt due to an -overwrought nervous system, like the hysterical fits of laughing or -weeping that often seized her without any apparent cause. But with so -gay and sanguine a temperament as hers, these moods never lasted long; -and her warm-heartedness never failed to win the affection of those -about her. - -Among the friendships formed by Eugénie, that with the Princess -Metternich is of especial interest, since no lady of the Imperial Court -was so much talked of and criticised as the young wife of the Austrian -ambassador. From Vienna, where they had been favorites at the Austrian -court, the Metternichs had come to Paris in 1860, shortly after the -conclusion of peace between Italy, France, and Austria, and soon after -their own marriage. Born of one of the oldest and most distinguished -families in the country, Pauline Metternich was at once a type of the -proud aristocrat and the gay, witty, thoughtless Viennese, full of -original and daring ideas, which she took no pains to conceal. In the -days of the Empire the Austrian Embassy was the rendezvous of all the -rank, wealth, and intellect of Paris. Disciples of art and literature, -diplomats and government officials and Legitimists from St. Germain met -in these salons. Even the Emperor and Empress often made their -appearance there. - -At their very first meeting the Princess had conceived the greatest -admiration for Eugénie; and with the exception of her young niece Anna -Murat (afterward Duchess of Monchy), for whom the Empress had an almost -motherly affection, no one was so close to her as the Princess -Metternich. Perfect sympathy of tastes, and a certain magnetic -attraction for which there is no explanation, proved the foundation of -an intimate friendship that lasted for years. Pauline’s sparkling wit -and vivacity were of just the sort to strike a responsive chord in so -lively a nature as Eugénie’s. She was the soul of all the _fêtes_ at -Compiègne and Fontainebleau, and added to the long evenings at court a -life and gayety they often sadly lacked. - -At home the Princess Metternich was an excellent wife and mother, and -attended personally to every detail of her household. In society, -however, she disregarded all conventions, spoke her mind freely on all -occasions, and had the courage to stand up for her convictions. The -brilliant witticisms and clever sayings attributed to her are -numberless; they were repeated not only among the court and diplomatic -circles, but even by the public. Her influence in the world of fashion -was almost equal to that of the Empress, but she was always causing -painful embarrassments to her imitators. One day she would appear -dressed with a simplicity and plainness that would not have been -permitted in any one else; the next, her costume would be of a -costliness no one could possibly hope to rival. She was a clever mimic, -and would delight the whole court with her imitations of Madame Thérèse, -a well known music-hall singer, the Empress usually leading in the -applause; yet on formal occasions no one at court could appear with -greater dignity and stateliness. In fact Eugénie’s fondness for her was -partly founded on that weakness for birth and rank of which we have -already spoken. She was peculiarly sensitive as to her own origin, and -no greater insult could be inflicted upon her than any allusion to it. -The French authoress Olympe Andouard relates an instance of this that -almost severed the friendship between Eugénie and the Princess -Metternich. - -It was during one of the court evenings at Fontainebleau which happened -to be most dull and tedious. Among those present, as usual, was the wife -of the Austrian ambassador to whom private apartments had been assigned -in a wing of the palace. Weary at last of the monotony, Pauline -whispered to a friend that she would feign a bad headache and retire to -her own rooms, whither the friend was to follow quietly with a dozen -chosen ladies and cavaliers. No sooner said than done. The headache -served as an excuse. The Princess withdrew and hastily prepared to -receive her guests, who soon succeeded in stealing away unobserved. All -was going well. The music and dancing were at their height, when -suddenly the door opened and Eugénie appeared—to inquire for her poor -Pauline whose “frightful headache” had filled her with sympathy. In -spite of her nervous temperament Eugénie on certain occasions (usually -unimportant) was not lacking in the necessary calm and self-possession. -Instead of laughing at the lively scene before her, she was indignant -and reproved the Princess sharply for her lack of proper respect. - -“Madame!” replied the diplomat’s wife no less hotly, “you forget that I -was born a great lady and submit to no reprimands!” - -In consequence of this scene the Princess was forced to absent herself -from court for a time, and only by degrees was the old familiarity -restored. - -Next to Pauline Metternich the most important member of the Empress’s -small private circle was Prosper Merimée, the clever author—“the -Empress’s court jester,” as he laughingly called himself. He had first -met the Countess Montijo while Eugénie was still a child, and the -acquaintance had ripened with years into a close friendship which was -shared by the imperial pair. Although not strictly speaking a member of -the court, both Napoleon and Eugénie treated him as a member of their -family, and the bigoted Empress not only honored him as a gifted author, -but felt an almost sisterly affection for the avowed free-thinker. - - - - - Chapter VIII - Paris under the Second Empire - - -The Danish writer, Hermann Bang, says: - - “It was a strangely mixed society that formed the court of the Second - Empire, and during this splendid period Paris became more than ever a - brilliant social arena. New names and new celebrities sprang up like - mushrooms and withered away as quickly. Since life was short, it must - needs be rapid. Looking back upon it now, one is reminded of a - juggler’s performance at the circus. The glittering balls fly about in - bewildering numbers and seem to fill the whole air. Different - performers come and go, but the dazzling display continues. This - society was neither composed of the representative families of France - nor yet of the mass of the population, who supported the Government, - and to whom the Second Empire seemed a complete restoration of the - glories of the First. Truly the richest legacy of greatness is the - magic that lies in a name.” - -Napoleon was well aware of the value of the name he bore. He had not -forgotten that to it alone he owed his possession of the throne; and he -determined that the name at which Europe had trembled and which all -France adored should serve as the foundation of his power. As far as -possible he tried to revive all the Napoleonic traditions and preserve -the fond illusion of the Parisians. Everything about the court was -conducted on a scale of the greatest magnificence. Uniforms of -officials, ministers, and deputies were a mass of gold embroidery. The -gorgeousness of the palace guards suggested the operatic stage; customs -of the time of Louis the Fourteenth were even revived. Visits from -foreign sovereigns were attended with an almost fabulous display, and -with Napoleon’s rising importance these visits became more and more -frequent. Indeed there were times during the Second Empire when whole -solar systems of potentates revolved about one another. - -On Thursday evenings during the winter, dinners were given at the -Tuileries for diplomats and state officials, followed by receptions and -dancing. Four court balls were given in the course of the season, to -which as many as five thousand invitations were issued, and which were -marked by the utmost splendor. Both sides of the grand staircase were -lined with palace guards. Guests waited in the galleries until the -arrival of the sovereigns, when the doors of the great salon were thrown -open and the Emperor and Empress took their places on the dais, the -princes and princesses grouped about them. The Empress danced only the -opening quadrille on these occasions, and at eleven retired with the -Emperor to a smaller salon where there was also dancing. - -Eugénie possessed the truly royal gift of never forgetting a face or a -name, and always had a kindly word or glance for every one as she passed -through the crowded room; but when it was over and she reached her own -apartments, she would be completely exhausted with the weight of the -crown jewels, which she wore in the greatest profusion on these -occasions. Sometimes she would not even wait for her women, but would -snatch off the crown and heavy ornaments and toss them into the lap of -the lady-in-waiting, who bore them carefully away, for each was worth a -fortune. Besides these grand balls to which any one with the slightest -claim to rank or position could easily obtain admission, the most -splendid and original masquerades were given in Carnival time, to which -invitations were more limited. During Lent there were no entertainments -with the exception of four state concerts given under the direction of -Auber, then court _kapellmeister_, and Count Bacciocchi, director of the -theatre, in which all the most famous artists took part. - -Far more interesting than these semi-official affairs were the weekly -Monday receptions held by the Empress in her own apartments. Only a -select few were invited to these, and the Empress’s “Mondays” soon -became famous all over Europe. Napoleon and Eugénie received their -guests with the greatest cordiality, and conversed familiarly with all. -Here Princess Metternich shone her brightest; here too were seen the -beautiful Princess Murat, Duchess of Monchy; the gallant Count Walewski, -who so closely resembled his father, the great Napoleon; the Emperor’s -half-brother, the Duke de Morny; and his youthful friend and ally Duke -Fialni de Persigny. Here Merimée’s inexhaustible fund of wit and humor -found full play. Here the Emperor’s favorite, General Fleury, and the -elegant Marquis de Caux (afterward the husband of Adelina Patti) led the -cotillon and invented figures that made the rounds of Europe. - -Scarcely less famous in their way were the hunting parties held by the -court at Compiègne every autumn. To these only a few were invited at a -time, and the weekly list of guests was prepared with as much care as if -it had been some important affair of state. Fifteen new gowns of the -costliest kind were regarded as indispensable by the feminine world for -a visit to Compiègne. Many feigned illness to escape the expense of so -many new _toilettes_, while others were almost ruined by accepting the -invitations. Art, literature, and science were well represented at these -gatherings; and once arrived at Compiègne, all received the most cordial -welcome, no matter what their political opinions. - -Next to court entertainments the most popular rendezvous for the world -of fashion in the days of the Empire was the opera; and although it then -had its home in the narrow _Rue Lepelletier_, instead of its present -magnificent palace, this did not deter royalty and all the highest -society from attending regularly. Full dress was required, and the -costly gowns and the jewels of the ladies, with the brilliant uniforms -of the men, lent an air of festivity to each performance that is usually -seen only on some gala occasion. But if grand opera were the temple of -art in which Eugénie showed herself most often, it was by no means her -favorite place of amusement. She not only lacked all knowledge of the -higher music, but it was distasteful to her; and even well written drama -at the Théâtre Français had no interest for her. On the other hand, she -adored anything amusing and had the greatest fondness for Offenbach’s -lively airs. Her musical taste may be judged by the fact that during the -Czar Alexander of Russia’s stay in Paris in 1867, she could think of no -greater mark of attention than to send him tickets for a performance of -the “Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein.” - -Her fancied resemblance to Marie Antoinette has already been mentioned; -indeed, there were many points of similarity between the Spanish -Countess and Maria Theresa’s unfortunate daughter. Both possessed -remarkable beauty, charm, energy, and strength of character. Both were -boundlessly extravagant and open-handed, as both in their younger days -allowed the pursuit of pleasure to banish all serious occupations. -Eugénie avoided the imprudences of which Marie Antoinette was guilty, -and instead of risking her popularity, did all in her power to preserve -and strengthen it; yet she too was powerless to escape calumny. There -were but too many evil tongues ready to suggest that a woman who owed -her sovereignty to beauty alone was scarce likely to remain a pattern of -virtue, and we have seen how even in her own family she had enemies who -tried to undermine her reputation. - -The court of the Second Empire was full of corruption and was abandoned -to a life of pleasure and luxury. But it is ever the way of aristocratic -society to seek amusement; and if at the courts of Berlin and London a -more serious tone prevailed, those of Vienna, St. Petersburg, and Madrid -were scarcely less frivolous than that of France under the Second -Empire. - -The Empress’s daily life was very different from this; intermixed with -the feverish pursuit of pleasure were many days of weariness and ennui. -At eight o’clock she rose and devoted an hour regularly, sometimes two -or three, to her favorite occupation, the study of her _toilettes_. At -half-past eleven she breakfasted alone with the Emperor and the Prince -Imperial, after which Napoleon would smoke a cigarette in his wife’s -apartment, chatting and playing with his little son. Kindness of heart -was one of the Emperor’s most marked characteristics. Indeed he was -often over-indulgent with the child—a weakness Eugénie continually -struggled against, with the natural result that the little Prince -preferred his father to his mother. At one, every day he went for his -drive in the Bois de Boulogne, and the Empress retired to her study, -back of the audience chamber, where no one was allowed to enter. Here -her tastes and habits were best displayed, for in this room she had -surrounded herself with all her most precious possessions, portraits of -her family and intimate friends, busts, vases, statuettes, and all sorts -of personal souvenirs, and a small set of bookshelves containing the -works of French, Spanish, English, and Italian writers. Every day -Eugénie wrote to her mother, a sacred duty with which neither _fête_ nor -illness, travel nor court entertainment, was ever allowed to interfere. -Among others with whom she also kept up a lively correspondence were -Queen Victoria and the Queen of Holland. After the Empress’s personal -letters were finished she summoned her secretary, Damas Hinard, with -whom she went through the vast number of begging letters and appeals of -all kinds she received daily, to each of which she gave her personal -attention. - -Adjoining Eugénie’s bedchamber was an anteroom without windows in which -a lamp was always burning, and from which a narrow stairway led to the -Emperor’s apartments. Concealed in the wainscoting of this room by -sliding panels were a number of caskets, all numbered and marked in -cipher. To look over and arrange their contents was one of Eugénie’s -favorite amusements. Here she kept not only her own private papers, but -many interesting contributions to the history of Napoleon the First and -his times, in the form of letters from statesmen, soldiers, and scholars. -All the Emperor’s discarded documents and correspondence were carefully -preserved by Eugénie, and stored away where only she could get at them. -Napoleon was much amused at this mania of hers for collecting, and she -herself used to laugh over it. - -“I am like a little mouse, running around after the Emperor and picking -up all the crumbs he lets fall,” she once said. - -The ladies-in-waiting did not live in the Tuileries; it was only during -the summer that they were constantly with her, whether travelling about -or at one of the summer palaces. Of these, some were naturally more -congenial than others, but Eugénie had no choice in the matter of a -companion; this was regulated strictly by the law of precedence. Day -after day she entered her carriage, accompanied by whichever lady was -entitled by etiquette to a seat in the imperial equipage, and drove -through the Bois, bowing incessantly to left and right, and day after -day she returned at exactly the same hour in time to dress for dinner. - -Besides these monotonous outings, she sometimes drove out in the morning -in a carriage drawn by only two horses. Each man and footman wore the -plainest livery, and she and her companion were quite simply dressed. On -these occasions she attended to all her charitable errands. She liked to -investigate in person all the cases that especially appealed to her -sympathies, and always carried with her a well filled purse, the money -thus dispensed often amounting to a considerable sum in the course of a -year. - -“I could just as well send what I give to the poor,” she declared, “but -one should do a little good oneself. The sight of so much misery and -suffering makes it easier to bear one’s own troubles.” - -Of all the Empress’s attendants the one to whom she was most attached -was Madame Pollet, or Pépa as she called her. This woman, the only -Spaniard in her service, had entered it in early youth, and remained -with her ever after. She had accompanied her on all her travels and -shared all the vicissitudes of her mistress, whom she adored and for -whom she would have gladly died. She had charge of the Empress’s -wardrobe and personal belongings, and was untiring in her efforts to -fulfil the slightest wish of Eugénie, who on her part, while she never -allowed the distance between them to be forgotten, returned the -affection and reposed the most boundless confidence in Pépa. Madame -Pollet was supposed to have great influence with the Empress, and wives -of high officials were not ashamed to court her favor and load her with -gifts when they wanted something of her mistress. But Pépa, a modest -little creature, had no desire to meddle with matters that did not -concern her; besides she was far too busy and too much in demand by -Eugénie to have time for other things. - -The dinner hour at the Tuileries was half-past seven. At this meal the -Prince Imperial, after his eighth year, was present as well as all the -ladies and gentlemen of the court. Shortly before the hour, the Emperor -went to his wife’s apartments and escorted her to the Hall of Apollo, -where the court awaited Their Majesties. As soon as dinner was served -the palace prefect was notified, who in turn informed the Emperor; -Napoleon gave his arm to Eugénie and the rest followed in order of rank. -The ceremony was simple but strictly in accordance with etiquette. At -table a young blackamoor, whom she had brought with her from Algiers, -always stood behind Eugénie’s chair, and waited on her with as lofty an -air as if he were fulfilling some sacred office. He was said to be of -noble birth, and proudly refused to serve any one but the Empress. - -After dinner, which was served with such smoothness and precision that -it seldom lasted more than three-quarters of an hour, the court returned -to the Hall of Apollo, where the evening was spent, usually in a most -tedious manner. The presence of the sovereigns prevented any spontaneous -general conversation. The Emperor himself rarely spoke at all, while -Eugénie, finding this atmosphere of repression unbearable, talked -incessantly with the nervous vivacity peculiar to her. To vary the -monotony of these evenings, reading aloud was sometimes suggested but it -was difficult to find anything suitable for such an assemblage. A French -or English romance would entertain the Empress but bored the Emperor -horribly; while if a scientific work that interested Napoleon were -chosen, Eugénie would yawn, therefore this too had to be abandoned. - -The Emperor was fond of solitaire, which he often played; but it did not -amuse Eugénie except when she did not feel like talking, which was -seldom the case. There was never music or card-playing at the palace. -Once in a great while the Empress would have a sudden fancy to do -something, as when, for example, late one evening a courtier was hastily -despatched to procure all the necessary materials for making artificial -flowers, that she might learn the art at once. On another occasion it -was the desire to model in clay that must be gratified on the spot. - -Punctually at ten, a table was brought in with tea and cakes, which the -ladies served themselves, and conversation now became general. Between -eleven and twelve the Empress withdrew to her own apartments and -generally retired at once though she sometimes kept her reader, Mlle. -Bouvet, to read aloud to her after she was in bed. As a general rule, -however, she preferred to read to herself which she did often and very -rapidly. - - - - - Chapter IX - Eugénie as a Leader of Fashion - - -The stairways and corridors in the Tuileries were so dark that they had -to be lighted summer and winter; and this, with the bad ventilation, -made the palace so unbearable in warm weather that the court spent the -summer months away from Paris, at Fontainebleau, St. Cloud, or Biarritz. -Of these resorts Napoleon’s favorite was St. Cloud, where he usually -went to recuperate from the severe attacks of illness to which he was -subject. Here he was quite happy, playing with his dog Nero, a faithful -companion for many years, or tending his roses in the palace garden. - -Eugénie, on her part, preferred Biarritz, in the Pyrenees, and it was -owing largely to her that this resort became by far the most popular in -France, casting Dieppe, Trouville, and Boulogne completely in the shade. -Nowhere in the world could there have been found such a medley of wealth -and poverty, aristocrats and adventurers, high-born dames and -demi-mondaines of all classes, as at Biarritz in the days of the Second -Empire. It had attractions of all sorts, hotels and restaurants, shops -and bazars of every description, as well as a casino containing a -theatre, concert hall, ball and gaming rooms, from the broad terrace of -which there was a most charming view. - -Opposite the town, on a rocky plateau across a narrow arm of the sea, -stood the Château Eugénie. It looked more like a barracks than a palace, -and owing to the salt spray flung all around it in time of storm, no -sort of vegetation would thrive there; but when the Empress stepped out -on her terrace in the morning, the sea lay spread out at her feet. The -ever changing lights and shades of sky and water lent variety to the -solitary landscape; while looking the other way she could watch the gay -equipages rolling by toward the baths. This to her was the ideal -combination of nature and civilization. In this beautiful spot Eugénie -spent some of her happiest hours, forgetful of the tedium of court life, -her husband’s infidelities, and the persecutions of Prince Napoleon and -his followers. Here her natural high spirits found vent, and she romped -like a child with her little son, or revelled in the sea-bathing, -feeling for the first time since her early youth the charms of a life -free from excitement or ambitious aims. - -Like all the children of Spain, she had the deepest affection and -reverence for her native land, that land with which were connected so -many happy as well as painful memories, and where her mother still -lived. Now that her griefs had lost their sting, she often longed for -Spanish ways and customs and to hear once more her childhood’s tongue. -From Biarritz she could make frequent excursions into Spain, where she -hailed even the poorest peasants with delight, chatting with them in -their native language, overwhelming them with gifts, and receiving in -return so warm a welcome that it more than repaid her for all the -humiliations of her youth. She also visited Madrid, the scene of her -early adventures, and was received with the greatest distinction by -Queen Isabella, from whose court she had once been dismissed on so -slight a suspicion. - -But it was not only in Spain that Eugénie won all hearts. Whether -receiving royal guests or visiting some charitable institution, -presiding at court or opening an exhibition, it could not be denied that -she had been wonderfully equipped by nature for the great role she had -been called upon to play on the world’s stage. Part of her popularity -was also due to the kindness of heart which was such a conspicuous trait -in her character through all her changes of fortune. Many admirable -institutions in Paris owe their origin to the Empress Eugénie’s -benevolence. In the Summer of 1865, while acting as Regent during the -Emperor’s stay in Algiers, she devoted herself to improving conditions -in the reform schools for children. Accompanied by a prefect of police -she made a visit in person to “La Petite Roquette,” a house of -correction. A terrible state of affairs existed in this institution, -where, since it was intended more for abandoned children than those in -need of punishment, a cell system had been introduced to prevent -communication between the two classes. The dark court was also divided -by high walls; and here the five hundred wretched inmates could be seen -creeping about their cages like wild beasts, with bowed heads and dull, -vacant faces. - -The Empress’s motherly heart overflowed with pity at sight of these -children’s sufferings. She appointed a commission at once to make a -change in this dreadful system and attended all the meetings, which were -held at the Tuileries, with the greatest interest and enthusiasm. A -member of the commission took advantage of one of these meetings to -oppose the Empress’s project. “The idea is all very well, Madame,” he -declared, “but there are so many obstacles in the way of its execution -that it is difficult to see how any remedy can be provided. To discuss -the question is merely an excursion into the realm of sentiment.” - -“Pardon me,” replied the Empress gently, “but this is a question of -humanity, not of politics.” And she finally carried her point. The -youthful prisoners of La Roquette were sent into the country, and the -cell system was abolished. It was not without anxiety that the warders -received the new inmates, fearing it would be a hard task to manage them -and that the well-behaved children would be corrupted by the others. -Results proved, however, that the Empress was right, for even the most -depraved and hardened culprits improved with kind treatment and work in -the open air. - -Equally worthy of note was the day spent by the Regent at St. Lazare—a -place of confinement for abandoned women. News of the Empress’s visit to -this place spread like wildfire over the city, and on leaving these -poor, despised creatures she received touching proofs of the people’s -devotion to her. The crowds assembled in the streets murmured blessings -on her, while the women knelt to kiss the hem of her gown. - -Toward the end of September, 1865, cholera broke out in Paris, and the -court, which was then at Biarritz, decided to return to the capital at -once. The memory of the terrible epidemic of 1849 was still fresh in the -minds of the people; and when, after apparently subsiding, the disease -broke out again with renewed violence a terrible panic ensued. The -courage and self-sacrifice displayed by Eugénie during this time won -universal applause; the newspapers, even those hostile to her, were loud -in praise of the royal “sister of charity.” On the twenty-first of -October the Emperor made a long visit to one of the cholera hospitals, -and on leaving ordered the sum of fifty thousand francs to be -distributed for the relief of the sufferers. Eugénie, to whom he had -said nothing of his intention, was much disappointed at not having -accompanied him. The next morning she drove from St. Cloud to Paris, -where she made the rounds of all the cholera hospitals herself, going -from bed to bed with words of cheer and comfort. Once, pausing beside a -man who was dying, she took his hand in hers gently and spoke some words -of sympathy to him. Thinking it one of the nuns, the poor fellow -summoned up his last remnants of strength to kiss her hand. “Thanks, -sister,” he murmured. The sister of charity who accompanied the Empress -leaned over and said: - -“You mistake, my friend; it was not I, but our gracious Empress who -spoke to you.” - -“Never mind, sister,” interposed Eugénie, “he could have given me no -more beautiful name—” a saying which was repeated and long remembered -among the people. - - * * * * * * * * - -Yet much as Eugénie had endeared herself to the masses by her -fearlessness and kind-heartedness during the cholera epidemic, it was -not long before the feeling against her on account of her bigotry, -extravagance, and frivolity again came to the surface, not alone in -court circles but throughout the whole Empire. To lay to the Empress’s -account all the follies and indiscretions, all the worldliness and -self-seeking, of Parisian life at that time, would be most unfair; yet -it cannot be denied that her influence had much to do with the luxury -and the eccentricities of fashion that prevailed. Doomed by her rank to -a life of idleness and inactivity, the lack of proper food for heart and -mind forced her energies to find outlet in trifles. The gratification of -her vanity became the chief object of life. With the sceptre of France, -her slender hand also grasped that of the world of fashion—a domain in -which she was no beneficent sovereign, but a tyrant whose yoke was borne -without a murmur. Even when she was a young girl her costumes excited -envy and admiration for their originality, and at every watering-place -she visited, bungling imitations of the beautiful Spaniard’s _toilettes_ -were to be seen in hotels and gaming halls. In Paris her influence soon -began to be felt, and almost before her name had become familiar to the -people her waistcoats were being copied and sold by all the fashionable -tailors, and the high-heeled riding boots she had worn at Compiègne were -adopted by every French court lady. Every morning, as we have seen, -before going to mass, Eugénie devoted one or two hours at least to the -study of dress. - -Her bedchamber, with its adjoining oratory, was at some distance from -her other apartments and lacked all stamp of individuality. The bed, -heavily draped with rich hangings, was raised on a dais, and resembled a -throne. In this room she kept the Golden Rose that was presented to her -by the Pope, and beside the bed stood one of the palm branches sent her -each year by the Holy Father with his blessing. Yet here she spent far -less time during the day than in the dressing-room next it, where there -were several large movable mirrors enabling her to see herself from all -points. On the floor above, connected by elevator and speaking tube with -her private apartments, were the rooms occupied by her waiting-women. -Here was a vast store of silks, velvets, and satins, with gowns and -every conceivable article of wearing apparel. Ranged along the wall were -rows of dresses and wraps of all sorts and colors, with receptacles for -hats, shoes, fans, parasols, etc. In one of the rooms were several -life-sized forms which the Empress had had made, exactly reproducing her -own figure in size and height, and dressed like living women to the -smallest detail; for in spite of the pains taken by the modistes and -tailors to win her approval, it was seldom that a costume entirely -suited her. - -She was tireless in her quest for novelty. With each change of season, -quantities of models and materials were brought to her to choose from, -and numberless conferences were held with Madame Virot, the court -milliner, as well as Worth, the famous ladies’ tailor, whose reputation -she founded. He would often send her costumes costing one or two hundred -thousand francs, and once he made her pay as much as fifty thousand -francs for a simple cloak. Even these works of art met with no mercy in -their original form, but were always remodelled and altered according to -her orders, until her own carefully cultivated taste produced the -desired effect of perfect harmony. All the artistic talent she possessed -was devoted to the study of dress, and under her sway fashion rose into -the realm of art. Inseparable from the image of the beautiful Spaniard -is the energy with which for eighteen long years she wielded its -sceptre. Her greatest interest in life, it constituted at once her -strength and her weakness—weakness because from it sprang the charge of -folly and extravagance justly made by France against its former -sovereign; strength, because of the art with which it enabled her to -hold her place on the pedestal to which she had been elevated, and gave -her the power to dazzle and fascinate not only the masses but also her -equals and contemporaries. - - - - - Chapter X - Decline of the Empire - - -As yet there had been no sign of change in Eugénie’s fortunes. The sun -of empire was still apparently at its zenith. France deemed herself -invincible. The throne seemed secured to the present dynasty for all -time. The Emperor’s policy had received some severe blows, however, and -disquieting rumors floated over from the ill-fated Empire he had founded -in Mexico. - -Maximilian and Carlotta had often visited the Tuileries in their younger -days, and it was only by Napoleon’s urgent persuasion and promise of -support until his throne should be firmly established that the Austrian -Archduke consented to accept the fatal crown. Mindful of this promise, -in his hour of need Maximilian sent his wife to Europe to seek -Napoleon’s aid. She arrived in Paris at night, and without pausing a -moment to rest after the long wearisome sea voyage she hastened to St. -Cloud, her disordered dress and distracted appearance betraying her -terrible agitation. She had brought over the letters Napoleon had -written to her husband, promising his support. Handing these to the -Emperor, she flung herself at his feet imploring him to keep his word. -But all in vain. Even had he wished, he could have done nothing; and -sobbing aloud, half senseless with despair, Carlotta is said to have -left St. Cloud with a curse on her lips, crying: “Louis Philippe’s -granddaughter should never have trusted her fate to a Bonaparte!” - -But although Napoleon’s political errors began to darken the halo lent -him by the Crimean War, and although two important events in the world’s -history had occurred without his having any share in them (the wars -between Denmark and Germany in 1864, and between Prussia and Austria in -1866), to all appearances the period immediately succeeding was marked -by greater splendor and prosperity than ever. On the first of April, -1867, a second World’s Exposition was opened in Paris. Once more a -stream of people from all parts of the world poured into the capital. -Never in the history of France had such lavish hospitality been -displayed—not even during the magnificence of Louis the Fourteenth’s -time nor in the reign of Napoleon the First. A perfect galaxy of crowned -heads was assembled at the French court, and the proudest princesses, -the most conservative monarchs, vied with one another in marks of -friendship toward “the upstart” and “the adventuress.” And with what -matchless grace, with what admirable tact, Eugénie played the part of -hostess to her illustrious guests! - -In consequence of an attempt to assassinate the Czar of Russia, history -has preserved an account of the grand military review that was held on -the seventh of June, 1867, in his honor and that of the King of Prussia. -Living walls of spectators surrounded the plain of Longchamps where it -took place. The glitter of uniforms, the flash of arms, and the flutter -of banners made a brilliant scene in the summer sunshine. The guests -arrived in state and took their places. The Crown Princess of Prussia -and her sister Princess Alice of Hesse were already in their seats on -the tribune, but no one heeded them. A general air of expectancy -prevailed. Suddenly on all sides arose the shout, “Here comes the -Empress!” and beaming with happiness, smiling and bowing graciously to -all, Eugénie drove round the great plain through ranks of cheering -thousands and alighted at the imperial pavilion. Directly behind her -came the three monarchs on horseback, followed by the German Crown -Prince and the Russian heir to the throne, while the massed troops -presented arms and a blare of trumpets greeted Their Majesties. Eugénie -took the seat of honor on the tribune, her glance travelling proudly -over the glittering ranks of soldiers, the flower of the French army, -and the shouting throngs beyond. As the sovereigns approached, Alexander -of Russia and William the Great of Prussia rode up and bent to kiss her -hand. The granddaughter of the wine-merchant Kirkpatrick, daughter of -Manuela Montijo of doubtful reputation, receiving public homage from -Europe’s mightiest princes—well might Eugénie be proud and happy! - -The review at Longchamps was one of the last of those brilliant -spectacles that amazed the world during the Second Empire, although not -the last of Eugénie’s triumphs that memorable summer. Three weeks later -the exposition prizes were awarded by the Prince Imperial, officiating -as President, on which occasion were present the Prince of Wales, the -Crown Princess of Prussia, the Crown Prince of Italy, the Duke of Aosta, -the Grand Duchess Marie of Russia, and lastly the Sultan, with his son -and two nephews. Side by side on the magnificently decorated platform -sat Christian and Mohammedan, the bigoted Empress and the Turkish -Sultan. He had no command of French, but the glances with which he -followed her every motion plainly spoke the language of admiration. -Intoxicated with gratified vanity and ambition, Eugénie believed herself -at the summit of her greatness; but already the ground was trembling -beneath her feet. On that very day Napoleon received news of -Maximilian’s tragic fate, and the shouts of the populace were powerless -to drown the echoes of the rattle of musketry that came to him from -Querétaro like a prophecy of evil. - -One of Napoleon’s most marked and singular characteristics was his firm -belief in predestination. It was this fatalism that had led him to -centre all his energies on winning the throne, and to it he also owed -his cool personal bravery. With this indifference to danger were linked -the irresolution and vacillation so conspicuous in all the political -dealings of his later years. He tried in every possible way to lift the -veil that hid the future. There was scarcely a fortune-teller of any -repute in Paris whom he did not secretly visit, and, incredible as it -may seem, their prophecies always made a deep impression on him. - -It had often been foretold him, even before he ascended the throne, that -Germany would be the cause of his undoing, and that was the reason why -he could neither bring himself to support national unity in that country -nor yet decide forcibly to oppose it. He had hoped the war between -Prussia and Austria would weaken both powers so that he might be able to -snatch the roast chestnuts safely from the fire; but Prussia’s decisive -victory left him helpless and irresolute, unable to nerve himself to any -decisive action. The increasing power of that country caused a growing -uneasiness throughout France, and the Emperor’s credit began to sink. He -tried to form new political alliances, but it seemed as if the hand of -fate, which at first had led him on from victory to victory, was now -against him, for he encountered only difficulties and disappointments. -To play the role of protector to the Latin peoples had always been a -part of Napoleon the Third’s policy. It was no slight blow to him, -therefore, when Isabella of Spain, with whom he was about to form an -alliance, was dethroned just as a meeting between them had been -arranged. She sought refuge in Paris, where she was received with royal -honors, and her son, afterwards King Alfonso the Twelfth, became the -constant playmate of the Prince Imperial. - - [Illustration: _NAPOLEON THE THIRD_] - -The revolution beyond the Pyrenees sounded the alarm for France, and -clouds of insurrection began to appear on the horizon. Napoleon found -himself forced to loosen the reins of government; and although the -disturbances apparently blew over, opposition increased daily. With -modification of the press laws in 1867 the situation grew worse instead -of better; and when in the following year Henri Rochefort began the -publication of “La Lanterne,” the waves of revolution began to rise. -This democratic Comte exercised a magical influence over public opinion -in Paris, and his scurrilous journal, filled with venomous attacks on -the whole imperial family, reached an enormous circulation. Napoleon’s -political blunders were not calculated to appease popular sentiment or -his own anxious forebodings. To add to his troubles, he suffered greatly -from a chronic physical ailment; and in the autumn of 1869 his health -was so seriously affected that there was some talk of declaring the -Prince Imperial of age, before the proper time. Eugénie’s popularity too -began to wane even among the middle classes, which had always formed her -strongest support. - -As every one knows, it was her cousin Ferdinand de Lesseps who was the -originator of the Suez Canal. With it his name will remain forever -linked, while the Empress’s share in this undertaking will doubtless -soon be forgotten. He conceived the idea during a long residence in -Egypt, and devoted a year of tireless labor to its execution; but it was -her enthusiastic support that encouraged and urged him on and paved the -way for his success. It was not all smooth sailing, however. Before the -canal was finished rumors arose that it would not be navigable for large -vessels. The stock fell heavily; and with their usual fickleness, the -French people, threatened with heavy losses, blamed the Empress, who had -done her best to encourage subscription to the stock. Instead of the -shouts that usually greeted her appearance she encountered only an -ominous silence; and so great was her unpopularity at this time, that -she found it advisable when at the theatre to retire to the back of her -box. Her desire to be present at the opening of the Suez Canal added -fuel to the flame. One day it was announced by telegraph from London -that Napoleon had negotiated a loan of ten million francs from English -banks to defray the expenses of his wife’s journey to Egypt. Of course -it was totally without foundation, but the radical press hastened to -spread the report with so many malicious additions that Eugénie was -universally denounced for the vast sums she was supposed to have -squandered. - -Arrangements for her journey were continued, nevertheless. Preparations -were made everywhere to receive the fair guest on so grand a scale that -it is well worth a glance backward to recall the homage paid her so -short a time before her fall. Venice, where the imperial yacht, the -_Eagle_, first touched, was beautifully illuminated. The Italian royal -family welcomed her in person; and a hundred singers serenaded her on -the Grand Canal. In Athens she met with a still more flattering -reception; but it was at Constantinople that the most elaborate -preparations had been made in her honor. All the streets through which -she was to pass were newly paved and a number of houses torn down that -they might be widened. Accommodations for twenty thousand troops were -erected, and near by, a splendid kiosk. A gorgeous sedan chair valued at -over two hundred thousand francs was made expressly for her use, while -for weeks the ladies of the harem were busy practising their curtsies -and wearing high-heeled shoes. On the arrival of the _Eagle_, October -13, 1869, she was met by a fleet of twenty vessels, which escorted her -through a double line of Turkish men-of-war, twenty-five on either side, -each of which saluted with a hundred and one guns, the imperial yacht -responding with an equal number. The shores of the Bosphorus were lined -on both sides with troops. All the ships in the harbor were decorated -with flags, and at the appointed landing-place the Sultan was waiting to -receive his royal guest. The event was made a national holiday. All the -provinces and dependencies of the Turkish Empire sent deputations to the -capital to greet the French Empress; public celebrations of all kinds -were held; and at night the illuminations on the Bosphorus were a -magnificent sight. - -A week later Eugénie reached Alexandria on her triumphal progress, where -she was welcomed by Ismail, the Viceroy of Egypt, and from whence the -journey was continued by rail to Cairo. Everywhere her appearance was -the signal for an unbroken succession of _fêtes_ and illuminations. At -the celebration of the opening of the Canal her yacht was the first to -pass through it. Seated on the flower-wreathed deck, amid the thunder of -cannon and strains of music from all the ships’ bands, she sailed -proudly through the new waterway, not only France’s sovereign and the -patroness of the great undertaking, but Queen of Beauty and Fashion as -well. Almost all the great sea powers were represented at the ceremony. -The Emperor of Austria and the Crown Prince of Prussia with many other -royalties were with her on the _Eagle_, but it was upon Eugénie that all -eyes were fixed; for her the frantic shouts that rent the air. - - - - - Chapter XI - The War of 1870 - - -The spirit of revolution may be quenched at times in the populace of -Paris, but it is never entirely extinguished. Napoleon the Third had -held their turbulence in check for nearly twenty years, but now all -signs seemed to indicate that an outbreak was imminent. The Emperor’s -best friends advised him to identify himself with the liberal party, -which in case of any change of sovereignty would prove a valuable -safeguard to his young and inexperienced son. Others were of the opinion -that a war with Prussia was necessary to preserve the Empire and revive -popular loyalty to the name of Napoleon. That such a war would at one -blow shatter the proud imperial edifice, no one dreamed, least of all -the Empress, who was at the head of this party. - -Napoleon chose the former course. At the general election of 1870, the -change from an autocratic to a constitutional government was approved by -about eight million votes. For the other alternative he had a decided -distaste. His watchword, “empire is peace,” was no empty phrase on his -lips, in spite of the wars into which he had been forced by policy. When -at the victorious battle of Solferino he saw whole ranks of Austrians -mowed down by his artillery, he ordered the firing to cease, in spite of -the protests of his officers; and long afterwards he could never think -or speak of this bloody engagement without a shudder. One of his most -cherished plans was to bring about a general disarmament of all the -great powers, and a presentiment that his ruin was near at hand made him -the more averse to any conflict with Prussia. The pressure in favor of -it grew steadily greater, however, and, weary of the burden of -government, ill in body and mind, he finally yielded. War was declared -on the most trivial pretext, July 14, 1870. - -Heretofore the French people had shown no special interest in the -subject, and the news came as a surprise; yet once the die was cast, the -prospect of war excited the wildest enthusiasm. The Emperor and Empress -were greeted with acclamation: the horses were taken from their coach -and drawn by the youth of France; the imperial pair rode in triumph -through the streets of Paris. The whole nation was aroused. Volunteers -flocked to the banner of France. Shouts of, “To Berlin! To Berlin!” and -the strains of the Marseillaise, filled the air. The ferment that had -long been brewing having now found an outlet, the riotous element -hastened to the frontier. Every day fresh bodies of troops departed. -Paris was in high spirits, and news from the seat of war was awaited -with confident assurance. From day to day it was expected that the -Emperor would join the army; but it was not till the twenty-eighth of -July that he finally took his departure, leaving his wife as Regent -during his absence, and accompanied by the Prince Imperial, who was to -have his first experience of warfare. - -When Napoleon questioned Lebœuf, the Minister of War, concerning the -preparations for war, he was assured that all was complete. The army was -ready; everything in order, to the smallest detail. Yet how far from -truth, alas, were these empty phrases! Reforms that had been begun under -the preceding ministry were far from being carried out. Army -organization was wofully defective. Even so important a post as Metz was -insufficiently protected. Contractors defrauded the Government. All was -confusion and lack of proper equipment. Under these conditions it is not -strange that the overthrow of the Germans did not speedily follow. After -some delay—far too long to suit the eager Parisians—came the first -despatch, a message of victory. The indecisive action at Saarbrücken was -construed into a glorious beginning of the war. The Emperor’s telegram -to his wife was printed all over Europe and stamped the Prince Imperial -with an impression of ridicule that only his life-blood, afterwards shed -at Itelezi, was able entirely to obliterate. - - “Louis has received his baptism of fire. He showed admirable calmness - and did not once lose his composure. One of General Frossard’s - divisions has taken the heights overlooking Saarbrücken on the left. - Prussia will offer little resistance. We were at the front, with - musket and cannon balls falling all about us. Louis has kept a bullet - that struck close beside him. One of the soldiers wept to see him so - brave. Our total loss amounts to one officer and ten men. - - “Napoleon.” - -This news was received with satisfaction but neither surprise nor -enthusiasm. It was no more than was expected, and even in France there -was much laughter over Lulu’s “baptism of fire.” But soon came a change. -The German victories of Weissenburg, Wörth, and Forbach followed in -rapid succession. At the French headquarters an attempt was made to -suppress the news of these defeats and no word from the seat of war was -received in Paris. The ministers who went to St. Cloud to consult with -the Empress found her in tears, and full of anxiety at the long silence. -At length, however, rumors of the disasters reached the capital, and the -people were beside themselves with rage and despair. - -Early on the morning of Sunday, the seventh of August, the Empress came -to Paris and immediately sent for the ministers and the presidents of -the Legislative Assembly and the Senate. The next day Paris was declared -in a state of siege and a proclamation issued by the Empress, urging the -citizens to maintain order and rally to the support of France that her -losses might be retrieved. She already imagined herself at the head of -affairs, taking active measures for the defence of the capital, cheering -on the troops, and firing them with courage, a role that particularly -appealed to her fancy; but the appeal made little impression. The -people, only too familiar with her fondness for theatrical effect and -admiration, clamored for action. Declamation was little to the purpose. -They wanted victories, not comedies! - -Public irritation vented itself first of all against the ministry, which -was forced to resign. Émile Ollivier was succeeded by the aged General -Montauban, Count of Palikao, who had distinguished himself in the war -against China; while Trochu was appointed Governor of Paris. Further to -satisfy popular sentiment, Napoleon was forced to resign his position as -Generalissimo in favor of Marshal Bazaine, who accordingly assumed the -chief command of the army. - -Under normal conditions the Emperor’s place would now have been in -Paris; but the new ministry, as well as the Empress herself, protested -against his return. Disheartened by the long delays, sore with -disappointed hopes, and furious at the supposed mistakes of the -generals, the people of Paris were ripe for revolution, and only a spark -was needed to set them aflame. The imperial pair were overwhelmed with -scorn and abuse. Already their throne was tottering, and with the -victorious advance of the Germans, conviction of its speedy downfall -grew daily stronger. - -Never before had the Empress found herself in so critical a situation. -The new ministry lacked the confidence of the public and could be of no -help to her. She had no tried general to depend upon, and every trace of -the troops’ devotion to the house of Napoleon had long since vanished. -She stood alone and defenceless against an enraged populace only -awaiting a pretext to hurl itself upon her. With this daily-increasing -excitement, the brawls and dissensions caused by the army’s defeats on -the frontier, and universal anxiety for the fate of the country, Eugénie -began to understand how grievously she had erred in urging on this -“little war,” as she had referred to it in the beginning of the -campaign. Fears as to the fate of her own husband and child made her -realize for the first time the suffering of thousands of other wives and -mothers. She felt the necessity of uniting with them in some active -work, and was tireless in her efforts to atone in some measure for the -wrong she had thoughtlessly committed. - -In the days of prosperity her worst qualities had been uppermost; she -had not shown the better side of her nature. It remained for misfortune -to reveal her real strength and nobility of character. In spite of the -feeling against her, she went about everywhere, personally -superintending the care of the wounded. The brilliant salons of the -Tuileries were turned into hospital wards. A new spirit seemed to -animate her and to lend her fresh strength in this time of danger. At -night she rarely slept, and even when taking a brief rest during the -day, her attendants had orders to awaken her the moment any message or -despatch arrived. No matter how worn out or exhausted she might be, she -would force herself to rise and hasten back to the bedside of the -wounded where there was so much suffering to relieve, though she had no -time to think of her own misery. Yet often in her own chamber, haunted -by the agonized cries of the dying, she would pace up and down wringing -her hands as if in bodily pain, tortured by anguish of soul. In these -hours she prayed long and fervently for her dear ones and for her -people, the women who suffered like herself, the brave men who were -fighting for their country. A feverish activity possessed her. She tried -to persuade Austria to assist France. She wrote to the Queen of England -imploring her to intervene for the sake of peace. She pardoned over two -thousand criminals. She superintended the preparations for the defence -of Paris and held innumerable consultations with Trochu, in whom she -placed the blindest and most implicit confidence. At the same time, -however, she took the precaution of having all her important private and -family papers conveyed on board the French squadron, as well as some of -the principal works of art from the Louvre. She also had a list of the -crown jewels made, to secure her against suspicion in case of extremity. -Her own personal ornaments were sent to her mother in Spain. The strain -and over-exertion of these weeks seriously affected her health and -wrought a startling change in her appearance. Tortured with suspense, -she waited from day to day for news from the seat of war; yet all that -came brought so little comfort that her advisers thought best to conceal -it from the people as far as possible. - -At length came the final blow. On the afternoon of the third of -September, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs was on his way to the -Tuileries, he was met by the Superintendent of Telegraphs. - -“I have just received a most important telegram for the Empress from the -Emperor,” he said. “I usually attend myself to the messages that pass -between Their Majesties, but this one I have not the courage to -deliver.” It was the well-known despatch: - - “The army is defeated and has surrendered. I myself am a prisoner. - - “Napoleon.” - -The Minister went at once to Eugénie with this terrible news, the -reality of which exceeded all that her darkest fears had painted, and -her feelings at this moment may be better imagined than described. Yet -even then she did not consider her own fate. Her only thought was for -France; and she firmly refused to employ the troops in her own defence -against the people, for that would have added the terrors of civil -strife to those of war. Late that evening the bad news reached the city, -but instead of uniting to make a brave stand against the enemy, the -populace rose in arms, and it was plain that the Empire’s days were -numbered. The streets were filled with surging throngs, shouting “Down -with the Emperor! Down with the Empress! Long live the Republic!” On all -sides was heard the expression, “An Emperor dies, but does not -surrender.” - -About one o’clock that night the Legislature held a special session. Not -a member was absent, and the galleries were crowded. Amid a deathly -silence the president arose. He said: - -“A calamity has brought us together here at this unwonted hour. I have -called the session to discuss our present situation.” - -Not a sound broke the stillness. All eyes were fixed on the Ministers’ -bench. Count Palikao rose. The aged hero was no orator, but his voice -was firm as he announced the disaster of Sedan. He added, slowly: - -“With such news it is impossible for the ministry to enter into any -discussion before to-morrow. I was called from my bed only a short time -since, to come here.” - -The president of the Exchequer then put the question as to whether the -meeting should be adjourned. “Aye-aye,” shouted several voices. Suddenly -a bushy head arose, and a loud, discordant voice made three -motions:—“Deposition of the Emperor; Appointment of a provisional -Government; Retention of Trochu as Governor of Paris.” It was Jules -Favre. - -Only members of the Extreme Left subscribed to these motions, which were -received with surprising indifference. One member of the Right protested -against the Emperor’s deposition, but an ominous silence greeted his -words. For the rest of the night a similar silence reigned throughout -the city. It was the hush before the storm. - -That Eugénie was far from suspecting an uprising is shown by the fact -that she made absolutely no preparations for flight. The next morning -she arose early, heard mass in her private chapel, and made her rounds -of the hospitals as usual. At nine o’clock she received General Trochu, -who, although only a few hours since placed at the head of the new -Government, still solemnly protested his loyalty to her. Later in the -forenoon a deputation waited on the Regent to inform her of the -appointment of a commission to assume control of the Government in her -place, in other words, to request her resignation. She listened quietly -to their explanation and dismissed them with the following words: - -“What you mean to offer me, gentlemen, is the pledge of a peaceful -future, on condition that I renounce the present and abandon in time of -danger the post entrusted to me. That I cannot do. To such terms I -certainly will not subscribe. Go back to the Assembly and say to General -Palikao and his colleagues that I rely upon them implicitly; that I -grant them full power to take any steps proper for the interest of the -country, and approve the same in advance.” - -Meanwhile the public tumult increased in violence. The red flag was -hoisted everywhere. A boy of nine years even climbed up and fastened one -to the top of the bronze railing that surrounded the Tuileries. -Thousands filled the Place de la Concorde, roaring the Marseillaise at -the top of their voices. The Assembly had again met, but so many forced -their way into the chamber, and the uproar was so great, that it was -impossible to transact any business. - -“Not here shall the Republic be proclaimed,” shouted Gambetta, “but at -the Hôtel de Ville!” - -This suggestion met with great applause, and the deputies adjourned to -that edifice, where a Government of National Defence was formed. The -news that the Empire no longer existed quickly spread and was hailed -with wildest enthusiasm. Not a voice was raised in behalf of the fallen -dynasty. Vast throngs invaded the Hôtel de Ville and valuable portraits -of the Emperor and Empress were hacked with knives, trampled under foot, -and tossed out of the windows. The imperial emblems were torn to pieces, -and the eagle, which could not be easily removed, was covered with -paper. - -“At the windows of the huge barracks filled with troops supposed to be -loyal unto death to the Emperor,” says an eye-witness, “I saw soldiers -laughing, waving their handkerchiefs, and shouting ‘Long live the -Republic!’ Strangers hugged and kissed one another for joy. In the -neighborhood of the Pont Neuf, people mounted on high ladders were busy -pulling down busts of the Emperor, which were carried in mock state and -flung into the Seine, shouts of laughter and applause greeting the -splash with which the mutilated images of their former sovereign struck -the water.” - - - - - Chapter XII - Eugénie’s Flight to England - - -The Empress mean while was still at the Tuileries. One of the palace -prefects had returned from the Assembly with news of what had passed, -but she refused to desert her post even though the mob was already at -the gates of the palace and a dull roar penetrated the deserted halls. -Eugénie’s question as to whether it would be possible to defend the -Tuileries without bloodshed was answered in the negative by the governor -of the palace, General Mellinet, and she still refused to have a drop of -blood shed in her behalf. Nearer and nearer sounded the uproar, and the -trampling of feet was now distinctly audible. Shouts were heard: “She -will escape!” “Long live the Republic!” “Down with the Spaniard!” -“Forward! Into the palace—forward!” - -Prince Metternich and the Italian ambassador, Count Nigra, who had -hastened to the side of the Empress, urged her to flee, as every moment -that passed made escape more difficult. But to run away from danger was -foreign to Eugénie’s nature, and she could not bring herself to believe -it necessary, in spite of the raging mob without trampling on one -another, swaying now forward, now back, striving with shrieks and blows -to make room and force open the gates of the palace, all animated by a -single impulse—hatred for the imperial house. At length sounds of tumult -were heard on the great staircase, and the Empress’s attendants implored -her to leave the palace and not expose their lives to danger. - -“Is there no other way?” she asked in despair. “Is there nothing we can -do to defend ourselves? At least, you can say I have done my duty to the -last.” - -Deeply moved, they kissed her hand without replying; but the Prince -urged them to hurry, as there was no time to lose. A dark cloak was -thrown around the Empress, and, accompanied by her reader, Madame -Lebreton, with the two ambassadors, Minister Chevreau, and a few members -of her court, she consented at last to go. Escape was impossible through -the palace courtyard; for the Place du Carrousel, from which it was -separated only by a slender railing, was packed with people. Some other -way must be found; but before leaving her rooms Eugénie went to the -window and stood looking down for a moment on the seething mass below. - -“Alas!” she cried, “what folly to spend their strength in this way, when -the enemy is at the gates!” Then, as she turned to go, she added with -emotion: - -“Unhappy palace! fate seems to have ordained that all crowned heads -shall leave you in this way.” - -By this time her escort was reduced to the two ambassadors and Madame -Lebreton. The others had already fled to seek their own safety. She took -Count Nigra’s arm, and Madame Lebreton followed with Prince Metternich. -Through the Flora Pavilion of the Tuileries they hurried to the Louvre, -the galleries of which they must traverse at full length to reach an -exit on the side toward St. Germain. But here, too, the street was -crowded with people shouting, “Long live the Republic!” “Down with the -Emperor!” - -The little party halted before the door, but behind them also sounded -the roar of the mob. To turn back would be inevitably to fall into their -hands. The risk must be taken; there was nothing to do but go on. Even -at this critical point the Empress’s courage did not forsake her; -indeed, she had never given clearer proof of it than now. - -“You are holding my arm,” she said to Nigra; “do you feel it tremble?” - -“Not in the least, Madame,” replied the Count. - -The gentlemen opened the doors. The ladies passed out, and Eugénie found -herself face to face with the populace who were inflamed with hatred -against her. She was within a hair’s-breadth of sharing the fate of -Marie Antoinette, or perhaps being torn to pieces by the rabble. The -excitement was so great, there is no knowing what terrible scene might -have been enacted had she been recognized. - -Luckily a closed carriage happened to be standing near by, and with -great presence of mind she rushed toward it. A street urchin spied her -and shouted, “Look, look! the Empress!” but no one heeded the words. -Nigra stopped and spoke to the boy to divert his attention while Eugénie -threw herself into the carriage, followed by Madame Lebreton. Prince -Metternich shouted an imaginary address to the driver, and off they -went, safe at least for the time being. But their troubles were not yet -ended. In her haste, Eugénie had forgotten her purse; and when her -companion drew hers from her pocket she found to her horror that it -contained only three francs in all, scarcely enough to pay for the -carriage. To avoid a discussion with the driver, they determined to -continue on foot, but whither, they had not yet considered. At the -Boulevard Haussmann, therefore, they alighted, and while Madame Lebreton -paid the coachman, Eugénie stepped into the shadow of a doorway. - -It is said that the Empress knocked in vain at many doors before she -succeeded in finding a temporary asylum in her own capital; but at -length the happy thought occurred to her of applying to Dr. Evans, a -well-known American dentist whom she had known for years and often -received at the Tuileries. Arrived at his office, she had to wait with -other patients in the anteroom till her turn came; but at last Madame -Lebreton was able to gain admittance to the dentist and told him that -the Empress was without, hoping to find a refuge under his roof until -she could make her escape from Paris. - -Evans’s astonishment was beyond words. Unaware as yet of the sudden -change in affairs, he could not believe it possible that the Empress -should have cause to fear for her safety. Nevertheless he begged the -ladies to wait while he went out into the street to convince himself of -the true condition of things. In a short time he returned, convinced -that they had not left the Tuileries a moment too soon; and without a -thought of his own danger or the possible detriment to his business, he -promised to aid them to the full extent of his power. His wife was away -at the time, and as luck would have it, he was expecting the arrival -that day of two patients who were unknown to his servants. He now -introduced the Empress and Madame Lebreton as these persons. His own -bedchamber was prepared for Eugénie and an improvised couch placed in it -for her companion. - -While the Empress was thus being harbored in the house of the chivalrous -American, and full of anxiety as to what the morrow would bring forth, -all Paris was mad with joy. Men, women, and children marched up and down -the streets all night, singing and shouting, oblivious of the disaster -of Sedan and the country’s danger, and rejoicing that the Empire was no -more. - -Evans, meanwhile, had instantly set to work. Under pretext of a -professional visit, but in reality to prepare for the Empress’s escape, -he drove out that very day to the Neuilly Bridge where he was stopped -and asked to give his name, also his destination and his errand. One of -the guards who happened to know him, however, called to his comrade to -let the American pass. - -“I may be frequently obliged to pass the barriers,” remarked the Doctor -coolly; “look well at me, my man, so that you will know me again and -that I may not be detained unnecessarily.” - -His plan was already made. On his return he informed the ladies that -they would be able to pass the Neuilly Bridge the next day under his -protection if Her Majesty would consent to play the part of a mad woman. -He would pretend to have a patient with him on her way to an asylum -beyond Neuilly, while Madame Lebreton could pass as her attendant. -Accompanied by a friend and countryman of Dr. Evans, who was taken into -their confidence, they started off the next morning. All went well. The -sentry at once recognized the doctor, while the Empress, leaning back in -the carriage, her face hidden by a thick veil, passed unnoticed. This -danger past, they reached St. Germain in safety, and then Nantes, where -they put up at an inn. - -“I have a lady with me whom I am taking to a private asylum,” Evans -explained to the innkeeper, “and I would like a quiet room with shutters -on the windows.” - -His request was complied with without question, and here Eugénie and her -companion were able to enjoy a few hours’ rest. Evans’s colleague -returned to Paris with the doctor’s carriage which they had used thus -far, and a coach was hired for them by the landlord to convey the -invalid to the institution where she was to be left in charge. Further -to carry out the plan, it was privately arranged that the Empress should -appear to protest against being taken there, and make such forcible -resistance on the way that they would apparently be forced to take -another road. They had driven for scarcely half an hour, therefore, when -a loud dispute arose between Eugénie and the doctor, which became so -violent that Evans called to the coachman to stop that he might try and -induce the patient to go a short distance on foot. - -“I will not—I will not!” stormed the Empress, and her screams frightened -the horses so that the driver declared he would go no further unless the -disturbance was stopped. - -“I will never go to that place, I will not!” shrieked Eugénie afresh, -and at last there seemed nothing for it but to turn back and drive to -the nearest post station, whence the coach was sent back. As a further -measure of precaution they changed conveyances at every station, now, -however, taking the road to their real destination—the watering-place of -Deauville, where Mrs. Evans was then staying. - -For many weeks, as we have seen, Eugénie had lived in constant agitation -and anxiety—the days full of exhausting labor, the nights without -sleep—and had suffered both mentally and physically in consequence. She -was no longer able to eat, and had lived for the last four or five days -literally on nothing but black coffee and chloral, which she had been in -the habit of taking in large quantities to drown her troubles. She wept -almost incessantly; and even when sleep lent her a few moments’ respite, -she would start up suddenly, begin to talk and laugh excitedly, then as -quickly burst into tears and relapse again into deepest melancholy. - -After two seemingly endless days, the fugitives reached Deauville on the -evening of September 6, and Evans took the Empress and her companion at -once to his wife. Mrs. Evans was about the same size as Eugénie, and -gladly packed up a part of her wardrobe with some necessary articles of -toilet for the Empress’s use, while the doctor hastened to discover what -boats were leaving for England. Two vessels were in the harbor, the -larger an American ship, the other a pleasure yacht, the _Gazelle_, -belonging to Lord Burgoyne. Finding the former not sufficiently -seaworthy, Evans applied to Lord Burgoyne, who at first flatly refused -to take the Empress across, partly for political reasons, partly because -a storm was brewing. But Eugénie’s protector insisted so urgently that -he finally yielded on condition that the ladies should not come aboard -till just before the boat sailed, lest the fact that he had passengers -should attract attention. Shortly before midnight Eugénie, accompanied -by Evans and her faithful Lebreton, hurried on board the yacht, which -did not weigh anchor, however, till the next morning. - -The dangers by land now lay behind the fugitives, but others still -awaited them by sea. Soon a fearful storm arose, and the little craft -was tossed about at the mercy of the elements. The crew, little -suspecting that an Empress looked to them for rescue, labored on bravely -and calmly, as is the way of sailors, who know at any moment they may be -called into eternity. Still the storm increased in violence, and the -danger grew greater every moment. The ladies were flung about the tiny -cabin like bales of merchandise. By nightfall all hope seemed vanished. -Pale as death, terror stamped on every line of his countenance, Lord -Burgoyne appeared at the door of the cabin, crying that they were lost. - -“It is all your fault!” he shouted, glaring wildly at the doctor, then -rushed away as suddenly as he had come. The three passengers looked at -one another in amazement, and seasick, exhausted, and disheartened as -she was, Eugénie could not help laughing at the Englishman’s frenzy of -terror. Still the brave little _Gazelle_ struggled on against wind and -wave until at last the storm began to subside, and about three o’clock -the next morning, after what seemed a miraculous escape, they reached -the harbor of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. - -With what feelings must the ex-Empress have once more beheld this coast! -Must she not involuntarily have recalled that first visit with her -mother to England so long ago, in her joyous care-free youth? And again, -when she took that first important step toward recognition by the -European sovereigns, and as the favorite of fortune, gay, courted, and -admired, landed amid the enthusiastic shouts of the people, as the -honored guest of Queen Victoria? To-day she turned to England for -refuge—no longer the beautiful sovereign of a great European power, but -a wretched fugitive, an unhappy woman exhausted with fatigue and faint -for lack of food. Those shores on which she had once been hailed with -triumph now in the gray dawn were sole witnesses of her mute despair. - - - - - Chapter XIII - The Empress in Exile - - -Early on the morning of the eighth of September, the landlord of the -Hotel York in Ryde was awakened by a loud knocking, and found a man and -two women standing outside the door. They had gone first to another inn, -but had been refused admittance, their appearance was so bedraggled and -forlorn. Yet worn and travel-stained as they were, the doors of the York -were opened to them without hesitation, and here the Empress and her -companions were able to rest for a few hours after their exhausting -journey. That same afternoon, however, they went on to Brighton, where -the Empress heard that the Prince Imperial had escaped through Belgium -and landed at Dover the preceding day. Through all her own danger and -distress she had been tortured by constant suspense as to the fate of -her son. Now, therefore, she hurried at once to Hastings where she hoped -to meet him; and that day witnessed the reunion of mother and child. But -how different, alas, was this meeting from that of which Eugénie had -dreamed, when the Prince—hailed with cheers from the troops and the -people, and followed by a mother’s proud hopes—had departed “à Berlin” -under his father’s care! - -There could have been no greater contrast than that of the life that now -began for Eugénie in Hastings, with her brilliant career as Empress, or -even with that troubled war-time and the dangers and excitements through -which she had passed. Torn by alternations of hope, fear, and -disappointment, she had scarcely had time during the past month to think -of herself, much less give way to her feelings. Here, at the Marine -Hotel, for the first time she found leisure to look back on what had -happened and to review her past life—that inevitable time of reckoning -from which no life is wholly free. Hitherto she had known nothing but -gratified desires, glittering triumphs, and realized ambitions. She had -had no cause to distrust friends or doubt their loyalty, no experience -of ingratitude. Rarely forgetful of a service done her, and incapable of -falsehood herself, she had preserved an almost childlike faith in human -nature. Now, for the first time, fate was to make her thoroughly -familiar with this bitterest chapter in the book of experience. Scarcely -had she turned her back on the Tuileries before her own servants rifled -her apartments. Later, when news came that the rabble had broken into -the palace and wrought havoc there, Eugénie’s first thought was “Poor -Trochu!” - -“Why do you pity him?” asked her companion, in surprise. - -“Because he has sworn so often to me that only over his dead body should -any assailant enter my palace, that I feel sure he must be dead,” was -the reply. - -That this General, who so basely deserted his sovereign in the hour of -danger, was on the contrary quite well and enjoying life in his -self-appointed position as head of the Government is only a single -instance of how those who in time of prosperity bowed lowest before the -Empress were the first to desert her in misfortune. Every newspaper that -she saw showed her the meaning of adversity. Those who had received the -most signal marks of favor were the loudest now to denounce the -defenceless woman. With petty spite, the Government of National Defence -had destroyed all the emblems of imperialism and done everything in its -power to represent the dynasty, which for nearly twenty years had upheld -the welfare and prosperity of France, as a curse to the country. Anxious -to discover, if possible, something derogatory to the character of the -Empress, it had caused the palace to be searched for any private papers -she might have left behind, but without success. Even the few letters -that were published for the purpose of exposing her disclosed nothing in -the least compromising. - -Her jewels and dresses, with some ready money that was found in the -Tuileries after her flight, were sent to her in England. Yet although -she was forced to dispose of her diamonds to defray necessary expenses; -and although Napoleon, to provide himself with funds, sold his private -estate in Rome, the “Palazzo dei Cesari,” for a few hundred thousand -francs, it was persistently asserted in Paris that the imperial family -were in possession of millions of francs with which they had enriched -themselves at the people’s expense; also that Napoleon had made enormous -sums in foreign speculation and owned capital in Dutch, English, and -American bonds. - -Filled with anger and despair at these lies and petty persecutions, -Eugénie found life at Hastings unendurable. The prying curiosity of the -townspeople and of the crowds of strangers that flocked thither was a -torment to her. Even the sea air she so loved did her no good; the -magnificent view only served to rouse bitter memories of the happy days -at Biarritz. The King of Prussia had offered her and her son a residence -in Wilhelmshöhe, but she would accept no hospitality from France’s -enemy. At length, through Dr. Evans, she rented Camden House at -Chiselhurst, whither she moved toward the end of September. - -But even though dethroned and an exile, Eugénie did not altogether cease -to concern herself with politics. While she was at Hastings, and the -situation following her flight was so new as still to warrant -recognition of her authority as Regent, Bismarck sent an envoy to her to -discuss terms of peace. She replied that so long as there remained a -single enemy on French soil, or there was question of even the smallest -cession of territory, she would enter into no negotiations with him. - -Bismarck was not the only one who tried to induce her to intervene in -this matter. There was still one post in France that held out against -the Germans, still one general at least who was loyal to the Empire. -Marshal Bazaine was in Metz with a force of 170,000 men, all picked -troops, including the Imperial guard which had so often filled the -Parisian populace with pride at state reviews. Believing himself strong -enough to exert some influence over the question of peace or a -continuation of hostilities, he sent General Bourbaki to Chiselhurst, -with the consent of the King of Prussia, to inform the Empress that he -was in favor of concluding peace if she would so authorize him. Tempting -as this opportunity of again wielding power was to Eugénie’s active -nature, she prudently forbore, realizing that her best plan was to -withdraw entirely from the field of politics at present and await a more -favorable opportunity, when she might work with redoubled energy for the -restoration of her family. This course was also in accordance with the -wishes of Napoleon, to whom she made a secret visit in October in order -to consult with him, while General Bourbaki was at Chiselhurst awaiting -an answer. - -In spite of Eugénie’s continued refusal to mix in any public affairs, -the “salon at Chiselhurst” was persistently reported to be the centre of -political intrigue; and Prince Jerome Napoleon, who in the absence of -the Emperor wished to appear as head of the imperial family, presented -himself at Camden House one day to demand of the Empress an explanation. -A stormy scene followed between these two bitter enemies, and the “red -Prince” was careful that a properly distorted account of the interview -should be made public. - -After an imprisonment of about seven months, Napoleon was at last free -to return to his wife and son at the little home in Chiselhurst, where -the imperial family continued to live in the simplest manner; for -although Camden House did not lack comfort and even elegance, it was so -limited as to space that it was impossible to accommodate more than one -or two guests at a time. Yet the joys of family life compensated in a -measure for all the luxury and state of which they had been deprived by -fortune, and in this smaller sphere Eugénie lost none of the dignity and -charm of manner for which she had been so conspicuous. It was the more -easy for her to adapt herself to these new conditions as gradually a -circle of their old friends began to gather about the exiles, and -expressions of loyalty and devotion arrived nearly every day from -France, with many proofs of friendship from Queen Victoria and other -royalties. - -A great task still lay before her—to provide for the future of her son. -She had always been a wise as well as devoted mother, and had not failed -to impress on the young Prince that more would be required of him than -of others, in order properly to fit himself for the high position he -would one day be called upon to occupy. Now that the throne must be won -back again, it was doubly important that he should receive a thorough -military education. This son was now her only thought. She centred in -him all her hopes and expectations, for the Emperor’s health—which had -been poor for years—was now rapidly failing. She could never count on -Napoleon the Third’s return to the throne; but as the mother of Napoleon -the Fourth she saw herself in fancy once again in France, more highly -honored, even prouder and happier if possible, than before. - -The chronic ailment from which the Emperor had always suffered -threatened, toward the close of 1872, to take a fatal turn and his -physicians advised an operation. Personally, Napoleon was strongly -opposed to it; but the Empress, not realizing the danger, and perhaps -with the secret hope that it might enable her husband to become once -more a power in French politics, urged him to yield to the physician’s -advice. He submitted accordingly to the operation, but had not strength -enough to recover from the shock; and on the ninth of January, 1873, the -“dreamer” passed quietly away without a word or a sign. - - - - - Chapter XIV - Death of Prince Imperial - - -Eugénie’s grief at her husband’s death was deep and sincere. Over his -bier she wept far bitterer tears than those she had shed during those -dreadful days following her flight from the capital. Indeed she was so -prostrated as to be unable to appear at the funeral. Human nature is -elastic, however, and it was never the Empress’s way to fold her hands -and brood over her troubles. She found one source of consolation, -moreover, in the constant proofs of attachment that reached her, not -only from the friends that had remained faithful to her through all the -changes of fortune, but also from many others who had long seemed to -have forgotten their vows of allegiance. - -As death had removed all possibility of the restoration of Napoleon the -Third to the throne, his old adherents rallied to the support of his -son; and as there was still a large Bonapartist party in France, it -seemed not improbable that with the exercise of courage and patience the -Empire might one day be revived. In 1873, by uniting with the -Legitimists and Orleanists, they succeeded in deposing Thiers, who had -been President of the Republic since 1871, and electing Marshal MacMahon -in his place, a change greatly to the advantage of the Bonapartists, who -now entered the political arena once more as a regular party. - -In the Autumn of 1872 the Prince Imperial entered the military academy -at Woolwich, where he studied hard and made gratifying progress; and on -the death of his father he was generally recognized as heir to the -imperial throne, in spite of all the efforts made by his cousin Napoleon -to prevent it. Eugénie now lived only in this son and his future; no -stone was left unturned to smooth his pathway to the throne. As yet he -had a hard struggle before him; but her faith in his ultimate victory -was supreme; and supported by ex-Minister Rouher, the leader of the -Bonapartists, then as ever one of Eugénie’s stanchest friends, she -carefully but firmly gathered up the threads by which she hoped to guide -the course of events. - -On the seventh of February, 1875, the Prince passed the required -examinations and left Woolwich with an officer’s commission. He had -developed greatly in every respect, to his mother’s joy and the pride of -his party, whose hopes were now fixed on him. His amiability and charm -of manner won him friends wherever he went. Unlike his father, he -objected strongly to any radical measures or political agitation of any -sort, and hoped to recover what he considered his rightful crown by the -natural allegiance of France. Besides her political ambitions for her -son, Eugénie was anxious also to arrange a suitable marriage for him; -but in this she was disappointed. The wooing of Napoleon the Fourth met -with the same fate as that of his father. There were repeated rumors of -a betrothal between him and Queen Victoria’s youngest daughter, -Beatrice, who is said to have cherished a warmer feeling than friendship -for the exiled Prince; but, deep as was the sympathy felt for him by the -English royal house, and true a friend as Victoria had proved herself, -to entrust her daughter’s fate to young Napoleon seemed to her a trifle -too uncertain. When this plan failed, Eugénie fixed her hopes on the -Princess Thyra of Denmark; and in 1878 the Prince made a visit to that -country to try his fortune with the Danish court; but here, too, he was -rejected as a suitor. - -The Bonapartists now felt that to have any serious hope of gaining the -French crown the Prince must first win his laurels as a soldier; they -urged him, therefore, to join the English army, which was about to go to -war with the Kaffirs of Zulu. Much as she desired to see her son seated -on the throne, Eugénie shrank from this method of achieving it; but the -Prince fell in at once with the suggestion, and unmoved by his mother’s -attempts to dissuade him, sailed for Africa with the English troops, -leaving a message of farewell to his followers. - -On the ninth of April, 1879, he arrived at the headquarters of the -commander-in-chief, Lord Chelmsford, and took part in several actions -with great spirit and courage. In May, while he was on a reconnoitring -expedition in the neighborhood of Itelezi with a fellow officer and -several men, the party was suddenly surprised by a band of Zulus who -sprang out from behind an ambuscade. Abandoned by his companions, who -fled to save themselves, the Prince held out bravely as long as he -could, but at length one of the savages dealt him a fatal blow, and he -fell, his body pierced with seventeen spears. The _Military Gazette_, in -which the young Prince received honorable mention, says: - - “Thus did an inscrutable fate grant to him what it cruelly denied both - his father and the great founder of their race—to fall in battle, - bravely fighting against the foe.” - -The death of the Prince Imperial created the profoundest sensation. As -soon as the news reached England, Colonel Sidney, an old friend of the -family, was sent to break it to the Empress, but before he could get to -Chiselhurst she had already heard of it. That morning all newspapers and -telegrams had been carefully withheld from her, but her letters were -overlooked. One of these was doubly addressed, to her and to Secretary -Pietri, and contained an allusion to “the dreadful news” without -mentioning what it was. She sent at once for the Duke of Bassano to ask -for an explanation; and when he arrived speechless with emotion, she -suspected that it concerned the Prince. Chilled with fear at what she -read in his countenance, she stood as if turned to stone. That son, for -whom she longed day and night, her only joy in life! The thought was so -terrible, Eugénie could not pursue it to the end. - -“Something has happened to my son,” she groaned; “I must start at once -for the Cape.” - -Unable to reply, the Duke went out into the hall, where he met Colonel -Sidney, who brought confirmation of the sad tidings. The Empress sent -again for the Duke and insisted upon hearing all, repeating that she -should go to Africa at once. - -“Alas! madame,” said the Duke, “it is too late.” - -“Oh, my son—my poor son!” shrieked the mother, and fell senseless to the -floor. - -After the first paroxysm of grief was over, she neither wept nor spoke, -but listened with feverish despair while the Duke related all the -circumstances of her son’s death, not withholding a single painful -detail. Madame Lebreton then led her gently into her bedchamber where -the Abbé Goddard tried to comfort her. But the religion that had been -such a source of support to her through all her troubles now proved of -little consolation. Her whole life had been bound up in her child, and -now that this last earthly support had crumbled, all hope and joy lay -buried in the dust. For several days and nights she neither ate nor -slept, but remained sunk in a sort of torpor from which she roused only -to ask in tones of agonized pleading if it might not be that her son was -only ill or wounded, and she could go out to nurse him back to health. -Fortunately for her life or reason, she at last found relief in tears, -and now she wept unceasingly. - -The whole world shared the stricken mother’s sorrow, and thousands of -messages of sympathy were received at Chiselhurst. Telegrams of -condolence came from all the courts of Europe, as well as from President -Grévy of the French Republic, Marshal MacMahon, and many others. Requiem -masses were held in every Roman Catholic church in London. Especial -sympathy was felt for her in Spain, but the consolation of weeping out -her grief on a mother’s bosom was denied her, as the Countess Montijo -was then so old and feeble it was thought best not to inform her of her -grandson’s death. - -Republican, not to say radical, as the French capital was at that time, -the death of the Prince Imperial caused general consternation. The -Empire was still fresh in the minds of all. At the birth of the -Emperor’s son innumerable prayers had been offered for both mother and -child. Step by step the affections of the gay Parisians followed the -little Prince, and when at the age of three he rode with his mother to -Notre Dame to the thanksgiving services for the victory of Solferino, -the state coach was scarcely able to make its way through the admiring -and enthusiastic throngs. Since that day the Napoleonic dynasty had -suffered many reverses. The Empress, once the pride and glory of her -subjects, was an exile, surrounded by only a few friends, and living in -comparative poverty. Now she had suffered the last and heaviest blow of -fate in the loss of her only child. Yet many more hearts went out to -Eugénie in this hour of trial than in the days of her prosperity. Great -and small, rich and poor, friend and foe, united in heart felt sympathy -for the grief-stricken mother. But it was a grief that was beyond -consolation. She had done with life. “All is finished,” were the words -she constantly repeated, and sobbing aloud would bury her face in her -hands to shut out the awful vision that was always before her—the body -of her son pierced with cruel spear-wounds. - - * * * * * * * * - -When the remains of the Prince Imperial, which had been sent back to -England under a military escort, were borne into the hall at Camden -House by some of his former comrades at Woolwich, a single cry of -anguish escaped the Empress, but she did not shed a tear. All night she -remained on her knees in prayer beside the coffin; at dawn, when the -flame of the wax tapers began to pale in the growing light, she heard -mass, after which she shut herself closely in her own room and did not -leave it again till after the funeral services were over. - -The burial of Napoleon the Third had been only the usual drama enacted -in every family when a beloved one is laid to his last rest, but that of -the Prince Imperial was a scene that touched even the coldest and most -indifferent, and excited world-wide interest. At the Emperor’s death, -despite their grief, the mourners had looked with hope and confidence -toward his son; now this last hope had vanished, and tears were seen -even on the cheeks of grizzled veterans. Where hundreds had accompanied -the father’s remains to their resting-place, the son’s bier was followed -by thousands of every rank and station. - -Early in the morning of the day of the funeral, July 12, Queen Victoria -arrived at Camden House with her daughters Alice and Beatrice, and with -her own hands laid a laurel wreath of gold upon the coffin. Many other -royal and distinguished personages followed, and the expression of -genuine sorrow visible on every face lent an air of remarkable solemnity -to the occasion. The Archbishop of Southwark performed the burial rites -for which some of the most famous opera singers had proffered their -services. Those of Madame Caters and Christine Nilsson were accepted; -but the latter, some of whose happiest memories were associated with the -palmy days of the Empire, and who had then considered it her highest -honor to sing before the now broken-hearted Empress, was for the first -time unequal to her task. Her voice failed, and she burst into tears. - - * * * * * * * * - -Broken by mental and physical suffering, the ex-Empress Eugénie still -lives on, awaiting the moment of release that shall reunite her with -those dearest to her on earth. She made a pilgrimage to Zululand to see -the spot where her son met his death. She has frequented various -watering-places seeking relief from the physical infirmities from which -she suffers. She visits many hospitals and charitable institutions to -minister to the sick and wounded; yet these acts of mercy serve only to -revive her sorrows, and emphasize the void in her lonely life. - -From Chiselhurst, which held so many painful memories, she moved to -Farnborough, whither she also had the bodies of the Emperor and the -Prince Imperial conveyed. With the Queen of England Eugénie enjoyed the -same close friendship as in earlier years, and until the time of -Victoria’s death she was a frequent visitor at Windsor, although she -never appeared at any Court festivities. She still receives frequent -proofs of loyalty from France, and every year on her birthday she is -overwhelmed with flowers and good wishes. Yet nothing can rouse her from -her melancholy. Whole days and nights she sits brooding over the past, -haunted by faces and presentiments of death. At one time her attendants -even found it necessary to remove all the portraits of her husband and -son in order to preserve her reason. - -A sad change has also taken place in her appearance. Portraits of her in -the early days of her widowhood show a still attractive figure whose -unhappy fate is suggested only by her mourning and the lines about the -eyes. But years such as she has since experienced count heavily. Her -hair is now snowy white. The slender figure is bowed with age and grief. -Scarce a trace is left of her wonderful charm and fascination, and in -the pale mourner with sunken eyes and faltering step there is no longer -the faintest resemblance to the once beautiful and splendor-loving -Empress. - - [Illustration: _THE EMPRESS-WIDOW_] - -What a contrast, alas! between her youth and her age! In the one, a -triumphant goddess, soaring from victory to victory, a sovereign tried -by many disappointments and disillusionments indeed, yet never -disheartened, never harboring bitterness or resentment in her heart: in -the other, a broken and grief-stricken woman, weighed down with sorrows -for which time brings no consolation, and whose thoughts are ever with -her beloved dead. - -The historian of the future, undazzled by the glittering splendor of the -Second Empire, and unbiassed by sympathy for the unfortunate widow and -mother, will scarcely judge the Empress Eugénie as leniently as the -critic of to-day, yet more fairly than those of her own realm who have -tried to blacken her reputation by calumny. He will find palliation for -her faults, not so much because they were the result of her origin and -training as because they were more than counterbalanced by her better -qualities, especially her warm-heartedness and dauntless courage. He -will also recognize that, as the wife of a usurper, she was beset with -complications to which a born princess would not have been exposed, and -that, taking all things into consideration, she filled that difficult -position with credit to herself and France. - - - - - Footnotes - - -[1]At his christening the Prince received the names Napoleon Eugéne - Louis Jean Joseph, but was called, like his father, Louis Napoleon. - - - - - Appendix - - -The following is a chronological statement of the principal events -during the career of Empress Eugénie and Louis Napoleon: - - 1808 Birth of Louis Napoleon. - 1826 Birth of Eugénie. - 1815-30 Napoleon in exile. - 1831 Revolt against the Pope. - 1840 Descent upon France and Capture. - 1848 Member of the National Assembly. - 1851 _Coup d’État._ - 1852 Elected Emperor. - 1853 Marriage of Eugénie and Napoleon. - 1854-56 Crimean War. - 1856 Birth of the Prince Imperial. - 1859 War with Austria. - 1862 Interference with Mexico. - 1870 War with Germany. - 1870-71 Capture and Imprisonment. - 1873 Death of Napoleon. - 1879 Prince Imperial killed in Africa. - - - - - LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE - - _Translated from the German by_ - GEORGE P. UPTON - - 28 Volumes Now Ready - - - _Historical and Biographical_ - - Barbarossa - William of Orange - Maria Theresa - The Maid of Orleans - Frederick the Great - The Little Dauphin - Herman and Thusnelda - The Swiss Heroes - Marie Antoinette’s Youth - The Duke of Brittany - Louise, Queen of Prussia - The Youth of the Great Elector - Emperor William First - Elizabeth, Empress of Austria - Charlemagne - Prince Eugene - Eugénie, Empress of the French - Queen Maria Sophia of Naples - - _Musical Biography_ - - Beethoven - Mozart - Johann Sebastian Bach - Joseph Haydn - - _Legendary_ - - Frithjof Saga - Gudrun - The Nibelungs - William Tell - Arnold of Winkelried - Undine - - Illustrated. Each 50 cents _net_ - A. C. McCLURG & CO., Chicago - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EUGÉNIE, EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - |