ire in o under the \J4TCifitJil0 rnpire ^ LIFE IN THE TUILERIES UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE ■ • - ' • •/, •A < - - \ ^ e .„ • I \ LITHOGRAPH OF WINTERHALTER'S PAINTING, "EUGENIE AND HER COURT." LIFE IN THE TUILERIES UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE t^g&r 4 BY ANNA L. BICKNELL AN INMATE OF THE PALACE NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1895 J I nght, 1894, 1895, by The Century Co. THE DEVINNE PBESS. CONTEXTS CHAPTER I PAGE The palace of the Tuileries under previous sovereigns — Proclamation of the Second Empire — The Comte de Tas- eher de la Pagerie — Napoleon I. and Josephine — Ball given by Prince Schwarzenberg on the marriage of Napo- leon I. with Marie-Louise — Tragic fate of the Princess von der Leyen — Her daughter married to the Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie — Exile after the fall of the First Empire — Prince Eugene de Beauharuais — Queen Hortense — Na- poleon III. in his youth — His friendship for the Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie — When President of the French Republic he summons the Comte and his son to the Elysee — Their opposition to his marriage with Eugenie de Mon- tijo overruled — Court of the Empress Eugenie 1 CHAPTER II My position at the Tuileries — The family de Tascher de la Pagerie — First opportunities of seeing the Empress — Her wonderful beauty — The color of her hair — An evening with the Empress in her private circle — Unseasonable in- terruption — Etiquette and its annoyances — Court obliga- tions — Gilded chains 13 CHAPTER III Regulations of the palace — The detectives — Inconveniences of the palace — The painting-room of Mademoiselle Hor- tense de Tascher -Pasini, the artist — Apartments of the Empress — View on the garden of the Tuileries — What it vi CONTENTS PAGE was then — Description of the various rooms — Audiences granted by the Empress — High mass on Sundays — The Emperor's demeanor — The sermon — Etiquette — The wardrobe regions above the apartments of the Empress — '• Pepa,"the Empress's Spanish maid — The jailer's daugh- ters — Anecdote of the Emperor — The privy-purse of the Empress 29 CHAPTER IV Daily life of the Court — Duties of the ladies in waiting Charities of the Emperor and Empress— The Prince Imperial — Drives of the Empress — A rheumatic chamber- lain - The evenings at the court — Dinner — The " service d'honneur " — Etiquette — Habitual simplicity of the Em- press in her morning-dress — Her usual evening toilet — The mechanical piano — Sudden wish of the Empress to dance the *' Lancers" — Mademoiselle de Tascher sum- moned to teach the figures — Difficulties caused by petty court jealousies — Late hours of the Empress — Anecdote of the Emperor — His amiable disposition in private life — Impulsive nature of the Empress 42 CHAPTER V The Emperor's drives — His opinion of mankind in general — The special police attached to the Emperor's person — Alessandri, the detective — The Orsini attempt on the Em- peror's life — Impression at the Tuileries — The return of the Emperor and Empress — Letter from the Marquis of "Waterford — My life at the Tuileries — Games of chess with the Archbishop of Bourges — Costume balls — Banquet on tin- marriage of Prince Napoleon with the Princess Clotilde of Savoy -The ball — A waltz of the Emperor with the Princess rendered impossible — Costume of the Empress . . 52 CHAPTER VI The Palais-Royal — The imperial family — Unpleasant rela- tion- -Prince Jerome — Prince Napoleon — Princess Ma- thilde — Pierre Bonaparte — His sister Letitia — Prince CONTEXTS vii PAGE Napoleon's speech in the Senate — Scene with the Emperor — Ball at the Hotel d'Albe — The Empress and the page — Special invitation sent to me by the Empress — Princess Mathilde and Princess Clotilde — Contrast — The dresses of both — Intended costume of the Empress — Objections — The Empress and the paste-board horse — The Due de Moray — His character — ■ His marriage — Madame de Moray — "The White Mouse" — Scene with the Due de Dino — Comte Walewski — His chai'acter and appearance — Comtesse Walewska 62 CHAPTER VII Princess Clotilde — Her religious fervor — Her daily life — Her court — Evenings at the Palais-Royal — Ennui of the Empress Eugenie — The camp at Chalons — Enmity of the aristocratic Faubourg St. Germain — ■ Persistent criticisms ; irritation of the Empress — ■ The Comte de Chambord and the Comtesse de Tascher — The great official balls at the Tuileries — The "Centgardes" — The soldier with sugar- plums in his boot — The Empress and the sentinel — A wager — Etiquette of the balls — The balcony of the " Salle des Marechaux" — Clever answer of Mademoiselle de Mon- tijo — Costume balls — The police — The fancy quadrilles — Taglioni 78 CHAPTER VIII The police force during the Empire — Story of M. de Saint- Julien — A robbery — A fascinating detective — A mysteri- ous sign — Dinner parties at the palace — The imperial table during Lent and on Fridays — Lent concerts — Auber — Mario — Patti — Alboni — The national tune composed by Queen Hortense — The Emperor's dislike of music — The mechanical piano — The " Stabat Mater " performed in the chapel — The supposed excessive devotion of the Empress . 89 CHAPTER IX " The Empress's Mondays" — Orders worn by ladies — The court train — The " Salut du Trone," or grand court obei- sance — The inclosed garden at the Tuileries — " Bagatelle " viii CONTENTS PAGE — The court leaves Paris — Fontainebleau — "La Regie" — Inconvenience of living in a palace — Housewifely care of the Empress — A siege in the apartments — A prince left at the door — St. Cloud — Villeueuve TEtang — Furniture embroidered by Josephine —A collation with the Prince Imperial — Anecdotes — A k ' Te Deum " wanted 98 CHAPTER X The givat review — Canrobert — MacMahon — The Zouaves -The flag with the ribbon and cross of the Legion of Honor — Violent rush of the crowd — I owe my life to Robert de Tascher — Court starvation on gala days Ill CHAPTER XI Paris in the early days of the Second Empire — Diplomatic changes after the Italian war — A great name — A young ambassadress — Eccentricities of the Princess Metternich — Her imprudence and morbid curiosity — Anecdotes — A " real " Empress — Practical joke on a lady in waiting — Dispute with Madame de Persigny — Why the Princess Metternich could not yield to her — Count Sandor — His strange exploits — Practical joke on his old housekeeper — Imperial hospitality at Compiegne — Dresses required for the week's visit — Daily life of the visitors — Kindness of the Imperial hosts — Five o'clock tea in the private apart- ments of the Empress — Evenings — Questionable diversions provided by the Princess Metternich — Exaggerated re- ports — Personal description of the Princess Metternich — General Floury 116 CHAPTER XII "Golden Wedding" of the Comte and Comtesse de Tascher de la Pagerie — Curious story of a lost ring - Marriage of my elder pupil - Prince Maximilian von Thurn und Taxis Death of the C te de Tascher — Kindness and affec- tionate attentions of the Emperor and Empress during his Lasl illness Sorrow of the Emperor — The Count laid out in state — Effed on the Empress — Her nervous condition — CONTENTS is PAGE Her private sorrows — She begins to interfere in political matters — Our home life after the death of the Comte de Tascher — Home evenings — "Weekly receptions — Ambas- sadors Extraordinary from Oriental lands — The Persian Ambassador — The Embassy from Siam — Reception at Fontainebleau — The hair-dresser Leroy 131 CHAPTER XIII The little Prince Imperial — The Emperor's excessive indul- gence — Vain efforts of the Empress "to bring up that child properly " — The Empress and the pony — The Em- peror and the orange — Amiable disposition of the Prince — His efforts to "earn money for the poor" — General Frossard's military discipline — Anecdotes — The "honor of the uniform" — The Prince takes the measles — Seri- ously ill — Nm-sed by the Empress with the greatest ma- ternal devotion 144 CHAPTER XIV The military element in Parisian society — Pelissier and Canrobert — Anecdotes of the former — How he treated a coward — A defective omelet and its consequences — His uncivilized manners — His marriage — The Duchesse de Malakoff — - Canrobert — His marriage — Madaine Canro- bert — Pretensions of the marshal checked by the Em- peror — An apparently ill-assorted but happy pair — Honorable character of Canrobert — MacMahon — Castel- lane — Magnan — Bosquet — Characteristic anecdote of the Emperor — Vaillant — Randon — Three inappropriate Christian names — Bazaine 151 CHAPTER XV Monsieur Thouvenel — A French ambassador at Constanti- nople — A night spent in Oriental luxury — Its question- able delights — A parrot's reprimand to an ambassador — Monsieur Thouvenel, Minister of Foreign Affairs — Policy of Monsieur Thouvenel — Opposition of the Emperor and Empress — The Emperor's speech on opening the Legis- x CONTENTS PAGE lative Assembly — Feeling of the nation — Thouvenel obliged to resign — The child and the Emperor — Generosity of the latter — Petition of a Legitimist lady — Plain speaking — Chivalrous conduct of the Emperor — His noble nature. . . . 160 CHAPTEE XVI Clouds in the sky of the Empire — The Mexican war unpopu- lar — "L'Empire, c'est la paix!" — Financial difficulties — Extravagant tendencies of the Emperor — The yacht built for the Empress — The Hotel d'Albe built and destroyed — Expenses of Compiegne and Fontainebleau — Costly artistic mistakes — The Emperor's lavish generosity — Too many improvements in Paris — Spanish preferences of the Em- press — She goes to bull-fights — The Empress goes to Spain — Death of the Due de Morny 168 CHAPTER XVII Evenings in the apartments of the Duchesse de Tascher — Madame Kistori, the tragic actress — How a stage queen ate aspai-agus — Her conversation — Sixteen thousand pounds of luggage — Danger in a glass of lemonade — Rec- itations — The real dress of Queen Mary on the scaffold — Madame Ristori's impersonation of Mary Stuart — The evil eye — The value of stage bouquets as a mark of public en- thusiasm —Leopold von Mayer — How he played the piano with his fists — He plays before the Sultan — Death of the Archbishop of Bourges — The Papal Nuncio — Prince Chigi -Djemil Pasha, the Turkish Ambassador — Marriage of Hortense de Tascher to the Comte de l'Espine 180 CHAPTER XVIII I leave the Tuileries — Opinion in the provinces — The Em- press severely judged — Exaggerated reports — Intimacy with Metternich and Nigra — Why the Emperor disap- proved— Opinion expressed by the Due de Tascher on the Empress, before her marriage— Outbreak of the cholera — Her admirable conduct — How an Empress " stands fire "— CONTENTS xi PAGE Nature and education of the Empress Eugenie — The Empress Augusta of Germany — The Empress Eugenie visits charitable institutions — Mile. Bouvet — The Empress visits the poor — Goes to Belleville and other dangerous places — Excellent intentions not alwaj's wisely carried out — Successful interference in the Penitentiary for Juvenile Offenders 188 CHAPTER XIX Hints in the papers on the Emperor's health — The cost of a crown — Visits to provincial towns — Uncomfortable luxury — The true color of the Empress's hair — The great exhibi- tion — Death of the Emperor Maximilian — Death of the Due de Tascher and of the Duehesse de Bassano — The Em- press goes to the opeuing of the Suez Canal — Effect on the Mohammedan population — The Emperor and Prince Im- perial at Compiegne — My visit to the Tuileries in 1870 — Physical condition of the Emperor — The plebiscite — Tes- timony of Lord Malmesbury — I leave Paris with sad fore- bodings — The palace of the Tuileries when I next saw it . . 200 CHAPTER XX Apathy of the Emperor — The party of the Empress — A consultation of medical and surgical authorities on the Emperor's health — An operation declared necessary — The Hohenzollern incident — The Emperor unwilling for war — The scene at St. Cloud related to Lord Malmesbury by the Due de Gramont — The Emperor yields — His sad fore- bodings — The Empress appointed Regent — The Prince Imperial goes with his father to join the army — The " baptism of fire " — First reverses — The Empress returns to Paris — The Emperor's health gives way — He is urged to return to Paris — Opposition of the Empress — The Emperor sends the Prince Impeiial to Belgium — The Em- peror goes to Sedan against his will — The Prince Imperial receives orders to go over to England, where he meets his mother at Hastings 212 xii CONTENTS CHAPTER XXI PAGE MacMahon leads the army to Sedan — Despair of the Em- peror — He vainly seeks death — He gives up his sword to the King of Prussia — Telegram to the Empress — Confu- sion and treachery around her — The Princess Clotilde comes to share her danger — The ambassadors of Austria and Italy offer their protection — She goes with them, fol- lowed only by Madame Lebreton — The Empress and Madame Lebreton left to then fate in a hackney-carriage . 224 CHAPTER XXII The Empress applies to Dr. Evans in her distress — Leaves Paris in his carriage — A perilous journey — The arrival at Trouville — Sir John Burg-oyne and his sailing-yacht, the Gazelle — Consents to take the Empress over to England — A perilous undertaking — Tremendous storm — Safe arrival at Rydo — The Empress meets her son at Hastings — Hires a furnished country house at Chiselhurst — The Emperor a prisoner at Wiiheluish'ihe — His patience and kindness .... 234 CHAPTER XXIII The Emperor in England — Visit of Lord Malmesbury — His impression of the interview — The Commune in Pai'is — "What the leaders really were — Burning of the Tuileries — How effected 243 CONCLUSION The Empress and her son settle at Camden Place, Chisel- hursl - The Emperor joins them after the peace — First difficulties — Education of the Prince Imperial — Woolwich — Hopes of a restoration of the Empire — The Emperor's health — His unexpected death — The Prince receives a large number of Imperialists on his coming of age — Passes his examination satisfactorily at Woolwich — His life at Chiselhurst— Difficulties — Hopes — He determines to join the English army in South Africa — His departure —His reckless bravery — He is killed in a reconnoissance — Par- ticulars of his death — Announcement of the news to the Empress — Her journey to Zululand — Her present life 251 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Eugenie. Frontispiece FACING PAGE The Tuileries from the Place du Carrousel 8 General Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie; Princess Amelie von der Leyen, Comtesse de Tascher de la Pagerie ; and Due de Tascher 16 Empress Eugenie wearing a Spanish Mantilla 32 Napoleon III. and the Empress Eugenie 40 Garden Front of the Tuileries 48 Prince Jerome and Princess Mathilde 56 Prince Napoleon and Princess Clotilde 64 Due de Morny and Duchesse de Morny 72 Comte de Walewski and Prince Napoleon 80 Napoleon III., Empress Eugenie, and Prince Imperial. 96 Marshal Canrobert and Marshal MacMahon 112 Empress Eugenie, 1863 128 The Prince Imperial 144 Due de Malakoff and Duchesse de Malakoff 152 xiii xiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE Marshal Castellane and Marshal Randon 160 Duchess or Alva and Children. 176 The Rue de Rivoli during the Burning of the Tui- lerees 192 Gallery of Peace, Ruins of the Tuileries 208 Rums of the Hall of the Marshals, Caryatides of the Throne on the Right 224 Ruins of the Vestibule of the Tuileries 240 TiiE Pavilion of Flora after the Fire 248 The Prince Imperial, in Artillery Uniform 272 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE LIFE IN THE TUILERIES UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE CHAPTER I The palace of the Tuileries under previous sovereigns — Procla- mation of the Second Empire — The Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie — Napoleon I. and Josephine — Ball given by Prince Schwarzenberg on the marriage of Napoleon I. with Marie- Louise — Tragic fate of the Princess von der Ley en — Her daughter married to the Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie — Exile after the fall of the First Empire — Prince Eugene de Beauharnais — Queen Hortense — Napoleon III. in his youth — His friendship for the Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie — When President of the French Republic he summons the Comte and his son to the Elysee — Their opposition to his marriage with Eugenie de Montijo overruled — Court of the Empress Eugenie. THE beautiful palace built by Catherine de Med- ieis, and afterward enlarged by the succeeding royal owners, was not, at first, a favorite residence of the French kings. With the exception of a short period during the minority of Louis XV., it was not permanently inhabited by the Court before the French Revolution, at which time Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette were forcibly brought there from Versailles ; being detained in a sort of captivity till the fatal insurrection of August 10, 1792, when 2 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES the mob broke into the palace and massacred the Swiss guards, while the royal family took refuge in the Legislative Assembly, whence they were taken as prisoners to the Temple tower. When Napoleon Bonaparte became First Consul, and while Emperor, he preferred the Tuileries to the immense palace of Versailles, which, in those days of slow conveyances, was at an inconvenient distance from Paris, and ordered the apartments to be pre- pared with great magnificence for the requirements of his Court. Louis XVIII. followed his example after the re- storation of the Bourbons ; the Tuileries palace was splendidly furnished and ready for occupation, while Versailles, having been pillaged and much injured, could only be made habitable at great expense. Na- poleon said sarcastically on this occasion : " If Louis is wise, he will use my bed-chamber, and sleep in my bed, for it is a good one." The King was wise, and unconsciously followed the ironical advice. The court was now definitely established at the Tuileries, which was inhabited, after the fall of Charles the Tenth, by Louis Philippe and his family, during the whole of the latter's reign. After the revolution of 1848, and the flight of Louis Philippe, the mob again broke into the pal- ace of the Tuileries, where the royal apartments were pillaged. The throne, carried in triumph by the populace, was burned ; total destruction was feared, but was happily prevented by the Pro- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 3 visional Government, who declared the Tuileries national property. From this time the palace remained uninhabited till the coup d'etat of Louis Napoleon, then President of the French Eepublic. In January, 1852, Napo- leon removed from the Elysee to the Tuileries, which, a few months later, on December 2, 1852, he solemnly reentered as Emperor, passing under the triumphal arch of the principal entrance, adorned with the in- scriptions : " Vox Populi, vox Dei ! " " Ave Csesar, Imperator ! " And yet people will talk seriously of the "Will of the nation"! Could any one who witnessed the wild enthusiasm of the first days of the Second Em- pire doubt its sincerity ? And yet what a fall after eighteen years of prosperity ! Nearly two months later, on January 22, 1853, the new Emperor convened all the great functionaries of the state in the throne-room of the Tuileries. There he announced his intended marriage, — a marriage in opposition to all the traditions of his predecessors — a circumstance which, with his characteristic adroit- ness, he contrived to present as having great ad- vantages over ordinary princely unions. All were astonished. No one, however, had any time for op- position, if such had been intended ; for only a week after the official announcement had been made to the representatives of the nation, the civil marriage took place at the Tuileries, preceding, according to custom, the religious ceremony, which was celebrated 4 LIFE IN THE TUILEREES on the following day at Notre Dame. The young Empress, who had remained at the Elysee during the interval, then returned in state to the Tuileries, and appeared, in her white robe and veil, on the fated balcony of the "Salle des Marechaux," where so many princesses had stood — the last royal bride who would ever be seen there. The marriage of the ambitious heir of the great Napoleon with Eugenie de Montijo (who, though de- scended from the illustrious race of Griizman, was not of royal blood) astonished the world, and none more than his most faithful and devoted adherents, among whom were the whole family de Tascher de la Pa- gerie, his oldest friends and relatives. The Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie, first cousin to the Empress Josephine, had been called to the court of Napoleon I. when scarcely more than a boy in years, and soon became a great favorite, not only of Josephine, but also of the great Emperor himself, whom he followed in his campaigns, but more es- pecially under the command of his cousin Prince Eugene de Beauharnais, who was the son of Jo- sephine de Tascher de la Pagerie, by her first marriage with the Comte de Beauharnais, guillotined during the French Revolution. The affection of both Napoleon and Josephine for the spirited and chivalrous young officer survived their divorce; and at the time of Napoleon's mar- riage with Marie-Louise, the young Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie was betrothed, with the Emperor's ap- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 5 proval, to the Princess Amelie von der Leyen, daugh- ter of the mediatized * Prince von der Leyen. The marriage took place, but under particularly disas- trous circumstances. It may be remembered that the ball given by the Austrian ambassador, Prince Schwarzenberg, in honor of the imperial nuptials was the scene of a frightful catastrophe. The hangings of the ball-room having caught fire, the flames spread to the whole building, and many victims perished, amongst whom were the Princess Schwarzenberg herself, and the Princess von der Leyen, both in the attempt to save their daughters. The Princess Amelie was dancing with her future husband when the fire broke out; he at once placed her in safety, returning to seek her mother, who meanwhile had been taken away from the ball-room, but who, like the Princess Schwarz- enberg, rushed back into the flames to find her daughter. A burning beam had fallen on her, and, when found, her condition was absolutely hopeless. She was extricated with the greatest difficulty ; the heat around her had been so intense that the silver setting of her diamonds had melted into the burned flesh. Strange to say, a few flowers of a wreath she wore had escaped the flames, and the writer of these pages has often seen them, set in a frame, under the portrait of the unfortunate Princess, in the bed- 1 The mediatized Princes of the Holy Roman Empire had yielded their petty states by the Rhine Treaties, but retained the social rank and pri%'ileges of independent sovereigns, with the title of "Serene Highness." 6 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES chamber of her daughter. She lived two or three days in fearful suffering, but insisted on the mar- riage ceremony taking place at once by her death- bed. And in the presence of the dying mother, who had sacrificed her life for her daughter's safety, Amelie von der Leyen was united to Louis de Tascher de la Pagerie. The fall of the First Empire destroyed the brilliant prospects of the young pair. Louis XVIII. offered an important post at his court to the Comte de Tas- cher de la Pagerie ; but imbued with the principle expressed in his family motto, "Honori fidelis," he rejected all advances, even from those who, as legiti- mate possessors, filled the throne of the emperor to whom he had sworn allegiance, and therefore chose to follow his cousin Prince Eugene de Beauharnais, who, having married a princess of Bavaria, had elected Munich as his residence in exile. The sister of Prince Eugene, Hortense (who was separated from her husband, Louis Bonaparte, king of Holland), had accepted the title of "Duchesse de Saint-Leu," and wandered from one place of residence to another with her two sons, the younger of whom was after- ward known as Napoleon III. Louis de Tascher remained on terms of the great- est affection and intimacy with Queen Hortense, and after the death of her brother, Prince Eugenej he became her most trusted friend and counselor. His sons and daughters, who were often invited to stay at Arenenberg, on the lake of Constance UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 7 (where she finally resided habitually), were the play- fellows of her sons in their childhood, and the friends of Louis Napoleon when, by the death of his elder brother, he became the head of the Bonaparte family, and the representative of what they held to be their rights. The light-hearted girls and merry boys of the de Tascher family brought some life to the too quiet home of Queen Hortense, where the future em- peror, always absorbed in thought, was then, as in after life, a gentle dreamer, scarcely roused to a smile by the vivacious ways and lively jests of his young cousins, who, as they afterward acknowledged, could not help, even then, feeling inwardly a sort of awe in his presence, as in that of a superior being. When the end of Queen Hortense drew near, she summoned the Comte de Tascher to her bedside, to receive her last instructions and hear her last wishes. He it was who attended to all that was needful after her death; who obtained from the government of Louis Philippe the requisite permission to bring back the remains of the exiled queen to her native land ; and who followed them to their last resting-place at Rueil, near Paris. There was, consequently, a strong tie of affection, confidence, and respect be- tween Prince Louis Napoleon and his mother's rela- tive and trusted friend. When his strangely varied fortunes brought him to that supreme position which he had always anticipated in what seemed idle dreams, he immediately called the Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie, and his surviving son, to his bachelor 8 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES court at the Elysee; the ladies of the family re- mained, temporarily, at Munich. The Comte de Tascher had always felt the impor- tance of a suitable marriage for Prince Louis Napo- leon, and had greatly exerted himself to negotiate several which he approved, and which had been nearly concluded. One, in the early youth of the Prince, with the Princess Mathilde, his cousin, sister of Prince (Jerome) Napoleon, had been settled by family arrangements, but was broken off, after the failure of the Strasburg conspiracy. Other negotia- tions, undertaken by the Comte de Tascher person- ally, in the hope of obtaining the hand of several German princesses, had fallen through, in conse- quence of the ill-will of their respective courts. The Comte de Tascher still hoped, nevertheless, that the rising fortunes of the Prince, now President of the French Republic, would finally conquer all difficulties ; but the mere idea that, as Emperor (a destiny which all foresaw), he would marry the beau- tiful Spanish girl with whom, as President, he flirted at Compiegne, never seriously dwelt in the mind of the devoted friend of early days. When, immedi- ately after the proclamation of the Empire, the in- tentions of the new Emperor were communicated privately to the Comte de Tascher and his son, they were so painfully surprised that they warmly remon- strated as to the complications which would be added to his already difficult position, by the act of raising to the throne of France a private gentlewoman (how- H m H C r- m rr c/> -n ;c O 2 > n C c n > o c (Si m 'l-vWfltf^tL UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 9 ever attractive she might be), without consulting the will of the nation. They reminded him that the case of Josephine, to which he referred, was not to be quoted as parallel ; she was more than her husband's equal when she married him, and had risen with him. As the Emperor would listen to no expostu- lation, they finally declared that if he persisted in his intentions they would leave him and return to Germany. At this, the Emperor, who was pacing the room, suddenly turned round, exclaiming with unusual vehemence : " So, because you look upon me as a drowning man, you will leave me, and refuse to give me a helping hand?" This was startling and painful ; they were silenced. The Emperor then made a strong appeal to their feel- ings of old friendship and personal attachment, to induce them not only to welcome his bride, but to accept the two most important posts in her future court. The General Comte de Tascher de la Page- rie was appointed " Grand Master of the Empress's Household," and his son, then called " Count Charles," became First Chamberlain. The Empress was fully aware of their conscien- tious opposition to her marriage, which, naturally, caused some constraint at first ; but her own sincere nature soon appreciated the noble and chivalrous character of the old Count, and the honest devoted- ness of his son, when once they had given their al- 10 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES legiance. The ladies of the family then came to the Tuileries, where apartments were provided for them, and where the Emperor received them on their ar- rival with the most unaffected kindness, recalling heartily old times and bygone recollections. The splendor of the First Empire now reappeared at the Tuileries. The Comte de Tascher would have preferred a mere military household for the Em- peror, and the strictly necessary number of ladies for the Empress ; but Napoleon III. was determined to revive the court of Napoleon I., with its some- what obsolete magnificence. There was a Great Chamberlain, the Due de Bas- sano, who resided at the palace in the Pavilion Mar- san (formerly inhabited by the Due d'Orleans and Due de Nemours, sons of Louis Philippe). The apart- ments of the Due de Bassano were those which had belonged to the Due de Nemours. The Empress had a " Grand Maitre," the Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie, two chamberlains, an equerry, six ladies-in-waiting (afterward increased to twelve), a "Dame d'hon- neur," or First Lady, and a " Grande Maitresse," the Princesse d'Essling. The "Dame d'honneur" was the Duchesse de Bassano ; the others were often er- roneously called "dames d'honneur" by the uniniti- ated, but were properly entitled " Dames du Palais," or " Ladies of the Palace." The Duchesse de Bassano did not, like the others, take regular turns of " waiting " on the Empress, but appeared on ceremonious occasions, taking the first UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 11 rank, shared with the Princesse d'Essling, who was entitled "Grande Maitresse of the Empress's House- hold." On state visits to the opera, with foreign princes and princesses, the Duchesse de Bassano and the Princesse d'Essling took turns to stand be- hind the chair of the Empress during the whole evening, each for half an hour at a time. The Duchesse de Bassano told me that this was very trying, as there was, of course, no possibility of leaning on any support, and they must stand mo- tionless. At the receptions of ambassadors, and other state occasions, all the ladies appeared around the Empress, but the Duchesse de Bassano was always at their head. The three principal ladies were the Princesse d'Essling, the Duchesse de Bas- sano, and Madame Bruat 1 , widow of l'Amiral Bruat, who was state-governess to the Prince Imperial, or, as she was formally entitled, " Gouvernante des Enfants de France," a great source of exasperation to the Legitimists, who claimed the title of " Fils de France " exclusively for the Comte de Chambord. These three ladies, who held the rank of " grand officier," wore the portrait of the Empress set in diamonds, hanging from a knot of ribbon fastened on the left shoulder. The other " ladies-in-waiting " wore in the same manner the monogram of the Em- press, if (Eugenie Imperatrice), in small diamonds, on an enamel ground. The Comte Charles de Tas- cher de la Pagerie was First Chamberlain. He had 1 Appointed on the birth of the Prince Imperial. 12 LIFE IN THE TUILEKIES already inherited the title of duke, through his Ger- man mother, from her uncle, the Duke of Dalberg, Prince Primate of Germany, but his deep respect for his father had prevented him from taking prece- dence as duke, till, at a later period, the Count him- self insisted on his doing so, when a decree signed by the Emperor authorized the Comte Charles de Tascher de la Pagerie to bear henceforward the title of duke. To prevent confusion, I shall at once use the title, although chronologically it was not yet adopted. The principal functionaries had apartments in the palace. These were furnished with a somewhat bare and dreary magnificence ; the rooms looked stately, but empty and uncomfortable, and many small ar- ticles of modern upholstery had to be purchased by the occupants, to adapt the majestic historical abode to the habits of the day. CHAPTER II My position at the Tuileries — The family de Tascher de la Pa- gerie — First opportunities of seeing the Empress — Her won- derful beauty — The color of her hair — An evening with the Empress in her private circle — Unseasonable interruption — Etiquette and its annoyances — Court obligations — Gilded chains. THREE years had elapsed since the arrival of the family at the Tuileries, when I was in- formed that the future Duchesse de Tascher de la Pagerie wished to meet with a lady, born a gentle- woman, accustomed to good society, conscientious and reliable, who would be capable of entirely fill- ing her place by her daughters, and who would constantly be their friend and guide. She would be " governess," only in the court sense of the function ; not as a mere teacher, but as " governing " their edu- cation, superintending their studies, directing their reading, and accompanying them wherever they went. The German lady who had begun their education was about to be married, and the elder daughter being now sixteen, it was thought desir- able to make a new choice, with a few modifica- tions as to requirements. Some of my friends had thought of proposing me to fill this exceptional post. 18 14 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES The circumstance that members of my family were intimate with cousins of the de Tascher family would, it was considered, facilitate an introduction. Finally, after much discussion, I was taken to the Tuileries, and presented to the Duchess. The senti- nels and the servants in imperial livery had made me feel sufficiently nervous, but when I entered the pri- vate apartments occupied by the family, and, after passing through lugubrious dark passages, with lamps in mid-day, suddenly found myself in broad daylight, and within the rooms which, I was in- formed, would be mine if matters were favorably settled, my alarm increased to a painful degree. I felt that a new life, quite unknown, was opening be- fore me, and its very brilliancy, to one who had always lived in retirement, was startling. My future pupils came forward to meet me : the elder, a bloom- ing girl of sixteen, fresh as a rose, but more wo- manly in appearance than I expected, and with the graceful ease of manner which indicates the habit of general society ; the younger, a pretty child of eleven, more shy than her sister. The rooms, plainly fur- nished in bright chintz, looked comfortable and homelike. After a few minutes of general conversation, the door suddenly opened, and the Duchess came in quickly; a tall, graceful figure, very commanding in appearance, the court lady from head to foot, very beautiful, and most elegantly dressed. Being very near-sighted, she drew close to me with half-shut UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 15 eyes, and peered down at me, very much as if she were trying to find a fly on the carpet; but in the conversation that followed, when we had resumed our seats, her manner was most courteous, and even a little embarrassed, through the evident fear of giv- ing offense by expressing her wishes too plainly. Altogether, she left upon me the full impression of that considerate good breeding which is generally, but not always, the characteristic of distinguished rank. I remained, however, for some days in doubt as to my final acceptance, being told by my friends that although everything had been found very satisfac- tory, there was some hesitation on account of my youth, the position being one of absolute trust, which was thought to require the experience of riper years. However, other applicants, though older than myself, seemed to present fewer guarantees ; I was therefore finally engaged, and I hope I may be permitted to add that the decision never caused any regret. It was late in the afternoon when, on the ap- pointed day, I entered the palace, where I was fated to reside for nine years, during the most prosperous time of the Second Empire ; but as yet all was un- known, — therefore necessarily uncertain, — and the nervous anxiety that I could not repress, though only natural under the circumstances, was a very disa- greeable beginning. Some married daughters of the Comte de Tascher, with their children, were on a visit to their father, and the whole party came to my 16 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES apartments soon after my arrival, escorted by the Duchess, who introduced me. They encouraged me with so much unaffected good-nature and friendli- ness, that I felt somewhat comforted, but fully rec- ognized the truth of their parting remark, as they went off laughingly : " You will feel happier a week hence." As they left me, I was told to dress quickly, as "mon pere" had military habits, and was merci- lessly punctual ; so, giving my keys to the confiden- tial maid sent to assist me, I begged her to select what I ought to wear, hastily changing my attire according to her instructions. A fresh ordeal now awaited me: presentation to the Comtesse de Tas- cher, Princess Amelie von der Leyen, the " Durch- laucht" or Serene Highness, as the German servants always called her. My pupils came to fetch me, leading the way down a dark, narrow, winding stair- case, then through a wide passage paved in white and black marble, and through folding-doors, which my eldest pupil opened, drawing back courteously to leave me full precedence. I then entered a large, handsome room hung round with pictures, and richly furnished, where stood a group of ladies ele- gantly dressed; one of them, the Duchess, came forward immediately, and led me to a dignified elderly lady seated in a deep window, whose features at once reminded me vividly of all the historical portraits of German princesses I had seen in pic- ture-galleries. Next, I made my obeisance to her husband, General Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie, n pi pi - > r n O H PI O PI » - 2 R 2 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 17 one of the most distinguished men in appearance that I had ever seen, whose eagle eye and aquiline profile recalled the Duke of Wellington. There was no time for conversation, the folding-doors being thrown open and dinner announced. The large, handsome dining-room, where the nu- merous members of the family took their seats, the servants, in and out of livery, the display of plate, and all the ceremony of a formal dinner party, although no strangers were present, made me feel more than ever like a poor little sparrow which had strayed alone into an aviary of tropical birds. Con- versation was general and very animated. I was seated next the (Princesse) Comtesse de Tascher, who from time to time spoke to me kindly, and urged me to partake of the dishes handed round. When the dinner was concluded, every one rose and moved to the door, where they stood in two lines, while the "Durchlaucht" passed out first, the others following her in couples, my pupils coming last. I was then allowed to retire for this first evening, and was thankful to do so after taking leave of the visitors, who were returning to Germany by the night train. The next morning, of course, I found the family much reduced in number, when I went down to the dejeuner, or luncheon, and although the same statoliness was observed in the arrangements, every- thing looked less formidable. The Countess asked me kindly, "Are you less afraid of us, now?" and 18 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES the Count, with smiling benevolence, inquired if my first night at the Tuileries had brought pleasant dreams ? The Duke was " de service," or " in wait- ing," so I scarcely saw him, but he too welcomed me cordially, telling me " not to spoil his girls." After luncheon, my two pupils and their brother, then a schoolboy of fifteen, 1 led me through the various rooms, pointing out the historical portraits of the Bonapartes and Beauharnais; those of the princes and princesses allied to their family; the portrait of their great-grandm other, the unfortu- nate Princess von der Leyen, and the flowers which she had worn at the fatal ball ; also the portrait of the Prince-Primate of Germany, Duke of Dalberg, from whom their father inherited his title; and proudly explained the privilege of the Dalbergs, to be dubbed knights at the coronation of the em- perors of Germany, when the herald called three times: "1st kein Dalberg da?" ("Is there no Dal- berg here?") Then they showed me many treasures kept in handsome cabinets. One interested me particularly, a large plain gold ring containing the hair of Marie Antoinette, a thick lock of lovely golden hair, braided into a close plait; not the rich auburn hue of the Empress Eugenie, but a sweeter, paler color, usually seen only in childhood. We then returned to our apartments, where the day was spent in putting all that I had brought 1 Now Due de Tascker de la Pagerie, and bead of the family. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 19 with me in due order ; and the evening at the opera, whither I accompanied the Comtesse Stephanie, an unmarried sister of the Duke, who lived at the Tnileries. We went in one of the Emperor's car- riages, with coachman and groom in imperial liv- ery, for which the police made room when needful. "Livree de l'Empereur!" sufficed to cut through all files of carriages, and to pass everywhere, when proclaimed by the coachman in sonorous tones. We were conducted to the box, called " de service," de- voted to the household, passing before bowing offi- cials, and much stared at by spectators. The next day was Sunday, with mass in the im- perial chapel ; but on the Monday I began fully the duties of my position, which I soon found was no sinecure, though made as pleasant as possible by the friendly kindness and courtesy of all around me. But from the moment when I was awakened in the morning till a late hour at night there was not an interval of time to breathe. The two girls being of different ages, the professors, classes, lec- tures, etc., were also totally different ; so my days were spent in rushing out with one, and then rush- ing back to take the other somewhere else ; on foot, in all weathers, which the Duchess considered neces- sary for the health of my pupils ; but, as I had two, the fatigue was doubled. During these lectures, etc., I had to take notes incessantly, and to prepare the work for them. Often I was obliged to dress in ten minutes for a large dinner-party, because some pro- 20 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES fessor had prolonged his lesson to the very last mo- ment. The constant mental strain, added to the physical fatigue, was almost more than I could en- dure, and my health suffered so severely that I greatly feared the impossibility of continuing such an arduous task. In the evening there were dancing lessons three times a week ; one at the English em- bassy, from which we returned at a late hour, and two others at the Tuileries in the apartments of the Duchesse de Bassano, our next neighbor. On the re- maining evenings I frequently accompanied the (Princess) Countess, or the Comtesse Stephanie, to theaters or operas, which, though very agreeable, added considerably to the overwhelming fatigue of the day. As to my own private correspondence, I was obliged to write necessary letters often very late at night, to the great anger of the Duchess, who rightly declared that I was wearing myself out ; but I had no other resource. As time went on, matters happily became more easy, and after the marriage of my eldest pupil with Prince Maximilian von Thurn und Taxis, my task was considerably diminished. The work of the first year, however, was absolutely crushing. I had seen the Empress Eugenie pass by in her carriage more than once, before I entered the Tui- leries ; but although I could not but think her beau- tiful, still, like most of those who saw her only under such circumstances, I had no idea of her real attrac- tions. A few days after my arrival at the palace, as UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 21 I was crossing the large courtyard with the future Princess von Thurn und Taxis, I suddenly saw her stop short and perform the court courtesy, — a down- ward plunge, instead of the usual bend, — while the sentinel presented arms, as she hastily whispered: " L'Imperatrice ! " There was the Empress standing before us, at a large window on the ground floor, an ideal vision robed in pale blue silk ; the sun, forming a sort of halo around her, rested on her hair, which seemed all molten gold. I was absolutely startled, and my impression was that I had never seen such a beau- tiful creature, fully understanding at that moment the enthusiasm which I had supposed to be exag- gerated. Her face was beaming with smiles as she recognized my pupil, nodding to her with the most unpretending good-nature. I remarked, after we had passed on, that I had supposed her hair to be of a darker hue, on which I was told to wait, be- fore judging, till I had seen her in the shade instead of the sun. I soon had an opportunity of seeing her in the chapel, as she passed before me on her way to the imperial gallery, bare-headed, as was her custom when not in the lower part of the building, where she condescended to wear a bonnet; but in the gallery she wore nothing on her hair, which now looked a dark, rich chestnut color, instead of the golden shade, like ripe wheat, which I had seen be- fore. The habit which the Empress had adopted, 22 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES of wearing no covering on her head during the Sun- day high mass, was a sore grievance to the clergy, who in vain quoted the instructions of St. Paul addressed to women. But she listened to no re- monstrance — as, indeed, was usually the case when anything suited her fancy or her convenience. The opportunities of seeing the Empress were of almost daily occurrence, when she was at the Tuile- ries; for although we inhabited another part of the palace, she passed before our windows in her car- riage when she went out for her habitual drives, and in the lower part of the chapel we were placed very near to her seat. The unfortunate Archbishop of Paris, who was shot during the Commune, usually attended the imperial mass, and was so near to me that the gold tassels of his vestment rested upon the desk of the pew where I knelt, with my pupils and Mesdemoiselles de Bassano. The Empress, who was just before us, with the Emperor (and at a later period, the Prince Imperial), never forgot, as she rose from her knees to go down the aisle, to turn toward our group with a gracious smile and bend; the deep courtesy, in reply, was not easy to per- form in the narrow space allotted to us. The first time that I was able to see the Empress in private life was at St. Cloud, where the de Tascher family occupied a villa adjoining the palace, with an entrance to the private grounds, of which we had a key. One evening I had taken a drive with the Duchess, UNDER THE SECOND EMPIEE 23 and on our return she had gone into the garden with her eldest daughter, to enjoy the fresh air, re- questing me to order the lamps for the drawing- room. I had just laid my hand on the bell, when I heard a voice asking for the Duchess, and the door suddenly opening, I saw a lady standing in the en- trance. Supposing her to be a visitor from Paris, I immediately went toward her, begging her to come in while I called the Duchess, who was in the garden; but I saw some hesitation, and, although the room was nearly dark, a ray of moonlight resting on her face revealed the Empress Eugenie. I was startled, and hardly knew what I ought to do, paus- ing for a moment, on which she hastily took flight, closing the door. I ran to the Duchess : " Madame," I said, " the Empress is here ! " She hastily came forward, while the door opened again, but this time the Em- press was accompanied by the Due de Tascher and a numerous suite, as she came in quickly, with ex- tended hands, which the Duchess kissed. She had previously run on alone, leaving the others behind her, and in the anteroom had asked the servant on duty if the Duchess was at home, wishing to surprise her. The man, who was half asleep, sprang to his feet with evident trepidation ; on seeing which she exclaimed: "Do you know me?" "Certainly — I have the honor of knowing your Majesty." " Oh ! how tiresome ! " she cried (" Comme e'est ennuyeux ! ") ; " everybody knows me ! " She hastily opened the door before her, and saw that I too recognized her ; 24 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES on which she flew to the Duke, saying, "Tascher! Tascher! I cannot go in — there is a strange lady!" He answered, laughing, that he thought he knew who that strange lady must be, and that Her Majesty need not be alarmed, on which she consented to re- turn. As the Duchess welcomed her warmly, she said that she had felt quite shy (" intimidee ") when she saw "madame", — with a smiling bend toward me, — on which I was presented in due form to her very gracious Majesty. The whole party then went on the terrace before the house, and, after assisting in providing seats, I withdrew, fearing to intrude on their privacy. But in a few minutes my pupil came running in; the Empress had asked why I had re- tired, and had expressed a particular wish that I should join them. It was rather an ordeal to go through, when I found myself standing at the top of a flight of steps, which I had to descend in full view of the large court circle before me ; the more so as there was bright moonlight, and I knew that I must remain standing till permission was given to sit down. But the Empress saw me immediately, and with her usual grace of manner desired me to be seated, using her habitual polite circumlocution — " Will you not sit down ? " I obeyed, with the requisite low cour- tesy, and a most pleasant evening followed, the Empress chatting gaily and familiarly, as she ener- getically dug up the gravel at her feet with a tall walking-stick which she held in her hand, re- peatedly addressing me personally, with marked af- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 25 fability. "When an opportunity occurred, she called me to her side, and gave me a chair with her own hand. In short, it was impossible to show more kindness and consideration than I noticed toward every one present. She spoke French with a marked Spanish accent, and to my surprise her voice had the harsh guttural sounds so frequent among Castilians, but which seemed strangely foreign to that sweet face, so deli- cate in its loveliness. My feminine readers will perhaps wish to know "how she was dressed" on this occasion, and I can only answer, "As simply as possible." She wore a dress of a soft gray summer stuff, over a striped blue and white silk underskirt; a loose mantle of the same pale gray was thrown over all. She held a tall walking-stick in her hand, and wore a straw hat of the Tyrolese shape, with a Tyrolese plume of black and white feathers. The Duchess offered tea, which was accepted, and the whole party adjourned to the villa, where it was immediately served. The Empress was in high spirits, laughing and talking merrily, and seeming thoroughly to enjoy her escape from her usual tram- mels, when to the consternation of her hostess, and her own very evident annoyance, the door opened, and a lady, inhabiting a neighboring villa, sailed in, followed by her daughter, both in full toilet. She held a high post at court, but nothing on this occasion called for her presence, which was flagrantly 26 LIFE EST THE TUILEEIES intrusive. She explained that she had heard the voices in the garden, and begged " to be allowed a share in the good fortune of her neighbors." A chill had fallen on the whole party; the Empress, suddenly silent and cold, played with her tea-spoon, looking grave and displeased, while the intruder talked of her " beautiful dahlias," which she wished so much to show to Her Majesty — at nearly eleven o'clock at night ! It was so near ; would not Her Majesty stop on her way back to the palace, and see the dahlias? The Empress evidently wished particularly to be let alone ; but at last she rose with an air of weary resignation : " Well ! let us go and see the dahlias ! " The pleasant evening was over, and the momen- tary freedom which had made it so agreeable was cut short, merely because one court lady was de- termined to enjoy the same mark of favor that had been bestowed on another court lady. It is said that in the early years of her reign Queen Victoria exclaimed: "What is the use of being a queen, if one cannot do as one likes?" She soon was obliged to learn that, of all women, queens are those who least do as they like. The Empress Eugenie had wished to enjoy royal honors, and she, too, had to learn that an amount of re- straint for which she was ill prepared by a life of absolute liberty must be the necessary consequence of her high position. Etiquette, though much mod- ernized, and consequently made less irksome than UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 27 it was in the days of poor Marie Antoinette, yet still stood in her way on every side. She could not risk giving offense, and she must court popu- larity. The bird which had always flown freely wherever the wish of the hour guided its flight was now in a gilded cage, tied down by silken links as difficult to break as iron chains. She would have wished to walk about freely, without state or ceremony, except on official oc- casions, when she did not dislike playing the part of Empress; but she could not leave the palace without a numerous suite, in a carriage and four with outriders ; nor get rid of the necessity of in- cessantly bowing to the spectators, which she per- formed both graciously and gracefully, but with unavoidable weariness. She had twelve ladies-in- waiting, some of whom were her personal friends; others had been chosen for political reasons, and she did not particularly care for them; but she could show no preference. Two ladies at a time were in waiting, — in Paris, for a week, at the coun- try residences, for a month. Each lady, in turn, was " de grand service," as it was called, or in full wait- ing; that is, she had a right to go with the Em- press in her carriage, and take precedence on all occasions, while the other followed in the second carriage, with the chamberlain in waiting. The next day matters were reversed, and the other lady was "de grand service," whether or not the Em- press liked the change. 28 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES In all matters she was subjected to perpetual constraint, and forced to play an artificial part ex- tremely trying to one not born in the purple, and of a particularly frank, straightforward disposition. Those who knew her as Mademoiselle de Montijo, and had an opportunity of observing her extreme independence of character, openly declared that she would never submit to court trammels, and would suddenly break through them in some very ap- parent manner. She did not break through them, and she endured for many years her gilded chains ; but that she felt their weight severely is undeniable, and she certainly found out that her fairy-land did not mean a paradise. CHAPTER III Regulations of the palace — The detectives — Inconveniences of the palace — The painting-room of Mademoiselle Hortense de Tascher — Pasini, the artist — Apartments of the Empress — View on the garden of the Tuileries — What it was then — Description of the various rooms — Audiences granted by the Empress — High mass on Sundays — The Emperor's demeanor — The sermon — Etiquette — The wardrobe regions above the apartments of the Empress — " Pepa," the Empress's Spanish maid — The jailer's daughters — Anecdote of the Emperor — The privy-purse of the Empress. ALL the inmates of the palace of every rank were xjl subjected to a sort of military discipline. The gates, always guarded by sentinels, were closed at midnight ; any one returning after that hour was noted by the officer in command, and reported the next morning. Every day the picket of guards was changed, and a fresh password was given. Shortly after my arrival at the Tuileries I had gone to an evening party, with the permission of the Duchess, escorted by some friends, who brought me back after the fatal hour — of which, as yet, I did not know the rule. The next morning I was much teased, good-humoredly, by the Due de Ta- scher as to my delinquencies; I had been "re- « 29 30 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES ported to him as having returned after the gates had been closed," and he looked very solemn. I was a good deal startled, pleading the permis- sion of the Duchess, and the safety of my escort; but after having sufficiently enjoyed my alarm he laughed, and explained that it was a general rule to keep the heads of the different private house- holds informed of the doings of all those inhabit- ing their quarters in the palace ; but that I might safely commit the offense again, under the same cir- cumstances. There was, however, so much trouble and ceremony attending the opening of the gates, after any such Cinderella mishap, that I soon gave up all evening parties in case I could not be sure of returning before the fatal hour. Besides the military guards of the palace, there was a strong force of detectives always standing about the principal doors, in groups, conversing together carelessly, with an assumed indifference, while their sharp eyes watched keenly all those who came and went. Every inmate of the palace was, of course, well known to these men, who were dressed to look as much like ordinary gen- tlemen as they could, although the practised eye quickly recognized the scowling, sinister glance, and a sort of disreputable look, which made the contact of these men what the Scotch would call "uncanny." The ladies of the palace were often surprised to receive bows in the street from un- known persons, who also would often spring for- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 31 ward to help theni in any difficulty; on such occasions the rule was to receive their advances most graciously. They were not men whom it would have been prudent to offend in any way by misplaced haughtiness, and it was often really convenient to hear from some stranger the author- itative and unexpected: "Laissez passer madame," when an uninitiated ordinary policeman, or sen- tinel, was troublesome. The Due de Tascher kindly took me over the apartments, shortly after my arrival at the palace. It must be acknowledged that the Tuileries, built at different periods, and arranged for various ne- cessities, was not a convenient residence. Several of the large galleries had been cut up into apart- ments for the use of the numerous members of Louis Philippe's family; they were separated by passages having no means of external light or ven- tilation, so that lamps burned day and night, and the air was close and heavy. The different floors communicated in the interior by narrow winding staircases, also lighted at all times; so that the first impression to visitors was strangely lugubri- ous and funereal. Two floors had also been often made out of one; so that in such cases the ceilings were low, and the deep windows prevented the free transmission of light, especially darkening the rooms toward the north, looking on the rue de Rivoli. The conveniences of modern life were very imper- fect. During the greater part of the Emperor's 32 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES reign, there was not even water put in, and the daily supply of the inmates was brought up in pails to the various apartments. The sanitary ar- rangements and drainage were very bad ; in the upper regions inhabited by the servants the air was absolutely pestilential, as I was able to judge several times a week; for we had to cross them before reaching the painting-room where Mademoi- selle Hortense de Tascher took lessons, given to her regularly for many years by the well-known artist Pasini, for whom we all felt great esteem and warm friendship. Pasini, when I first knew him, was a young and still struggling artist just returned from Persia, whither he had followed the French Legation, hav- ing been engaged by the minister, Monsieur Bouree, to take sketches of the country. It was there that his studies developed his peculiar appreciation and admirable interpretation of Oriental scenery, which have now given him fame and fortune; but he was as yet little known, and we were enabled to follow his rising career, step by step, with deep in- terest, and ever-increasing esteem for his private character as well as for his artistic talent. The Empress occupied the first floor, looking to- ward the garden, so beautiful then with its groves of horse-chestnut-trees — now, alas ! partially cut down and replanted, since the ravages committed during the siege and the Commune. In those days the foliage of the splendid old trees formed an EMPRESS EUGENI1 WEARING \ SPANISH MANTILLA. ENiRAVEO BY H. O. TIETZE, FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY BRAUN CLEMENT A UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 33 impenetrable canopy overhead, and the great cen- tral avenue leading to the Champs-Elysees, with the Arc de Trioniphe in the distance, was bor- dered in May by a gigantic wall of blossoms on each side. It is impossible, at the present time, to form any idea of what the garden was then, with the splendid palace in the background, the walks bordered by orange-trees with their sweet perfume, the well-kept parterres, the terraces, the statues, and the elegantly dressed crowd listening to the military band. The Empress's apartments comprised ten rooms, communicating by a small private staircase with the Emperor's, which were on the ground floor, near those afterward devoted to the use of the Prince Imperial. In the first years of the Em- pire the furniture of the private apartments was not remarkable ; but at a later period the rooms used by the Empress were arranged with exquisite taste and elegance. The first salon, decorated in two shades of pale green with gold tracings and moldings, contained an immense mirror, which reflected the whole view of the gardens, and of the Champs-^lysees, as far as the Arc de l'Etoile. Above the doors were painted tropical birds with bright plumage. This delightful and charming room, called the Salon Vert, was used by the chamberlains and ladies-in- waiting. It opened into the Salon Rose, decorated in different shades of rose-color. The chimney- 34 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES piece was of white marble adorned with lapis la- zuli and gold; the doors were decorated with paintings of flowers; the ceiling, painted by Chap- lin, represented the Arts paying homage to the Empress, and a genius carrying the Prince Im- perial in the midst of flowers. It was there that visitors admitted to the honor of a private audience awaited Her Majesty's plea- sure. Thence they were ushered into the Salon Bleu, which was adorned with medallion portraits of the Duchesses de Cadore, de Persigny, de Moray, de Malakoff, the Princesse Anna Murat (afterwards Duchesse de Mouchy), and the Comtesse Walewska. Here, surrounded by flowers and rare gems of art, the Empress received her guests with such grace and kindness that all felt immediately at home, and formality soon disappeared. The only trying moment was that of taking leave, etiquette for- bidding visitors to retire till a gesture, or a gra- cious bend of the head, authorized them to do so, while the good-nature of the Empress, shrinking from what seemed an unkind proceeding, often prolonged the interview to an extent which was embarrassing on both sides. Beyond the Salon Bleu was the private room of the Empress, with a large writing-table for her use, opposite to which, when I saw it, hung a portrait of the Prince Imperial as an infant, wearing the broad red ribbon of the Legion of Honor on his little white frock. About the walls, in glazed cabi- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 35 nets, were autographs, manuscripts, and various his- torical relics. But the description of one period may not apply to another, as the Empress was fond of making changes in the arrangements of her apartments. A small boudoir, protected against drafts by a folding-screen with glass panels, divided this room from a library surrounded with book-cases of ebony and gold. Then came a large dressing-room, an oratory in which was an altar concealed by folding doors, opened for the celebration of the mass, but habitu- ally closed; and beyond, the large and magnificent bed-room of the Empress. During the first years of the Empire, when she performed her private devotions, she went to the chapel, which was then closed; for she particularly disliked to be observed or watched at that time. At a later period, the above-mentioned oratory was ar- ranged so as to enable her to attend mass without leaving her apartments. But on Sundays, immediately after the dejeuner or luncheon, there was high mass, which the Emperor and Empress attended with some ceremonial, accom- panied by the "service d'honneur," the gentlemen in full court uniform, the ladies in elegant morning dresses. On ordinary Sundays the royal party were in a gallery facing the altar ; but on particular occa- sions, and during the whole of Lent, they came into the lower part of the chapel, where arm-chairs cov- 36 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES ered with crimson velvet, each having its "prie- dieu " and cushions before it, were prepared for the Emperor and Empress, who were received in state by the clergy at the door, when the deep- voiced official announced in a loud tone: " L'Empereur ! " The Emperor always wore the uniform of a gen- eral, with the ribbon of the Legion of Honor; the Empress, exquisitely dressed, moved by his side with a grace and dignity which none present could forget. The Emperor's grave countenance and manner im- pressed the bystanders with a sort of awe ; but his figure was ungainly and ill-proportioned, and his swaying gait was unpleasing. In France, where men affect a sort of indifference in religious matters (when not positively hostile), it is their general habit to remain standing duriDg the services when women kneel. Napoleon III. never adopted this custom; he always knelt and remained kneeling at all the por- tions of the service where it is required. What- ever may have been his real feelings of religious fervor, his demeanor was certainly perfectly rever- ent, and he had every appearance of following the service with all due respect. The sermon, to the great annoyance of the preachers, was timed to last exactly half an hour, and began immediately after the gospel of the mass, when the gentlemen in attendance turned the chairs of the Emperor and Empress so as to place them UNDER THE SECOND EMPD3E 37 exactly in front of the pulpit. The preacher began his address with a low bow, saying : " Sire — Ma- dame," instead of the usual " Mes freres." The Em- peror sat motionless, his clasped hands before him ; but his peculiar habit of incessantly twirling his thumbs often disconcerted the preacher, who was further disquieted by the limited time granted to him, and by the presence of an official, who stepped forward and stood before the altar as a warning to conclude the discourse, which was often wound up with evident haste. The imperial chairs were then turned toward the altar, and the service continued with exquisite sing- ing and a seemingly angelic accompaniment of harps. When the little Prince was old enough to go to church he had a seat next to his father, who often stooped down to show him the places in his book. He always behaved with exemplary gravity, and looked very pretty in his black velvet suit, with red stockings and a large lace collar, like a young cavalier of the olden time. After mass was over, the Emperor and Empress passed out with the same state as when coming in ; but on leaving the chapel, the Emperor spoke to officers of different regiments, who usually stood in the adjoining salle, or hall, and the Empress retired to her apartments, where she gave audience in the " Salon Bleu " to those who had obtained that favor. Above the apartments of the Empress, in one of the half-floors previously alluded to, was the 38 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES dwelling of "Pepa," the former Spanish maid of Mademoiselle de Montijo ; she had begun life very humbly as an ordinary servant, and was now en- titled " treasurer " to the Empress, having the care of her jewels and wardrobe. "Pepa" was princi- pally assisted by two young ladies, who had been well educated at the school of the Legion of Honor of St. Denis, and were far superior to her in in- telligence and manners. They were the daughters of the jailer at Ham, the fortress where Louis Napo- leon was imprisoned for six years, after his attempt at Boulogne, under Louis Philippe. The jailer had filled his unpleasant mission with respect and con- sideration for the future Emperor, who never forgot any kindness shown to him, and who immediately remembered the two young women, when the house- hold of the Empress was appointed on her marriage. The governor of the fortress had been, of course, in an unpleasant position after the flight of the prisoner, for whom he was responsible, much to the alarm of his wife, who lamented over the " in- gratitude" of the fugitive. " How could he play us such a trick," she said "after all our kindness to him? I always sent him such excellent broth ! " When the former prisoner became Emperor of the French, he sent for the governor of Ham and his wife, who both came into his presence with some trepidation. The Emperor, with his usual graceful affability, then said that, having experi- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 39 enced the watchful care of his person shown by the governor during his imprisonment, he felt full confidence as to the manner in which he would be guarded by him in future, and consequently begged that he would accept the post of governor of the St. Cloud palace. Then turning to the governor's wife, he added, with a smile, that he hoped she would no longer consider that her good broth had been wasted. The position secured for the jailer's daughters ought to have been a good one for young women of their rank in life; but the ill-temper and jeal- ousy of " Pepa " greatly destroyed their peace, and quarrels were frequent in the wardrobe regions. "Pepa" had married an officer in an infantry regi- ment, and was henceforth entitled "Madame Pol- let"; but she was nevertheless best known in the household as " Pepa," and was as much hated un- der one denomination as under the other. She was persistently supported by the Empress, who would hear nothing against her, although the manner in which " Pepa " levied blackmail on all the trades- people employed by the Empress, and the bribes which she received on all sides from those who hoped to secure her influence, and consequently tried to propitiate her, constituted a scandalous state of affairs, which greatly displeased the Em- peror when any instances came to his knowledge. In fact, beyond her especial attributions, the Em- press did not listen to any direct interference 40 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES from " Pepa," or allow her to act ostensibly as protectress to any one; but that she had over her mistress the sort of influence which a confi- dential maid easily acquires was evident from the deference shown to her by the ladies of the pal- ace, who seemed greatly to fear any hostility on her part. The region over which her particular authority was exercised comprised several rooms, entirely sur- rounded by wardrobes in plain oak, with sliding panels, in which all the various articles of clothing were arranged in perfect order. Four lay-figures, exactly measured to fit the dresses worn by the Empress, were used to diminish the necessity of too much trying on, and also to prepare her toilet for the day. Orders were given through a speak- ing-pipe in the dressing-room, and the figure came down on a sort of lift through an opening in the ceiling, dressed in all that the Empress was about to wear. The object of this arrangement was to save time, and also to avoid the necessity of crushing the voluminous dresses of the period in the narrow back-staircases. The Empress had a privy purse of 1,200,000 francs a year ($240,000) ; of this large sum, 100,000 francs ($20,000) were devoted to her toilet; the rest was chiefly employed in gifts and charities. It was said at that time that a portion was invested; this has been denied since, although extremely probable, and certainly very justifiable. NAPOLEON 111. AND THE EMPRESS EUGENIE. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 41 Twice a year a certain number of her dresses were discarded, and divided between "Pepa" and the other two maids, the former having half. This was extremely profitable, as even the lace trim- mings were not removed — with the exception of the broad and very valuable lace, which was of course preserved and transferred from one dress to another. I remember seeing "Pepa" in full toi- let (probably one inherited from the Empress), but looking unmistakably plebeian ; a small, dark, bony woman of very Spanish type, her large hands in white gloves. She spoke horrible French, and was evidently a very ordinary person in every re- spect. She followed the Empress to England after the fall of the Empire, but died shortly afterward, leaving a comfortable fortune to her heirs. CHAPTER IV Daily life of the Court — Duties of the ladies-in-waiting — Charities of the Emperor and Empress — The Prince Imperial — Drives of the Empress — A rheumatic chamberlain — The evenings at the Court — Dinner — The "service d'honneur " — Etiquette — Habitual simplicity of the Empress in her morning-dress — Her usual evening toilet — The mechanical piano — Sudden wish of the Empress to dance the " Lancers" — Mademoiselle de Tascher summoned to teach the figures — Difficulties caused by petty court jealousies — Late hours of the Empress — Anecdote of the Emperor — His amiable disposition in private life — Impulsive nature of the Empress. " T)EPA and her assistants," of course, lived at _L the palace, but the ladies-in-waiting did not sleep at the Tuileries when the court was in Paris. They were fetched, in a carriage devoted to their use, for their hours of duty, which began at two o'clock in the afternoou. They awaited her Majesty's pleasure in the "Salon Vert," where the " service d'honneur " assembled, and where the ladies kept their books, writing-materials, and needlework. After their usual drive with the Em- press, they were taken to their homes for their evening toilet; and returned to the palace in full dress for the dinner, which was served at half-past seven. The dejeuner, or midday meal, was at half -past eleven; in Paris, the Emperor 42 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 43 and Empress partook of it alone till the Prince Imperial was old enough to join them ; but at the country residences the "service d'honneur" was admitted to both meals, with, also, the guests staying there on a visit. After the "dejeuner," the Emperor usually followed the Empress to her private room, where the little Prince was brought, and where they enjoyed family life like ordinary mortals, for a short respite. The Empress then admitted her private secretary, and examined with him the innumerable petitions received daily. Both the Emperor and Empress were generous in their charities — the Emperor even to excess; it has been stated that his various gifts and grants amounted to a daily sum of 10,000 francs ($2000). When the time came for the daily drive, the ladies and the " service d'honneur " in general were summoned to attend the Empress, who went out in an open carriage and four, with postilions and outriders in green and gold liveries; an equerry rode by the carriage-door. She was always smiling, graciously bowing, and invariably putting on a pair of apparently tight-fitting new gloves, a slight de- reliction from imperial etiquette, which was often remarked. The lady-in-waiting who was " de grand service" sat by her side in the carriage; a second carriage followed with another lady and a chamber- lain. My young charges always ran to the window when the drums beat the salute, and if the cham- berlain in the second carriage was busily engaged 44 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES in gathering wraps around him, they exclaimed, laughing: "There is papa!" for the Due de Tascher, being very rheumatic, particularly disliked the open carriages in winter weather. The young Prince Imperial, attended by his gov- erness, and afterward by his tutor, was always accompanied by a military escort, which was con- sidered necessary for his safety; but all hearts warmed to the pretty boy, who so gracefully raised his little cap and smiled so confidingly and so hap- pily. The Parisians, even those of the lowest orders, still speak with affection and regret of "le petit Prince." The dinner was served in the " Salon de Louis XIV."; but the "service d'honneur" assembled in the " Salon d'Apollon " (where the evenings were ha- bitually spent), to await the Emperor and Empress, who came in together. "When the silent bend of an official announced that all was ready, the Emperor gave his arm to the Empress, and both, passing out first, took their seats at the center of the dinner- table, side by side, the others following, according to rank and precedence. The gentlemen wore either their uniforms or the court-dress, which differed but little from the ordinary evening coat, but with a lin- ing of white moire silk. The ladies wore low-made evening dress ; but there was greater indulgence on the part of the kind imperial hosts than is usually found in courts; if really needful, in consequence of indisposition, a pelerine of white quilted satin and UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 45 sleeves of the same were tolerated as a protection for the shoulders and arms. The Empress usually wore velvet of rich, dark colors, which was particu- larly becoming to her exquisitely fair complexion. The Emperor liked to see her richly dressed, and often objected to the extreme simplicity of her morn- ing attire, which, it must be acknowledged, was often too fanciful to be appropriate to her high position. Everything she wore was well made, and perfectly neat ; her hair was beautifully dressed ; but, for instance, she liked the comfort of loose garibaldi bodices of red flannel, with a plain black silk skirt, over a red flannel underskirt ; all of which was con- cealed, when she went out, by a handsome cloak and the fur-coverings of the open carriages. I have seen her wear, within the palace, a tight jacket of knitted black wool, with a gray border, over the silk and crape dress which she wore as second mourning for her sister, the Duchess of Alva. It was a sort of wrap which one would expect to see on the shoulders of some old crone bending over her fire, rather than on the graceful figure of the beautiful Empress of the French. I might quote other instances — such as her wearing a loose jacket of a small black and white check, in coarse woolen stuff bordered with red flannel. After dinner the court adjourned to the splendid room called " Salon d'Apollon," where coffee was handed round ; the Emperor took his cup standing, accompanied by cigarettes, which it was his habit 46 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES to smoke incessantly. The ladies present remained standing till they were requested to sit down; but the Emperor's courtesy did not allow them to wait long before receiving the requisite authorization. The gentlemen, however, stood upright during the whole evening, and many found this a trial. The evenings were very heavy in general, a fact which those ad- mitted to them did not attempt to conceal. In the time of Louis Philippe, Queen Marie Amelie and the princesses, her daughters-in-law, sat round a table with needlework, which at least provided occu- pation ; but during the Empire conversation was the principal resource, and this often nagged. The Em- peror was benevolent but silent ; the Empress tried to talk incessantly, with real or feigned vivacity; sometimes, in the young days of the Empire, she proposed dancing, and one of the gentlemen present turned the handle of a mechanical piano, playing dancing tunes. I remember that one evening, shortly after my arrival at the palace, we were all seated quietly in the salon of the Duke's mother (Princesse) Comtesse de Tascher, after dinner, when suddenly the chamberlain-in-waiting appeared: the Empress wished to dance the " lancers " in vogue that winter, and nobody present knew the figures. It had been suggested that Mademoiselle de Tascher, who habitu- ally attended the dancing lessons at the British Em- bassy, was probably initiated in the mysteries of the new dance — and she must come immediately to teach everybody. The Duchess, who was going to a pri- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 47 vate ball, protested vehemently that her daughter was a mere school-girl, not yet introduced into soci- ety ; she was not dressed appropriately for such an unexpected honor ; she could not go without her mo- ther, etc. The chamberlain, with languid good breed- ing and perfect indifference, coolly answered : " All I know is that she is to come immediately, and must not stop to dress ; I suppose you may come too, if you like, but you must not keep her Majesty waiting." So the Duchess and her daughter followed the chamberlain, Mademoiselle de Tascher consid- erably vexed at having no time to change her dark- green silk dress for more becoming attire ; but there was no help for it, and she must obey. She was warmly received by the Empress (dressed in crimson velvet and diamonds), gave the required lesson in the " lancers," danced with the Emperor, who broke her fan, and apologized, while she, though a " school- girl," replied, in courtier-like phrase, that she was "too happy to have such a remembrance of His Majesty," who, unfortunately, forgot all about it the next day, and thus omitted to send her a more plea- sant remembrance. At ten o'clock, according to cus- tom, a tea-table was brought in, with a tray of cool drinks for those who preferred them. The Empress, in high spirits, made the tea herself, instead of leav- ing the matter to her ladies, and my " school-girl " greatly enjoyed the whole adventure. The Empress would have liked to spend the even- ing sometimes with the do Tascher family, whose 48 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES cheerfulness, as she said once in my presence, " would cure the jaundice " ; but the question of petty court jealousies again stood in her way; she visited them, but only at long intervals, when some apparent rea- son justified the exception. Usually, after taking tea, the Emperor retired "to transact business with his private secretary," as was stated ; what that " busi- ness" was, on too frequent occasions, had better not be too closely examined. The Empress usually re- mained till about half -past eleven, when she disap- peared, and as the last fold of her train left the doorway, all the men present, who had been standing the whole evening, uttered a sigh of relief as they threw themselves on the sofas, with undisguised satisfaction. The Due de Tascher, who suffered from rheumatic gout, found this obligation of etiquette particularly trying, and being privileged in many respects, he fre- quently slipped into the next room, where he could sit down, and even indulge in a momentary doze, with impunity. Often, on returning from some thea- ter with one of the ladies of the family, I met him coming, wearily, from the imperial quarters, and as he said " good night," he would add, with a groan : " There is no way of inducing the Empress to go to bed!" Her personal attendants could say much more on the subject, for even after retiring to her private apartments, she often lingered till the small hours of the night. One evening, as the Duke afterward told me, he UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 49 had escaped to the neighboring room, where he habit- ually took refuge, and was seated, writing a letter, when the Emperor suddenly came in. Of course, the Duke immediately sprang to his feet, but the Emper- or good-humoredly desired him not to disturb him- self, but to go on with his letter. On such occasions, the rule is to obey without any objection, the sov- ereign's will being considered paramount. The Duke, consequently, sat down and quietly continued his let- ter, though much discomfited by the presence of the Emperor, who paced the room to and fro, smoking his cigarette, and humming a tune. The Duke, how- ever, leisurely finished and folded his letter, sealing it deliberately with the large official seal in red wax, and carefully adding the stamp of the Household. The Emperor then drew near: " Have you finished, Tascher ? " " Yes, Sire." "Quite finished?" " Yes, Sire." " Then — I may take the inkstand?" The good-natured simplicity of the act was ex- tremely characteristic. There never was a more amiable man in private life than the Emperor Napo- leon III., or one more absolutely unpretending. His constant gentleness, his unvarying patient kindness, were only too much preyed upon by many of those around him ; but he was certainly deeply loved by all who were in habitual personal contact with him : more loved than was the Empress Eugenie, notwith- 50 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES standing her personal charms. She was extremely- good-natured, thoroughly natural, devoid of haughti- ness (a great merit in such a position), but impulsive and hot-tempered ; too sincere, too straightforward, to conceal her varying impressions ; withal, fanciful, and tenacious in her fancies, which often irritated those who had to yield to her wishes despite difficul- ties and inconvenience. "One of the Empress's whims ! " was often the comment of her attendants, down to the domestic servants of the palace. The Emperor, always quiet, and even apathetic, disturbed no one ; but if an appeal were made to his feelings, he could not resist. There was a sort of tender- hearted, sentimental softness in his nature, which recalled the " sensibility " of bygone days ; probably inherited from his mother, Queen Hortense. This often led him astray, and is the real explanation of many errors. He was far from being deliberately false, as has been so often asserted; but, unfortu- nately, he was more a man of feeling than a man of principle. This led to weakness and vacillation; though, like many others whose natures are too yielding, when he had finally taken a decision, he was firm, even to obstinacy. Any one more unlike the blood-thirsty tyrant depicted by Victor Hugo and other political adversaries, could scarcely be im- agined. The sight of the battle-field of Solferino had left on his mind such an impression of horror as to destroy all dreams of military glory, and it was with the greatest unwillingness that he was drawn UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 51 into the wars that followed, principally, alas ! through the pertinacious influence of the Empress Eugenie, who had not seen a battle-field, and who only knew the conventional pictures of glory and heroism, with- out their fearful cost. The Empress was extremely agreeable and good- natured, but there was no softness in her character. Even with regard to those dearest to her, — the Em- peror and her son, — she was influenced more by a chivalrous, romantic ideal, than by any natural ten- derness. Her aim was to show herself a Roman wife and mother, and this led her, on many occasions, to a sort of apparent harshness, which caused her to be misjudged. CHAPTER V The Emperor's drives — His opinion of mankind in general — The special police attached to the Emperor's person — Alessandri, the detective — The Orsini attempt on the Emperor's life — Impression at the Tuileries — The return of the Emperor and Empress — Letter from the Marquis of Waterford — My life at the Tuileries — Games of chess with the Archbishop of Boiu'ges — Costume balls — Banquet on the marriage of Prince Napoleon with the Princess Clotilde of Savoy — The ball — A waltz of the Emperor with the Princess rendered impossible — Costume of the Empress. THE Emperor usually went out in a phaeton or brake, which he drove himself, attended only by one gentleman, and two grooms in livery. When the peculiar beat of the drums announced the passage of any member of the imperial family, a crowd, always sprinkled with detectives, gathered before the gates, and as the drums beat the salute, " One, two — one, two, three — one, two — one, two, three," the Emperor passed out, slightly touching his hat, in acknowledg- ment of the cries of " Vive l'Empereur ! " His face, especially during the last years of the Empire, was always grave and careworn, but impenetrable, and as expressionless as a mask. The old Comte de Tascher de la Pagerie related that in the beginning of the Empire, when he was 52 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 53 once driving out with the Emperor, he noticed, with great surprise, his cold, calm demeanor in the midst of the absolutely delirious enthusiasm with which he was greeted by the people ; and using the freedom of his privileged position as a relation and an old friend, he expressed his astonishment that the Em- peror seemed to feel so little moved or pleased at such a reception. The Emperor, with his calm smile, gravely answered : " It is because I know man- kind, Tascher." (" C'est que je connais les hommes, Tascher.") The storm of abuse and calumny which followed his reverses proved how true was his appre- ciation of the real value of such demonstrations. When the Emperor thus left the palace without any apparent state, an unpretending coupe or brougham was always seen to follow at a short distance; this contained the chief of the police at- tached to the Emperor's person, whose myrmidons were scattered along the way. There was one espe- cially, a Corsican named Alessandri, who was de- voted to the Emperor with a sort of canine fidelity, and was alwavs near him when he went out; so v 7 that to the initiated the presence of Alessandri was symptomatic of the approach of the sovereign. He always paced the pavement before the Tuileries till the Emperor's phaeton came out, and daily we met liitn as we left the palace for our usual walk. I remember one very cold day going out with the Princess von Thurn und Taxis (who had been my eldest pupil) ; we were both wrapped in long cloaks 54 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES falling to the ground and wore double veils, so that I said to the Princess: "We shall not be recog- nized to-day ! " Scarcely had I spoken, when, as we stepped under the arcades of the Rue de Ri- voli, we met Alessandri. One glance, and his hat was off, with a low bow. The acuteness of those men was wonderful. It was Alessandri who arrested the would-be as- sassin, Pianori, and who disabled him by the ready use of his Corsican stiletto. It was Alessandri who, on the terrible night of the Orsini explosions, for- cibly drew the Emperor and Empress from the shattered carriage in the midst of the darkness and confusion, the cries of the wounded, and the strug- gles of the fallen horses of the escort, crying: " Sire, Madame, descendez ! " There was no time for ceremony ; the strong hand of the faithful Corsican disengaged them from the wreck, and dragged them into the opera-house, where at least they were safe. Many persons thoughtlessly criticized as unfeeling the presence of the imperial party at the opera after such a terrible catastrophe. But it should be re- membered that the explosion had torn up the pave- ment, and extinguished the gas, and that there were many victims to be cared for, and many precautions to be taken before the Emperor and Empress could safely return to the imperial home, where on that eventful night all was anxiety and terror. The Comte de Tascher was suffering from a bad UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 55 attack of gout, and after dinner we were all assem- bled in his room, when we heard the drums beating the imperial salute, and, going to the window, we saw the carriages with their large lamps at the four corners, and an escort of lancers. The Emperor and Empress were going to the opera, with the Duke of Saxe-Cobnrg, brother to Prince Albert, the consort of Queen Victoria. I remember feeling at the time one of those inexplicable misgivings which all have experienced ; I disliked this an- nounced gala evening at the opera, remembering his- torical examples of tragic events. But the impres- sion was evanescent, and when we were dismissed, because the invalid wished to rest, Robert de Tascher came with his sisters to our rooms, and there we were spending a merry evening, when the Comtesse Stephanie suddenly entered, pale as death. " Something dreadful has happened — there has been an attempt on the Emperor's life — they are bringing back killed and wounded soldiers." "With one bound, Robert de Tascher was gone ; he soon came back to say that the Emperor and Em- press were uninjured, but there were many victims. Shells had been thrown, and the explosion had been terrific. I immediately thought of the Due de Tascher, who was not in waiting, and who had gone with the Duchesse to another theater. I suggested that he ought to be told immediately; Robert de Tascher thanked me for reminding him, and was off in a 56 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES moment. The Duke, horrified at the news, went immediately to the opera, where he found the Em- peror and Empress in the retiring-rooni behiud the imperial box. The white satin dress of the Empress was stained with blood, but she seemed perfectly calm, as she extended her hand to him, sayiug gravely: " Well, Charles, you see what life is worth." The Emperor was far less calm than his wife; he seemed much excited and deeply moved. That night, oue hundred and fifty-six victims had suffered for his sake, in the attempt to take his life, and the magnitude of the catastrophe filled him with horror. Meanwhile, at the Tuileries, all were awaiting the return of the imperial party with the greatest anxiety. What a triumphant return it was ! Every house on the way was illuminated up to the very sky- lights. In the street, a dense crowd was swelling and surging about the carriage, and as it slowly advanced at a foot-pace, the prolonged roar of the multitude was heard like the sound of ocean waves coming from afar, and getting louder and louder as the carriage drew near — "Vive l'Empereur!" All the attendants and ladies were grouped at the door to receive those who had borne the trial so bravely ; but as the Empress crossed the threshold, for the first time her undaunted spirit failed her, and throwing herself into the arms of the Duchesse de Bassano, she burst into tears. Some time after this terrible event, the chief UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 57 secretary of the Empress (now deceased) came to my rooms one morning with a letter, which he asked me to interpret for him; it was in English, and although he thought he had gathered the sense, as the matter seemed important, he wished to be cer- tain that he was not mistaken. It was addressed to the Empress; but according to the general rule in courts, all ordinary letters were opened and exam- ined before being presented to her. I saw immediately that the signature which had puzzled the secretary was that of the well-known Irish peer, the Marquis of Waterford. He wrote to warn the Empress that, to his certain knowledge, five hundred conspirators had sworn to risk their lives in turn, if necessary, to take that of the Em- peror, unless he immediately gave some assurance of his intention of liberating Italy. Lord Waterford pleaded the cause of the Italians, and entreated the Empress to use her influence over the Emperor to induce him to take it in hand. The communication was a serious one, and the secretary seemed much struck by it. Of course I told no one of what I had read, not even the family with whom I resided, and I never heard what im- pression had been produced on the Empress or the Emperor. But the Italian war began to loom in the future before long, and there were no more attempts on the Emperor's life. All the preceding conspiracies had been organized by Italians. Not one Frenchman ever tried to injure the Emperor, who was the peo- 58 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES pie's Mend, and who, till the fatal war with Ger- many, when the nation was maddened by its fearful reverses, was universally popular among the work- ing classes. Even now, when complaints are made of hard times and penury, they always end with: " It was not so in the Emperor's time ! Everything was prosperous then ! " His real adversaries belonged to a higher class of society. As time went by, the duties of my situation at the palace, though still arduous, became gradually lighter, while the kindness shown to me from the beginning of my residence there ripened into inti- macy and confidential friendship. My eldest pupil, being fully introduced into society, took up less and less of my time, as she shared more completely her mother's occupations and social duties, while the routine of my daily life was as agreeably diversified as possible. On innumerable occasions I shared the privileges of the household, including private views of various sights or exhibitions, reserved seats at the Emperor's reviews, the Emperor's boxes at the various operas or theaters, where I accompanied the ladies of the family once or twice every week, with all the ad- vantages of the imperial carriage, and comfortable seats in boxes like small boudoirs. Occasionally, when some other engagement had prior claims, the entrance-ticket was handed over to me, and the pri- vate family carriage placed at my disposal, so that I could take friends with me and go independently. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 59 The apartments of the palace were connected by long passages with doors of communication, so that it was possible to go all round the Tuileries and the Louvre without leaving the buildings, which led to much pleasant intercourse with our next neighbors on each side, the Archbishop of Bourges and the family of the Due and Duchesse de Bassano, whose daughters were the intimate friends and constant companions of my youngest pupil, and of about the same age. The Archbishop held an ecclesiastical post of honor in the household, which called for his presence during a portion of the winter season. He was an intimate friend of the de Tascher family, and an almost daily visitor — a kind, genial old man, whom we all loved, of most venerable appearance, with his perfectly white hair and his gold episcopal cross resting on his purple cassock. He was pas- sionately fond of the game of chess, and delighted in playing with me, or with one of my pupils to whom I had taught the game; but he was so un- happy when checkmated, that, according to the laughing suggestion of the old Count, I habitually allowed him to get the best of the game, only keep- ing up the battle sufficiently to give interest to the victory; but nothing could induce my pupil to do likewise. So the good Archbishop used to say, in perfect good faith, but rather ruefully : " I am really improving as a player; I can now beat 'Albion'; but I do not know how it is, I cannot manage little Hortense ! " 60 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES The Count would then direct a mischievous glance toward me, and rub his hands with great glee. Every winter fancy-costume balls, particularly liked by the Emperor and Empress, were given by the Duchesse de Tascher and Duchesse de Bassano, or by the ministers at their various official resi- dences. I always went to these balls, usually accom- panying the (Princess) Comtesse de Tascher, and wearing myself the convenient disguise of a dom- ino. At the court official balls of the same kind, I was admitted (by an especial and very exceptional permission of the Empress) to the gallery surround- ing the splendid " Salle des Marechaux," where the imperial family were seated in state. I was gener- ally alone there, or with my youngest pupil, and greatly enjoyed the magnificent sight. From this gallery I saw the banquet, on the mar- riage of the Princess Clotilde, daughter of the King of Italy, with Prince Napoleon, and the fancy-costume ball which soon followed, where the young princess was dressed in a costume taken from a historical portrait in the Louvre gallery which was more ar- tistic than suitable for her girlish figure and youth- ful appearance, with such a farthingale that her ladies were obliged to spread the crimson velvet robe over three chairs. The Emperor tried to dance with her, but it was noticed by the superstitious, as an unfavorable omen with regard to the Italian alliance, that he was repeatedly obliged to stop be- cause the velvet folds wound around him in such UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 61 a manner as to paralyze his movements, until at last lie was obliged to give up the attempt in despair, and to take her back to her seat with a bow and a smile. The Empress looked particularly beautiful that evening; she wore a Marie Antoinette head-dress of powdered hair, with a small round cap of scarlet satin adorned with emeralds and diamonds, sur- mounted by a heron's plume. Her costume was of a magnificent Lyons silk stuff of black and gold, opening at the sides over a scarlet satin under- skirt; the bodice, cut square, was bordered with large emeralds and diamonds. The Princess Clotilde was too much like her father to possess beauty, and was no rival for the Empress Eugenie ; but her royal bearing and grace- ful figure were greatly admired. Unfortunately, the latter did not long retain the elegance of its lines. CHAPTER VI The Palais Royal — The imperial family — Unpleasant relations — Prince Jerome — Prince Napoleon — Princess Mathilde — Pierre Bonaparte — His sister Letitia — Prince Napoleon's speech in the Senate — Scene with the Emperor — Ball at the Hotel d'Albe — The Empress and the page — Special invitation sent to me by the Empress — Princess Mathilde and Princess Clo- tilde — Contrast — The dresses of both — Intended costume of the Empress — Objections — The Empress and the paste-board horse — The Due de Moray — His character — His marriage — Madame de Moray — "The White Mouse" — Scene with the Due de Dino — Comte Walewski — His character and appearance — Comtesse Walewska. THE Palais-Royal, where resided the younger branch of the reigning family, had at all times been a focus of opposition, and although the princes who resided there during the Empire owed every- thing to Napoleon III., the old traditions were, in this respect, thoroughly revived. The poor Emperor, always kind, always gentle, always generous, was overpowered by the unpleasant relations coming to him from his great predecessor ; so that he might well answer, as he did on one occasion, when reproached by the aged Prince Je- rome, 1 with having "nothing" of his brother, the Emperor : 1 The youngest brother of Napoleon I., father of the prince known by that name, and of the Princess Mathilde. 62 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 63 " I have his family ! " Not one of that uncomfortable family but caused him trouble in some way, while all clung to him with the cry of the leech : " Give ! give ! " And he gave — never refusing, even when he knew that he was favoring his enemies. Prince Jerome himself, and his son, Prince Napoleon, were never satisfied; then came Pierre Bonaparte, 1 whose low tastes and low habits were a constant source of annoyance; he was always in difficulties of some kind, requir- ing the Emperor's help. He married a woman of very inferior position and was never received at the court. His adventure with Victor Noir is well known ; but here he seems to have really acted in self-defense. Unfortunately it was not the only in- stance of the kind. Then came Letitia Bonaparte, 2 always in debt and always applying to the Emperor to pay her liabilities, with threats of coming out as an actress if he refused to do so. Her daughter married first a Hebrew banker named Solms; henceforward she entitled herself the " Princesse de Solms." Then she married the Italian demagogue Ratazzi, always en- gaged in conspiracies against the Emperor; finally, a Monsieur de Rute. Prince Jerome, though far from cordial, or even grateful, was, however, too insignificant to be dan- gerous. I remember him only as a courteous old *A son of Napoleon's brother Lucien. 2 A daughter of Lucien. 64 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES man, very like his illustrious brother, with old-fash- ioned manners; holding ladies at arm's length by the tips of their fingers, and always most careful to address the Comtesse de Tascher as "Your Serene Highness." He had been king of Westphalia under the First Empire, and some people still spoke to him as " Sire " and " Your Majesty," but he was usually addressed as "Monseigneur" and "Your Imperial Highness." His son, Prince Napoleon, was a more formidable opponent, although heartily disliked and despised by all classes and all political opinions outside a small circle of private friends. He possessed, how- ever, brilliant talents, which, had he chosen to develop them, might have recalled something of the Napole- onic genius; whereas, in fact, he only caricatured the worst points of the Corsican adventurer, without showing any of the grand redeeming gifts of the great emperor. The physical likeness was wonderful, but the ex- pression was totally different. In the good portraits of Napoleon I., the clear eyes have a singularly pier- cing glance, at once conveying the idea of a com- manding genius. With the same cast of features, there was something peculiarly low and thoroughly bad in the face of Prince Napoleon, which recalled in a striking manner the stamp of the worst Roman Caesars. His will was despotic, his temper violent and brutal ; his tastes were cynically gross, his language PRINCE NAPOLEON AND PRINCESS CLOTILDE. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY DISOEHI & CO. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 65 coarse beyond what could be imagined. While affect- ing tendencies of the most revolutionary and radical type, he was essentially a tyrant, and could brook no opposition to his will, always brutally expressed. He was jealous of the Emperor's preeminent position, as of sornethiug stolen from himself; but, though in a state of chronic rebellion, he never hesitated to accept all the worldly advantages which the title of " cousin " could obtain for him. The Emperor felt a sort of indulgent affection for Prince Napoleon, and had the latter chosen to make use of his undeniable talents, in accordance with the duties of the position which he had ac- cepted, he might, duriDg the Empire, have played an important political part, and have gathered the Emperor's inheritance at the death of the Prince Imperial. But never were natural gifts so misapplied or so wasted. He could bear no restraint, no interruption in his life of sensual pleasures, and he never perse- vered in anything that he undertook, when any per- sonal sacrifice was required to carry it out. Every- thing that he attempted bore the stamp of sudden impulse never followed up. He seemed to delight in outraging public opinion, and so constantly played the proverbial part of the " bull in the china shop" that the Emperor was kept in a state of constant anxiety as to what " Napoleon " would choose to do next. His refusal to drink the health of the Empress, 66 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES in her presence, on her birthday, 1 is one of the many instances of his utter disregard of the manners and habits of a gentleman, while his real feeling toward the Emperor was betrayed on more than one occasion. After the Pianori attempt on the Emperor's life, when Prince Napoleon came to present his official congratulations, his face was so eloquent of what lay below that the Empress, turning to one of her ladies, whispered in English : " Look at the Prince Napoleon ! " After his famous revolutionary speech in the Sen- ate, which brought down upon him the withering response of the Due d'Aumale ( " Letter on the His- tory of France"), the Emperor sent for him, roused to such a pitch of indignation that his voice, usually so peculiarly soft and low, was heard raised in anger even in the distant waiting-room of the attendants ; for he well knew what the effect would be on the Conservative Imperialists. There was a violent scene, and when Prince Napo- leon returned to the Palais Royal, he vented his fury on a magnificent vase of Sevres porcelain, which he dashed to pieces. And yet I remember that the Due de Tascher, who had said to me that he "would rather serve the King of Dahomey than such a man," still acknowledged, with unwilling admiration : "But 1 The Emperor had desired him to propose the health of the Em- press; he persistently begged to "be excused, notwithstanding the indignant expostulations of the Emperor. — See M6rimeVs "Letters to Panizzi." UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 67 what an orator ! He looked as handsome as Lucifer himself." The opinion of his own personal friends, as to what his future rule was likely to be, may be gath- ered from the answer of one belonging to his most intimate circle, to whom (after the fall of the Em- pire) Prince Napoleon said, " If ever I am emperor, you shall have an important post." " Monseigneur," was the comment, in the laugh- ing tone needful for the acceptance of a bold remark, "if ever you should be at the head of public affairs, I would take to my heels the very next day, for you would not be easy to deal with." He was not offended at the blunt frankness of the speaker, for he was acute enough to despise sycophants, and to appreciate independence even in those who made him understand that they would not endure his unmannerly ways. On such occa- sions, he has been known to say, by way of apology : "Oh, my dear , excuse me, I am ill-bred" ("Je suis mal-eleve"). With his democratic opinions and plebeian tastes, he was, in strange contrast, extremely proud — the pride of birth, inherited from his German mother, the Princess Catherine of Wurtemberg. He had royal blood in his veins, and was as determined to carry out ebenbiirtig (equal birth) requirements as any prince of the German Confederacy. He looked down loftily on the Emperor as the 68 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES son of a private gentlewoman, 1 and the husband of another, chosen voluntarily. "I am of too great lineage for that " was a saying of his ; and his am- bition was finally gratified by obtaining the hand of a king's daughter, the descendant of an ancient royal line. Prince Napoleon's sister, the Princess Mathilde, was not likely to be a congenial friend to the young and innocent bride. With the same striking Bona- parte cast of features as her brother, she was, like him, " ill-bred " ; in fact, the Corsican semi-barbarian, such as the great Emperor himself, has been revealed to us by contemporary memoirs. She had possessed great beauty, and in her youth was betrothed to Prince Louis Napoleon, afterward Napoleon III. She hated the Empress Eugenie, of whom she spoke in offensive terms. As years went by, though still retaining the classical lines of her character- istic features, she had become as coarse in her per- sonal appearance as in her language and man- ners. She was clever and artistically gifted, and was principally surrounded by men belonging to literary and artistic sets. She was very good- natured to all around her, and a kind, sympathiz- ing friend in need. I had an opportunity of particularly remarking the strange contrast between the two sisters-in-law, at a ball which was an event in the fashionable 1 Hortense de Beauhamais, daughter of Josephine by her first husband, aud married to Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 69 world, about a year after the marriage of Prince Napoleon. The Empress had built a very beautiful residence for the use of her sister, the Duchess of Alva, on her visits to Paris. This villa, or hotel, as it is called in French, with its garden, had been deco- rated and adorned with unsparing expense, under the superintendence of the Due de Tascher, whose artistic taste gave a character to the whole far superior to the mere upholstery prettiness which the Empress favored in her usual arrangements. When all was ready, the Empress, by way of in- auguration, chose to give a fancy ball outside of the court, "as a private individual," where only those whom she was pleased to have would be in- vited. She made out the lists herself, but notwith- standing all her restrictions the unavoidable number admitted was so considerable that it became neces- sary to build out into the garden a temporary room for the supper-tables. This beautiful banqueting hall was arranged by the Due de Tascher in imi- tation of the great picture by Paul Veronese, " The Marriage of Cana" (in the Louvre Gallery), with most effective results. A curtain concealed the en- trance till it was drawn at a given signal, when the orchestra played the march from Meyerbeer's " Pro- phete," while the guests descended the steps of a magnificent staircase on which medieval pages, dressed in the Guzman-Montijo colors, stood, hold- ing gilt candelabra, and motionless as statues. 70 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES An amusing incident occurred while the pages were rehearsing the part they had to play in these festivities. They were chosen among the diminutive grooms of the Emperor's stables, and when the cos- tume was ready, a pretty boy, who seemed about twelve years of age, was brought to the Empress for her examination and approval. The dress pleased her, and she turned the boy round to inspect him fully, setting his velvet cap jauntily on his curls, which she arranged to her satisfaction, adjusting his ruff, etc. Then kindly patting his cheek, she inquired : " How old are you, my little friend ? " " Twenty, Madame ! " The scream of dismay which followed, and the amusement of the bystanders, may be imagined. With her usual kindness, and happily, in this instance, with less compromising results, the Em- press sent me by the Due de Tascher, but from her own hand, a card of invitation to this ball, with a message that it would be worth seeing, and that she particularly wished me to be present. The (Prin- cesse) Comtesse de Tascher immediately said that I should go with her, and that she would be glad to have my arm, while, of course, I was equally glad to have her protection and chaperonage. Accordingly, when the great day came, we went together, early, in the imperial carriage, for which every one made way, and, wearing masks and dom- inoes, we took our seats near the entrance, where UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 71 the Due and Duchesse de Tascher, representing the Empress, received the guests, so as to watch all the arrivals. After some time, we heard peals of laughter coming from the opposite end of the gal- lery where we were seated, and turning to look, we saw a woman of bold appearance and manners, sur- rounded by men. " That woman must have had a card given her by some one," remarked the Comtesse de Tascher; adding, "I hope she will be turned out — her style is dreadful." Presently the noisy group came toward us, and the Countess started. " Oh, my dear ! Look ! " she exclaimed, " It is the Princess Mathilde ! " She came close to us; and there she was, un- doubtedly — but not immediately recognizable, be- cause her skin was dyed brown. She wore the cos- tume of an Egyptian " fellah " woman — very artistic, certainly, but more suitable for an artist's model than for a civilized member of society. As she stood — with her circle of men around her, talking and laughing noisily — while the dominoes, ever privileged for impertinence, pursued her un- fortunate lady-in-waiting, pertinaciously inquiring: "Did you paint your princess?" — the Comtesse de Tascher touched my arm. I turned, and there, op- posite to her sister-in-law, near an open doorway, stood the Princess Clotilde, with an expression of dismayed amazement on her grave young face. She 72 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES was very simply dressed in pink and white silk as a conventional shepherdess; the only remarkable de- tail of her costume being a wreath of pink roses, separated by large diamonds, worn as a necklace close round her throat. No contrast could be more striking than was then presented between the gipsy woman and the fair young creature, all innocence and purity in her simple girlish attire, yet so un- mistakably royal in her bearing. She stood motion- less and silent as if petrified, without seeking recog- nition from the strange group before her, and, after a pause, turned and walked away gravely. But the Princess Clotilde never again went to a fancy ball, and quietly expressed her determination, which was irrevocable. " No ; I will go to ordinary balls, but not to costume balls." " But why, Madame ? " "I will not go." This was all, and she vouchsafed no explanation. But what I had seen gave me the key to a resolution which caused general surprise. The Empress had intended to appear as a conven- tional Louis Quinze Diana, with powdered hair and a profusion of diamonds, but there had been much discussion as to whether or not she ought to wear this dress. There was no impropriety in the ar- rangement of the costume itself, which I saw, on an- other occasion, worn by the young and very pretty Princess Anna Murat, 1 to whom the Empress had 1 A descendant of the Marshal, who was for some time king of Naples, and of his wife, Caroline Bonaparte, one of the first Em- peror's sisters. 1 5 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 73 given it, after being reluctantly persuaded that it was unsuitable to the dignity of her position. It ■was not easy to make the Empress understand that she could not do what other people did, and that many things must be abstained from — though un- objectionable in others. On this occasion the dress was prepared and laid out in the room reserved for her use, and while still undecided as to whether or not she would appear as Diana, she examined what was in readiness for a fancy quadrille, in which some of the dancers were to figure with the paste- board horses seen in a circus, where the apparent rider moves inside the trappings. This took her fancy, and she immediately made the trial of one her- self ; but once inside she could not get out again, and none of her ladies knew how to extricate her. Finally, Comte Robert de Tascher was called to the rescue, and succeeded in removing the inconvenient appendage, while the Empress was much amused by the adventure. He came to tell us of it in the ball- room, adding the information that she had decided not to wear the Diana dress, and that she would be present concealed in a domino. Among the most remarkable of the distinguished guests at this ball was the Due de Moray, who was known to be a son of the Emperor's mother, Queen Hortense, a very questionable honor, which, however, he put forward on every possible occasion, in a manner showing a complete absence of all in- 74 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES nate delicacy of feeling. In appearance his gentle- manlike demeanor and perfect courtly grace were unsurpassed; but, nevertheless, the flower of the hydrangea, called by the French Hortensia, sur- mounted by a royal crown, figured significantly on the panels of his carriage, and in general nothing that could recall his birth was left aside. After his special embassy to Russia, on the occa- sion of the coronation of Alexander II., he married a young Princess Troubetskoi, to whom an origin of the same kind as his own (attributed to the Emperor Nicholas) was ascribed by public rumor. On which Morny said cynically: "I am the son of a queen — the brother of an emperor — the son-in-law of an emperor — et c'est tout natureV 1 Even at the court of Napoleon III., where there was not much austerity of principle, the effrontery of this speech caused disgust. Morny was very like the Emperor, but much better-looking ; of taller and finer figure, with more elegance and charm of manner. He was guided only by self-interest, and was esteemed by none ; but his natural cleverness, his determined spirit, and the wonderful power of attracting the most unwilling, made him a valuable auxiliary to the Emperor, to whom his loss was an irreparable misfortune. His wife was one of those strange beings, of whom there were several instances in the society of that day, whose tempers, whims, and caprices would have required energetic repression in the case of children UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 75 of six years old, but were absolutely astonishing to meet with among women supposed to have reached years of discretion. Madame de Moray was very pretty; but her fragile little figure was as thin as a skeleton, with small hands like a bird's claws. Her features were very delicate, and her pale com- plexion of dazzling fairness ; but her tiny nose was as sharp as a needle, and her dark eyes had a fierce, waspish expression, the very reverse of at- tractive. The sharp black eyes were in startling contrast to her flaxen hair, which was so light as to be almost silvery, so that she was called " La Souris Blanche " (the White Mouse). At the ball I have been describing, she figured in a fancy dance of sixteen ladies, representing the four Elements, and, of course, was one of those personifying " Air," dressed with floating streamers of gauzy blue and white. When the dance was over, it was followed by another, representing the char- acters of the fairy tales of our childhood ; and Madame de Moray sat down by the Comtesse de Tascher and myself to see the dance. But the Due de Dino, who had chosen the extraordinary disguise of the " stump of a tree," swathed in bands of brown linen, like a mummy, with all the supposed young shoots standing out like a bush round his head, brought his unwelcome figure just before us. Being a small man, he was exactly on our level, the bush forming a complete screen. We were all annoyed, though naturally silent ; but Madame de Moray, ad- 76 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES dressing him in a haughty, imperious tone, cried: " Otez-vous de la ! " (" Go away from here ! "). He turned, looked at her from head to foot with in- effable disdain, and did not move. She uttered a fierce growl, and, like a small tigress, flew at him, seizing him by the branches round his head, and trying to pull him forcibly aside. He took no notice, and failing in her attempt, she was forced to sit down, in a state of fury. Such an exhibition of temper in a court ball-room may give some idea of the home delights which she provided for her husband. I remember a large offi- cial dinner-party, where the de Tascher family were among the guests, and where the Due de Morny was obliged to do the honors alone, because in a fit of temper and caprice his wife refused to appear. He was, however, quite equal to the occasion, and to others of the same kind, playing his part of host with his usual charming grace and apparently un- ruffled equanimity. A great contrast to Morny was found in Comte Walewski, another of the celebrated men who figured at the court and councils of Napoleon III. Here, too, was a "bend sinister," sufficiently revealed by his striking likeness to Napoleon I., but a more agreeable version of the well-known face than that of Prince Napoleon. General Comte de Tascher had, among many others, a small portrait of the great Emperor which, he told me, was the best like- ness he had seen. This portrait seemed reproduced UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 77 in Comte Walewski ; the features, the peculiar pal- lor, the shade of the gray-blue eyes and their expression, were strikingly similar. But, unlike Moray, he had the good taste to keep the explana- tion in the background. At a court reception he happened to hear a lady say to another: "How wonderfully like his father /" He turned, and with that stiff, rather haughty demeanor which made him in some degree unpopular, he gravely re- marked: "I was not aware, madame, that Comte Walewski had the honor of being personally known to you ! " He was not considered agreeable, showing too much of the " statesman " even in private life ; but he was a gentleman, and more esteemed than Moray, although not so much liked. His wife, however, greatly assisted him in retaining some popularity by her particularly graceful and amiable manners. Every one was attracted by the Comtesse Walewska, who never lost an opportunity of doing a kind act, or of obliging others in those small things of daily life which are so pleasing and so valuable. She was also quiet and ladylike. Her beauty was much extolled, but this seemed more due to a gen- eral impression of a very charming and most agree- able woman, than to real beauty taken in a literal sense. CHAPTER VII Princess Clotilde — Her religious fervor — Her daily life — Her court — Evenings at the Palais-Royal — Ennui of the Empress Eugenie — The camp at Chalons — Enmity of the aristocratic Faubourg St. Germain — Persistent criticisms; irritation of the Empress — The Comte de Chambord and the Comtesse de Tascher — The great official balls at the Tuileries — The " Cent- gardes " — The soldier with sugar- plums in his boot — The Em- press and the sentinel — A wager — Etiquette of the balls — The balcony of the "Salle des Marechaux" — Clever answer of Mademoiselle de Montijo — Costume balls — The police — The fancy quadrilles — Taglioni. THE Princess Clotilde, whom every one watched with pitying interest, had now settled down into her regular life; and it soon became evident to all that it would have been impossible to choose anywhere a wife more utterly uncongenial to Prince Napoleon. She was, and is still, a princess of medi- eval times, a Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, neither very highly educated nor very clever, caring only for her religious practices and her works of charity. She soon ceased to pay much attention to her toi- let, reaching even the point of carelessness, which greatly annoyed her husband. It must be acknow- ledged that the devotion of the Princess Clotilde went perhaps beyond what was quite judicious ; but 78 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 79 no one had any influence over her, and what she considered her duty was performed with a sort of gentle, placid stubbornness which allowed of no ex- postulation. At first she showed particular graciousness to my elder pupil, the future Princess Thurn und Taxis, who was about her own age, and whose manners evidently pleased her. Had this first sympathetic in- tercourse been encouraged they might have reached friendly intimacy, but the de Tascher de la Pageries, being on the Beauharnais side of the imperial family, were never on very cordial terms with the Bona- partes, and the Princes Napoleon and Jerome were particularly disliked by the Due de Tascher ; conse- quently the intercourse with the Palais Royal was limited to strict courtly etiquette and politeness. The ladies who had been first appointed to attend the Princess Clotilde were treated with such rude- ness by Prince Napoleon, that one after another sent in her resignation ; so that, finally, the Princess had only around her ladies chosen out of the circle composed of his friends and their wives, whose ways and opinions were in opposition to all her own. The style and language of her sister-in-law, the Princess Mathilde, could only shock her feelings, and she was not attracted by the gay doings of the imperial court, where she only appeared on necessary occasions, being herself accustomed to traditional etiquette, and combining the pride of rank, which she considered proper dignity, with her 80 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES very real Christian humility. " She is a true prin- cess!" was commonly said of her. At the present time she attends the poor like a hospital sister, wear- ing hospital aprons, and shrinking from no act of charity, however repulsive ; but although, when she rises, she dresses without assistance, her attendants are required to be within reach and in readiness to give their services, because it is proper that such should be the case; no usage of etiquette is over- looked, because it is right that she should be treated as a royal princess. During the Empire, even in her early youth, no one dared to show the least familiarity in her pres- ence; but the stiff decorum of her circle did not make home life particularly agreeable. During the day, her ladies accompanied her to the churches, where they unwillingly awaited her pleasure for hours; in the evening they were seated round a table with their work, while the Princess herself diligently plied her needle, speaking very little and not encouraging anyone else to do so. Some ladies, accustomed more to the brusque ways of the master of the house than to the tact required in the presence of a king's daughter, tried to speak of public affairs, wondering, for instance, how mat- ters would end between Victor Emmanuel and Pope Pius IX., which must evidently have been most displeasing to the Princess Clotilde. Scarcely look- ing up, she replied very gently, but so as to effectu- ally silence the indiscreet talkers : " The intentions n : - o 2 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 81 are good — matters are in God's hands, and what is his will must happen." But never to any one did she express her private opinions, or utter anything more definite than such truisms. She lived alone, and had no confidential friends. That such a home should have been unutterably wearisome to Prince Napoleon is not surprising; though it is doubtful whether any wife, however gifted, could have re- tained any hold upon his affections. The Empress Eugenie had hoped to find a con- genial friend in the young and interesting bride, but she soon discovered that intimacy would be impossible. The Princess was cold, dignified, and not devoid of a perceptible shade of haughtiness; withal, intensely devout; while the Empress, not- withstanding all that has been said of her "clerical" tendencies, was at that time only very moderately religious, a victim to " ennui," and ready for any- thing that could diversify the monotony of her life. One of the chamberlains told me that, as he pre- ceded the Emperor and Empress on one occasion, he heard the Emperor remonstrating on her love of pleasure, and the fatigue which it often caused her. She answered that she could not help it, — that she was dying of "ennui," — winding up by an earnest entreaty to be taken with him to the camp at Chalons. The Emperor strongly objected — a camp of soldiery would be no place for her — she would be very uncomfortable — besides, what possible attraction could she find there? 82 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES As usual, the Empress had her own way; she went to the camp, and slept in a tent, with an um- brella over her bed, because the rain came through ; she walked about among the troops, with mud up to her ankles, protected by gaiters — and was de- lighted. Anything for a change. But such a proceeding had no precedent in for- mer reigns, and was much criticized. The lofty enmity of the Faubourg St. Germain, who looked down contemptuously upon everything said or done by "Mademoiselle de Montijo," — for they did not even vouchsafe to call her " Madame Bonaparte," — especially stung her to the quick, and after shrink- ing at first from their criticism, she became irritated, even to recklessness. "Those people all seem to despise me, and to look down upon me as an in- ferior," she said bitterly, "and yet, surely, the blue blood of Spain is worth something ! " "High life below stairs?" was the remark made to me, in English, by a leader of fashion in the dreaded Faubourg, where I had retained friends and family connections, many of whom would not, at first, visit me in my new abode at the Tuileries. " Why do you keep bad company ? " was their answer when I remonstrated. I remember the stately dignity with which the (Princesse) Comtesse de Tascher said, when an invi- tation was refused by a Legitimist on the plea that his political opinions did not allow him to accept it : " He is more particular than his master, for when UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 83 the Conite de Chambord came to Munich, he im- mediately paid me a visit, coming himself to my house ! " In the winter there were always four State balls, attended by a motley crowd, since, for the sake of popularity, invitations were as much extended as possible, and generally reached the number of from four to five thousand. Still, these crowded balls, though much disliked by the court and accepted as a necessary evil, were a splendid sight not easily to be forgotten. The entrance was under the "Pavilion de l'Hor- loge," in the center of the building, where a large staircase adorned with a profusion of plants and flowers led to the " Galerie de la Paix," where the guests remained till the Emperor and Empress had taken their seats in the " Salle des Marechaux." On each step of the staircase stood two of the "Centgardes" (the Emperor's body-guard) in their brilliant uniform of pale blue turned up with crim- son, their bright steel cuirass and helmet. They were all picked men, sub-officers chosen out of va- rious regiments, of magnificent appearance, who, when on duty, stood motionless as statues. This absolute immobility is said to be so fatiguing that it cannot be sustained beyond a limited time; but it was so complete that to come suddenly on one of these guards in the palace was positively start- ling; it was scarcely possible to believe that they were alive. 84 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES One day the little Prince, in childish play, emptied a whole bag of sugar-plums into the boot of the sen- tinel before his door, hoping to provoke some sign of life, but without the slightest effect on the mili- tary statue before him. In the evening the incident was mentioned by the Empress in the presence of Colonel Verly, who com- manded the regiment. He then declared the drill to be so perfect that " nothing" would make one of his men move when on duty. The Empress would not believe this assertion, and finally laid a wager that she would make one of the guards move. The wager was accepted by Colonel Verly, and the Empress then went with him into the neighboring gallery, where they walked backward and forward before the sen- tinel, the Empress trying by every means to attract his attention. The man stood as if turned into stone. Colonel Verly smiled. The Empress then, with her characteristic impetuosity, went straight up to the guard, and (according to familiar speech) " boxed his ears." Not a muscle moved. The Empress then ac- knowledged that Colonel Verly had won the day, and sent a handsome compensation to the soldier, who proudly refused it, saying that he was sufficiently compensated by the honor of having had his sov- ereign lady's hand on his cheek. In the terrible war of 1870 with Germany these fine troops proved that they were not intended merely for parade, but took their place gloriously among the bravest. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 85 The Emperor and Empress on leaving their pri- vate apartments first entered the " Salon du Premier Consul," where they received the Imperial family, the guests admitted to formal presentation, the ambassa- dors, and other important dignitaries. Then, followed by the brilliant assembly, they entered the " Salle des Marechaux " in state, where, in a loud voice, " L'Em- pereur ! " was announced. The imperial party then took their seats on a slightly raised platform, and the dancing began, both in the " Galerie de la Paix " and the " Salle des Marechaux," with a double orchestra. The latter room, which was the finest in the palace, derived its name from the portraits of the great Napoleon's marshals, which figured on the walls — twelve in number — like the peers of Charle- magne ! On each side, but of course closed at night, was a large balcony; one, looking on the gardens, where all the queens and princesses of France had stood to be presented to the people after their marriage, and where the Empress had also appeared as the Em- peror's bride on returning from Notre Dame. The other balcony opened on the " Place du Carrousel," and there the Empress sat, with her " service d'hon- neur," when the Emperor reviewed the troops, fol- lowed as soon as possible, and perhaps sooner than was prudent, by the little Prince in uniform, riding his pony with such spirit, even when a young child, that a burst of enthusiasm from the troops always greeted his appearance. 6* 8G LIFE IN THE TUILERIES It was said that when the Emperor was still Presi- dent of the French Kepublic, shortly before the proc- lamation of the Empire, he complimented Mademoi- selle de Monti jo and her mother with seats on this privileged balcony, to witness a review. As he passed before her, on horseback, he looked np, saying : " How can I reach you, Mademoiselle f " "By way of the cl/apcl, Monseigneur," was the quick and acute reply; for the entrance, leading to the chapel on one side, was, on the other, the most direct way to reach the " Salle des Marechaux " from the place where he was speaking. There was always one costume ball every year, but, of course, much more restricted in the number of the guests than the great balls before mentioned. The Empress always appeared in costume, seated in state, surrounded by the imperial family, also in cos- tume ; but the Emperor never went beyond a change of uniform. The great interest of the time was the question of the fancy quadrilles which were always danced before the platform on which their Majesties were seated. These quadrilles, which varied every year, were usually got up by the ladies de Tascher, who thoroughly understood such matters, and were carefully rehearsed for some time previously, under the direction of Merante, the ballet-master of the opera, who composed dances suitable for ladies not wearing ballet costumes. For instance, one year a gipsy party appeared, dancing a Hungarian dance to the music of Weber's " Preciosa " ; the next, a whole UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 87 scene of the time of Louis XVI. was given — the Duchesse cle Tascher, in a gilded and painted sedan- chair, carried by her servants in livery, surrounded by pages and ladies of the period, and escorted by courtiers of the time, the whole ending in a minuet, as danced at the court of Louis XYI. ; another year it was a quadrille in Polish dresses, the dancers drawn in sledges, and then dancing a spirited ma- zurka, etc., etc. At one of the rehearsals of these dances, I was told that the celebrated Taglioni was present: my curiosity was greatly awakened, having heard my father and mother speak of her airy grace with absolute enthusiasm, and I eagerly asked the Comtesse de G to point her out to me. "Hush!" she replied, "she is just behind you." I took an opportunity of turning round, and there I saw a remarkably stiff-looking person, with pursed-up mouth and very prim appearance, abso- lutely the conventional type of a pedantic school- mistress. I never was more astonished. Merante had wished to have her opinion of the dance; but she spoke very little, and seemed the reverse of agreeable or natural. The costume balls at the residences of the differ- ent ministers, or in the apartments of the Duchesse de Tascher or the Duchesse de Bassano, were more agreeable for the Emperor and Empress than the official balls, for they came in masks and dominos, enjoying complete liberty. The Emperor, however, was easily recognized by his peculiar walk and at- 88 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES titude; I once came near him unexpectedly in a doorway (where he stood with other dominos, who evidently accompanied him) and knew him at once, involuntarily drawing back. He seemed annoyed, and made a gesture as if to say: "What are you stopping for?" when, of course, I passed on with- out taking any further notice. When a ball took place in the private apart- ments of the dignitaries of the household, and it was known that the Emperor and Empress would be present, great precautions were taken for their safety, especially in the case of costume balls, where masks were tolerated and of course constituted a serious danger. All guests wearing masks were re- quired to remove them before entering the ball- rooms to allow their features to be examined; detectives stood about the entrance and mingled with the guests ; many of them were dressed as at- tendants, and carried trays of refreshments through the rooms. CHAPTER VIII The police force during the Empire — Story of M. de Saint- Julien — A robbery — A fascinating detective — A mysterious sign — Dinner parties at the palace — The imperial table dur- ing Lent and on Fridays — Lent concerts — Auber — Mario — Patti — Alboni — The national tune composed by Queen Hor- tense — The Emperor's dislike of music — The mechanical piano — The " Stabat Mater" performed in the chapel — The sup- posed excessive devotion of the Empress. THE police force of the Empire was a curious aud complicated institution, but it cannot be denied that in those days life and property enjoyed a degree of security which afterward did not exist. A remarkable instance of the acuteness shown was related to me by a personage concerned in it, the Comte de G F , well known in the highest Parisian society of that time. The Comte de G F was intimate with an old Marchioness of the aristocratic Faubourg St. Germain; he had known her for many years, and even had the habit of addressing her by the af- fectionate term of "Maman." One day on paying "Maman" a visit, he found her in a state of great agitation; she had just discovered that she had been robbed of a large sum 89 90 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES of money, which she had placed in her bureau pending its investment by her agent cle change, or stock-broker. The Count soothed her as well as he could, and having ascertained that she had not yet mentioned what she had just discovered to any one but him- self, he urged her to keep the matter secret, and to leave the management of it in his hands, which she consented to do. The Count then went at once to the chief of the police, who listened attentively, and, merely re- marking that the theft must have been committed by some one well acquainted with the house, asked carelessly what were the habits of the Marchioness. The Count answered that she led the quiet life of an elderly lady, only varied by a dinner-party every week, on that very day; but that she was so much disturbed by her loss that probably on this occa- sion the guests would be put off. " On no account ! " cried the prefect of police. "Tell your friend above all things to make no change; she must give her dinner-party as usual — but she must allow me to send her a guest." The Count started. "What — a detective? My friend will not like the idea at all." " If she wishes to recover her money, she must let me manage this matter in my own way. Be so kind as to go to the Passage Delorme, opposite the Tuileries Palace, at five o'clock this evening. You will there find a young man who will address you by UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 91 name, and who will call himself ' M. de Saint-Julien.' Yon will take him to your friend, and he will join her party. Leave the rest to me." A good deal disturbed, the Count returned to the Marchioness, who at first was horrified at the idea of a detective for a guest; but she yielded at length, and the Count went, as agreed, to the Passage Delorme. The gallery was empty, and the Count began to look into the shop windows to beguile the time, when he saw a young man fashionably dressed, and of re- markably elegant and gentlemanlike appearance, who also began to look at the toys. After a short pause he accosted the Count. "Monsieur, you are, I believe, waiting for some one!" " Monsieur," answered the Count, " I am, indeed, expecting some one to meet me ; but I should be greatly surprised if that individual were your- self." " I have the pleasure of addressing the Comte de G F !» "Yes." " I am M. de Saint-Julien." Greatly astonished, the Count bowed, and at once began to pace the gallery with the new-comer, who questioned him with astute quickness as to the cir- cumstances of the robbery, and, after quietly stating his opinion that the thief must be some one well ac- quainted with the ways of the Marchioness, he added: " Now take me to your friend's house." 92 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES " But," said the Count, " how shall I know if you have discovered any clue ? " " I will make this gesture," and the detective made a rapid circular motion with his right hand, holding the forefinger extended. This point being settled, "M. de Saint-Julien" was duly introduced to the Marchioness. Soon he had charmed every one present by his perfect ease of manner and the brilliancy of his conversation. The Count sat gravely watching the strange guest, little pleased at his apparent forgetfulness of the only motive which explained his presence in such society. But at the close of the dinner M. de Saint- Julien, still carelessly talking and laughing, looked toward the Count, and rapidly passed his hand, with forefinger extended, round the brim of the finger- glass before him, but in such a manner that it seemed the natural accompaniment to what he was saying. On leaving the dinner-table, the Count eagerly approached him, and whispered : " You made the sign ? " " Certainly." " You are on the track 1 " " I know who it is." " Who 1 " cried the Count. " The servant who was behind your chair. He is the man." "How can you possibly know?" exclaimed the Count, greatly astonished. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 93 "I suspected that the robbery had been com- mitted by a professional thief, so I used words and expressions which, although they would not attract your notice, yet, as I employed them, had another meaning in the thieves' dialect or argot. The man at once recognized in me a police officer, and turned pale. He is the thief." "But," cried the Count, "of course he will now try to escape ! " " Do you take me for a fool ? " said M. de Saint- Julien. " The house is guarded at every door." The man really did try to escape, and was im- mediately stopped. The room in which he slept was then searched, and the whole sum was found except a few francs, spent probably at some cafe. A few months later the Count was walking on the Terrasse des Feuillants, in the gardens of the Tuileries, when he met a policeman in the usual dress of his class, with a good-humored but very ordinary expression of countenance, wearing the small mustache and pointed beard of the sergent de ville. The man accosted him, and was not recog- nized till he revealed himself as "M. de Saint- Julien." Every Thursday there was a large dinner party at the palace, followed by a "reception," where the Em- press took the greatest pains to propitiate every one present, going from one to another, remembering what to say to each of her guests, and allowing no one to feel neglected. 94 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES The Emperor's table was said by the Due de Taseher to be the best royal table in Europe. Din- ner was served very rapidly, and never lasted more than an hour. For the sake of avoiding all risk to the ladies' dresses, the dishes were offered in a low voice to each guest, but they did not help them- selves. The plate was handed with its contents ready. This vexed the Due de Taseher, who often protested to the servants, saying that they always gave him what he did not want, much to the amuse- ment of his neighbors at the imperial table. On Fridays, and the fast-days of the Church, two dinners were served : one according to ecclesiastical prescription, the other as usual. Those present chose according to their wishes. In Lent several concerts took place at the palace — it might be supposed as a penance, for the Emperor and Empress both particularly disliked music. Of course at these concerts the most celebrated artists appeared ; but the Emperor never went beyond quiet resignation, even when listening to Mario and Patti. No music was welcome to him, but he particularly hated the tune which was a sort of national air dur- ing the Empire — " Partant pour la Syrie," composed by his mother, Queen Hortense, and which followed him pertinaciously wherever he went. He would then say with a sigh : " Ah ! my poor mother did not foresee what she would inflict on me, when she com- posed that tune ! " Strange to say, with such an unmusical father and UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 95 mother, the Prince Imperial was passionately fond of music, which rather alarmed the Emperor, who, with amusing anxiety, expressed the earnest hope that he would not compose operas some day. The Due de Tascher was a good judge of music, and had a particular horror of the mechanical piano used for dancing. When it was first introduced, he heard one morning the voluble notes as though some one were skimming over the keys of a piano, and expressed his indignation to the Emperor. " There was a fellow playing this morning — I can- not imagine who it can be — who has nimble fingers enough, but who plays like a perfect ass, without the least soul or musical feeling." The Emperor answered quietly : " I am that indi- vidual — I played this morning." " Good heavens, Sire, how could I suppose such a thing ! I never in my life heard of your playing any instrument, or caring for music ! " The Emperor, after enjoying his discomfiture for a few moments, explained that the piano was mechan- ical and that he had simply turned the handle ! As we did not share the imperial aversion to music, the concerts in Lent were a great delight to my pu- pils and myself, as we always obtained leave from the Due de Bassano to attend at the rehearsals in the " Salle des Marechaux." Auber, the composer, was always present, superintending the artists and the Conservatoire, who took the choruses. He was a small, meager old man, with gray hair and an aqui- 96 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES line nose, but still very active and keenly interested when his own music was performed, though taking matters coolly when other composers suffered from imperfect interpretation. He well knew the real feel- ing of the imperial hosts, for, once especially, I saw him spring to his feet during the interminable duet in the first act of " Guillaume Tell," and stop the performers. " You must cut that down ; they will never endure it ! " he said, thus boldly interpreting what had been my own private feeling for some time. Adelina Patti appeared at these concerts in the very beginning of her musical career ; looking like a mere girl, almost a child. She sang with Mario, as a duet, the drinking song in "La Traviata," "Libiamo," with beautiful effect, each singer feeling the value of the other, and both doing their best. But all the great singers, both French and Italian, were heard in turn at these concerts, which we greatly enjoyed as may be supposed, though the lofty room was very cold on such occasions, and the singers complained. I remember Madame Gueymard, the prima donna of the French opera, insisting upon having a warm footstool during the rehearsal, and standing upon it when called to express her affliction in " Ah ! die la morte " of " II Trovatore," which she sang with her husband, who stood at some distance to give due effect to his lamentations, answered by her sobs. "Addio, Leonora!" "My dear, what are you about! — you are all wrong." "Addio, Leonora!" etc., etc. NAPOLEON III., THE EMPR1 SS I UGENIE, AND THE PRINCE IMPERIAL. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH EY LADRE Y-DISDERI. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 97 These insights into green-room mysteries were ex- tremely amusing to us; but sometimes the very great singers, too sure of their powers, such as Alboni, disappointed us by merely humming a tune to try it with the orchestra, instead of singing it. Happily this was a rare occurrence, as they mostly exercised their voices to judge of the effect in the room. On Thursday of Holy Week, Rossini's "Stabat Mater " was sung in the chapel by the first artists ; all the ladies present were dressed in black, with black lace veils, the effect of which was very solemn. A great deal has been said as to the ultra devo- tion of the Empress. That her sorrows and reverses have awakened fervent religious feelings is no doubt true; but at that time there was certainly no ten- dency to excess. She never went to any church but the chapel of the Tuileries, where the services were limited to the daily masses, which she did not habitually attend, and the Sunday high mass. There were no afternoon services of any kind, and no sermons, excepting in Lent, or on very particular occasions. At Christmas, the midnight mass, so much appreciated by Catholics, was always cele- brated, but the court never attended officially. The de Tascher family and some other ladies were al- ways present, but I never saw the Empress appear even in the gallery. CHAPTER IX " The Empress's Mondays " — Orders worn by ladies — The court train — The " Salut du Trone," or grand court obeisance — The inclosed garden at the Tuileries — " Bagatelle " — The court leaves Paris — Fontainebleau — " La Regie " — Inconvenience of living in a palace — Housewifely care of the Empress — A siege in the apartments — A prince left at the door — St. Cloud — Villeneuve l'Etang — Furniture embroidered by Josephine — A collation with the Prince Imperial — Anecdotes — A "Te Deum" wanted. AFTER Easter the great official festivities were iJL replaced by the more valued and more select balls called " the Empress's Mondays," at which her gracious kindness could more easily be appreciated. For these the most elegant toilets were reserved. The guests were received in the private apartments, and each one could attract more notice than in the "crush" of the state balls, where the very rich toi- lets were almost wasted. Some ladies of the court wore ribbons of foreign orders, put across one shoulder, and fastened down on the opposite side, as in the portraits of Queen Victoria; the Empress had a Spanish order, but seldom wore it, though it is seen in a large official portrait, copies of which were sent to provincial town halls, etc. She is represented in full court 98 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 99 dress, with a train of green velvet, her Spanish order of violet-colored ribbon, and her high tiara of pearls and diamonds, the weight of which fa- tigued her so much that she disliked wearing it, though it was very becoming to her. The (Princesse) Comtesse de Tascher de la Pagerie wore the ribbon and cross of Therese of Bavaria, and, in addition, the cross of the honorary can- onesses of Remiremont (an order now extinct), which was given, in former times, only to those who could prove, on both father's and mother's lines, sixteen quarterings or generations of the highest nobility, an order whose abbesses were always princesses of the royal family of France. The Duchesse de Tascher wore the ribbon and " Starred Cross " of Austria, which requires also a wonderful length of uninterrupted pedigree. With her magnificent figure and stately demeanor, she looked very grand on great court occasions, when she wore the blue satin train, with the ribbon and cross belonging to her order. Young unmarried ladies were not admitted on what were called "jours de manteau de cour" 1 (train days), so her daughters and myself begged her to rehearse before us the grand court courtesy, with the management of the long train, which was a very difficult mat- ter, especially with the hooped skirts of the period, but which she performed so perfectly as to be 1 Limited to the solemn receptions of the New Year, like the drawing-TOOms of Queen Victoria. 100 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES celebrated for her manner of going through the ordeal. The slow plunge downward to the very ground, with the head and figure erect; the still slower, and difficult, rise, without the slightest jerk; the graceful motion of the foot, to settle the train, avoiding any sudden kick backward; and the ma- jestic gliding away, showing neither haste nor hurry — such a feat would require the practice of a lifetime to be performed with ease and grace, and was the triumph of aristocracy over "parvenues." The ladies belonging to the court were obliged to wear the train on various state occasions, but others really had but one opportunity, that of the New Year's reception. The dress was very expensive, and was useless anywhere else, so the number of those attending these receptions gradu- ally diminished every year, as they conferred no privilege with regard to court invitations. The spring always brought a sort of deliverance to the Empress, who, during the winter months, could not conveniently take the air except in a carriage. The Emperor finally inclosed a portion of the garden, and of the terrace bordering the river, for the use of his son and occasionally for himself; but the space was so narrow and so devoid of privacy that the Empress seldom took advantage of it. The little Prince habitually went in his car- riage, with his escort, to "Bagatelle," a residence with grounds, situated in the Bois de Boulogne, UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 101 which belonged to the Marquis of Hertford, where he played freely with his little friend Conneau, his habitual cornpauion, son of the Emperor's physician and old friend, who had prepared his escape from the fortress of Ham. The Emperor had vainly tried to buy " Bagatelle " from Lord Hertford, but the latter was bound by a promise made to the Du- chesse de Berry, mother of the Comte de Cham- bord, from whom he had purchased it with the condition that he would not sell it, and that she could redeem it at pleasure. Consequently, Lord Hertford could only beg the Emperor to use it freely, and his kindness was ac- cepted for the benefit of the Prince Imperial. When the season was over, it was a relief to the imperial family to seek the country residences, where large parks gave them comparative liberty. Usually the spring brought them to Fontainebleau, an immense and splendid palace, with extensive grounds, and the beautiful forest so noted for its picturesque scenery. Before leaving the Tuileries the Empress, with her dress protected by a black silk apron, and as- sisted by one of her attendant gentlemen, put away herself, with housewifely care, all the valuable china and pretty ornaments of her rooms, also giving par- ticular orders for the covering of her furniture, even of her walls, and thus leaving everything perfectly protected from any possible injury of dust or sun before quitting the palace. 102 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES All the repairs in the internal arrangement, not only of the imperial apartments, but also those of the whole household, were managed by the uphol- stery department, called " La Regie," whose rule was supreme, and often very inconvenient, as no strange workmen were admitted, and those employed by La Regie had skeleton keys, asking leave of no one before entering one's private apartments. " We have orders from La Regie," was the reply to every remonstrance. "But why did you not execute these repairs during our absence, instead of removing our chairs and tables just when we absolutely require them!" "We had not received orders." It was necessary, on temporarily leaving the pal- ace for any time, to put away carefully in private receptacles all valuables or papers; for, if left in the imperial articles of furniture, the slightest ap- parent flaw would cause everything to be turned out and left to the mercy or inquisitiveness of ser- vants, while repairs were being executed. There was no intention of prying or investigation in these proceedings, but merely utter indifference as to the consequences and the annoyance of the victims. No parcel of any importance could be removed from the palace without the authorization of La Regie — perhaps a necessary measure of precau- tion to prevent imperial or national property from being disposed of by unscrupulous officials. With regard to the proceedings of La Regie, UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 103 I can quote my own experience, having literally had all my furniture removed, and being left to stand in the empty room without a seat till I begged two chairs from my neighbor in the pal- ace, the Archbishop of Bourges. In the beginning of my stay at the Tuileries, on returning with the de Tascher family after an interval of absence, I was roused to considerable indignation on finding that the bureau in which I had locked all my private letters and papers had been taken away for trifling repairs, and the con- tents tumbled out, so that any one might read all that had been left there. I was so angry that on going to the Duchesse de Bassano, whose kindness encouraged me to frequent visits in her apart- ments, I could not help expressing my vexation at the petty annoyances of the administration of the palace ; but she told me that she was not more privileged than I was myself, and quoted instances of what she had to endure in the way of such provoking measures, adding that before leaving the palace she always put her letters and papers in large sealed envelopes, as the only way of insur- ing safety. I remember once going through a complete siege for three days, when I was alone at the Tuileries, being determined to keep out La Regie till the day of my own departure. I had not accompanied the family on this occasion. Being far from well in health, the waters of Spa, in Belgium, had been 104 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES ordered for rue; and it had been settled that I should accept the kindly offered protection of the Princess S (who was going there for her own health), and that I should spend three weeks there. I had naturally prepared suitable dresses for the occasion, and everything was laid out, ready for packing, when an authoritative knock at the door was heard at nine o'clock in the morning. "What is the matter?" "La Regie." " Good Heavens ! what does La Regie want 1 " " We have to remove the furniture — to take up the carpets — and to wax the floors." "But you have to attend to the apartments of the whole family ; why must you begin with my rooms ! " "Our orders are to begin here." I had only partially opened my door, which I closed at once with a peremptory refusal; and by another exit I flew to the quarters of the head upholsterer, who was in bed with the influenza, and could not be seen. I negotiated, however, with his housekeeper, and forcibly brought her to my rooms, of which I had taken the key. When she saw my preparations, her Frenchwoman's heart was touched, and admitting that it would be a great pity to spoil my arrangements, she returned to mediate with her master, coming back triumphantly with a three days' truce, granted to me on condition that I should "defend myself, and not allow any one to come in." UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 105 Consequently I remained with locked doors, stoutly resisting all attacks, and parleyed with the servant, who attended on rne, before opening the door to allow him to bring in rny meals. On the third day of siege, in the morning, a knock came. Very angry at the perseverance shown I called sharply through the key-hole: "I have told you again and again that I will not let you in. It is of no use to persist in this way; you shall not come in, and I will not open the door." A laughing voice answered: "Is that the way you receive the visits of your friends?" "Why, who is there?" "The Prince de Beauvau." " Oh, good heavens, Prince ! " I exclaimed, and opened the door to my visitor, who was immensely amused, saying that he had found the doors open, everything topsy-turvy, and no servants at hand; so he had come straight to my rooms, as he re- quired some information from me, and had met with a very unexpected reception. When the war with Austria for the liberation of Italy was declared, and the Empress appointed Regent, the court after the departure of the Em- peror went to St. Cloud, and the usual visit to Fontainebleau was consequently omitted. The Empress took her new duties in earnest, holding three councils every week, of which two were at 106 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES the Tuileries ; but the distance from St. Cloud is trifling. The destruction of St. Cloud (by the Prussians) is perhaps still more to be lamented than that of the Tuileries. It was a beautiful palace, with everything that could make a summer residence delightful, not too large, and of particularly grace- ful architecture and proportions. "Withal, it was so conveniently near to Paris, that the sovereign was always within easy reach of the ministers and other functionaries who required to see him. Within a reasonable walk from St. Cloud, through the long shady avenues of the park, was a small country-house called " Villeneuve l'Etang," which the Emperor had given to the Empress, who liked to play the part of Marie Antoinette, and had estab- lished a Swiss dairy in imitation of hers, but of more really rustic appearance than that of Trianon. The grounds were prettily laid out rather in the same style, and some charming "garden parties," as they would now be called, had been given there. The house was not remarkable in any way; but the principal room had furniture, dating from the First Empire, which had been entirely embroidered by Josephine and her ladies; the initial of her name, formed by small pink roses interlaced as a monogram, was worked on a ground of white silk with pretty effect. The absence of the Emperor prevented all fes- tivities at Villeneuve l'Etang or elsewhere; but we UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 107 often walked in the shady avenues leading to it, or in the lovely garden nearer to the palace, which was devoted to the especial nse of the Prince Im- perial, then three years old. We were invited to meet him at a breakfast, or rather collation, prepared for him by his state gov- erness, Madame l'Amirale Brnat, " Gouvernante des Enfants de France." The little Prince, of course a mere baby, was accompanied by his Eng- lish nurse, known as "Miss Shaw," a perfect speci- men of the ruler of a nursery among the British aristocracy. She had no easy task in defending the child from the too exuberant endearments of the young ladies present, and energetically protested in English, that they were "worrying him and frightening him." The little Prince, of course, spoke English perfectly, having learned the lan- guage from her; but it was remarked, as a curious instance of childish instinct and of tact worthy of riper years, that nothing could induce him to sj>eak English when any French were present. When the nurse had extricated the little Prince from his too numerous admirers, he stood in the circle, silent and evidently shy, a pale, grave child, with large, earnest, blue eyes and brown curls, in a very simple white frock. I was standing a little aloof from the crowd pressing round him, but, to my surprise, he looked toward me with a fixed gaze, probably because I had let him alone. The English nurse followed his eyes, saying im- 10S LIFE IN THE TUILERIES mediately: "You like that lady, my Prince? Go to her." He came toward me, holding out his little hand and still looking at me intently. The nurse then said : " Get her a flower ; go, get her a flower." He started off, and soon came back, holding a rose. Of course there was a rush to have it, but he held it high above his head, refusing to give the flower, and, running to where I stood, very gracefully handed it to me. I have kept the faded leaves of that rose, with- ered like the budding hopes which then surrounded that little royal head. The great treat which had been provided for him on this occasion was a play, performed by pup- pets that gave vent to all sorts of flattery con- cerning his "illustrious parents," with allusions to the war, and the glory of his family, all of which must have been incomprehensible even to a royal baby only three years old. He was seated in an arm-chair in front of the spectators, and was quiet for some time, evidently expecting that something was coming; but, after showing a con- siderable amount of patience, he could endure the trial no longer, and looking round with a most diverting expression of absolute astonishment, he energetically exclaimed : "But this play is not at all amusing!" There was a general laugh, and the little Prince was liberated from such wearisome pleasures. He was at that time an unusually grave child; UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 109 but, as he grew older, boyish mischief had its turn, and he became as noisy as any others of his own age. He was always extremely fond of everything belonging to the army; the great interest of his little life lay in changes of guards and regiments, their music, their flags and drums; and his delight was great when he was allowed to wear a military uniform himself. When he was naughty, he was told that he "disgraced his uniform," and this was more efficacious than ordinary punishment. Like most young children, he disliked eatiDg soup, and to induce him to take it, he was told that he must eat soup "to make him grow." He pondered over this assertion, and submitted to the soup as a necessity; but, some time afterward, seeing a tall grenadier mounting guard, the child stood be- fore him, gazing at him with his grave, earnest eyes. Finally he said to him, with deep conviction in his tone : " You must have eaten a great quantity of soup ! " When, after the victory of Solferino, there was a solemn "Te Deum" of thanksgiving at Notre Dame, it was considered advisable for the little Prince to accompany the Empress, who attended in state; but there was some anxiety as to the possibility of keeping such a young child quiet during the ceremony. However, he behaved with exemplary gravity, and on returning to St. Cloud informed his gov- 110 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES erness that he "wanted another 'Te Deurn,'" a wish which awakened a general echo. But hostil- ities were immediately ended by the Treaty of Villafranca. The General Comte de Tascher had said to me at the beginning of the war: "My experience of the wars of the First Em- pire has proved to me that everything depends on the first encounter. If our men are then vic- torious, the campaign will be successful from first to last; but the French cannot stand defeat, and once disheartened, nothing more can be done with them." The truth of this appreciation became painfully evident during the Franco-Grerman war. Happily, the Italian campaign began with victories. CHAPTER X The great review — Canrobert — MacMahon — The Zouaves — The flag with the ribbon and cross of the Legion of Honor — Vio- lent rush of the crowd — I owe my life to Robert de Tascher — Court starvation on gala days. THE Emperor's return was anxiously expected, and I can still vividly recall the sensation in the chapel at the palace of St. Cloud, when "L'Ein- pereur ! " was announced just before the mass began, and he appeared in the gallery, having arrived during the night, looking much bronzed by the Italian sun, but grave and calm as usual. After the Emperor's return, I accompanied the Duchesse de Tascher and her elder daughter to see the great review of the troops in the Place Vendome, a splendid sight which left a lasting impression on my mind and memory. We had seats in the space reserved for the household, next to the crimson velvet awning prepared for the Empress and her suite, opposite to the spot where the Emperor was stationed on horseback, beneath the column bearing the statue of the First Em- peror. The whole of the Place Vendome was filled with tiers of seats, rising one above another to the in 112 LIFE IN THE TUILERILJ first floors of the houses, and forming a complete arena, where the troops, arriving by the Rue de la Paix, turned round the column and passed before the Emperor and Empress. Scarcely had we taken our seats, when the Due de Tascher came to us, sent by the Empress to fetch his wife and daughter, whom she wished to have with her. I remained therefore under the care of the Duke's son, Comte Robert de Tascher. The heat was so intense that I felt inclined to envy the shade of the awning which protected the imperial party! The Emperor was before us, how- ever, motionless on his horse, in the glaring sun, of which we really had as little as possible. The whole scene was rather theatrical, but stir- ring and impressive in the greatest degree. As the regiments passed us, amidst the shouts of the spectators, the vacant places were left in the lines, showing the losses sustained — a sad sight. But the excitement was so great that everything was forgotten in the enthusiasm of the present hour, as each regiment was greeted by name with loud cries and applause. As the flags passed, burned and pierced by the shots received, every one felt electrified. Suddenly a shout arose: " Canrobert ! Canrobert ! " And the Marshal appeared on a prancing horse, waving his sword with his usual rather theatrical air, while the cries of "Vive Canrobert!" rose •o > > Z -o > O v, o = p > UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 113 louder and louder, as he passed before the Em- peror, and a profusion of flowers fell around him. " MacMahon ! MacMahon ! " The hero of Magenta rode quietly forward, — a perfect gentleman and a perfect horseman, shown even by the manner in which he held his bridle, the hand seemed so sure, so firm and steady. He was evidently vexed and disconcerted by the com- motion which his appearance caused, and persis- tently looked down, without seeming to accept the popular enthusiasm as addressed to himself per- sonally. A wreath was thrown, which fell over his head down to his shoulders; he seemed to feel that he was being made ridiculous, and tore it off hastily, putting it over his horse's neck before him. MacMahon was by nature shy and unpre- tending; on this occasion he was evidently very anxious to get over the ordeal of the honors show- ered upon him. " Les Zouaves ! Les Zouaves ! " There was a thundering shout, and the Zouaves, who had scaled the seemingly inaccessible heights of Solferino, thereby deciding the fate of the bat- tle, came proudly forward, bearing high their flag, a mere remnant clinging to the staff, proving through what a struggle the glorious emblem had been carried on to victory. The whole regiment having deserved the reward of the Legion of Honor, the flag bore the red ribbon and cross — but alas ! how few followed it to share the hard- 114 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES won giory! Nevertheless, the sight was not to be forgotten, and no one conld help sharing the gen- eral enthusiasm. The old Comte de Tascher, however, who had seen the victories of the first Napoleon, looked grave and anxious when I spoke to him of the stirring scene. The Countess, in answer to my warm congratulations, said: " The Emperor is wonderfully fortunate in all he undertakes — too fortunate. A day must come when all this will be reversed." Happily, neither saw that fatal day when it came, as they predicted. As if to foreshadow the future, a tremendous storm burst over us before the glorious review was ended, and Robert de Tascher hastily led me under the shelter of one of the houses behind us (for the rain poured in torrents), to the great in- dignation of an old gentleman near us, who de- clared that it was perfectly disgraceful to see women thinking only of their clothes, when the Emperor, who was being drenched to the skin before us, was motionless on his horse. The downpour was, however, of short duration, and we were able to return to our seats. But when all was over, and we left the Place Vendome, al- though we had prudently waited till our exit seemed perfectly safe, there was a fearful and un- expected rush of the crowd in the Rue Castiglione to see the Empress, and I certainly owed my life on that occasion to the physical vigor and cool UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 115 presence of mind shown by Comte Robert de Tascher, with whom I finally reached the Tuileries, where I was to meet my elder pupil, who returned with me to St. Cloud, the Duke and Duchess hav- ing to attend the court banquet. We had left at half-past seven in the morning, and did not get back till the same hour of the evening. Of course refreshments had been prepared for the Empress, and those who accompanied her were able to par- take of them ; but I could have literally nothing, and when I reached the Tuileries (all our own cookery department being at St. Cloud), nothing was to be had but one or two small cakes, which Robert de Tascher managed to procure for me, and which constituted my sole support for twelve hours. But such inconveniences are of frequent occurrence in court life. CHAPTER XI Paris in the early days of the Second Empire — Diplomatic changes after the Italian war — A great name — A young ambassadress — Eccentricities of the Princess Metternich — Her imprudence and morbid curiosity — Anecdotes — A " real " Empress — Practical joke on a lady-in-waiting — Dispute with Madame de Per- signy — Why the Princess Metternich could not yield to her — Count Sandor — His strange exploits — Practical joke on his old housekeeper — Imperial hospitality at Compiegne — Dresses required for the week's visit — Daily life of the visitors — Kind- ness of the Imperial hosts — Five o'clock tea in the private apartments of the Empress — Evenings — Questionable diver- sions provided by the Princess Metternich — Exaggerated re- ports — Personal description of the Princess Metternich — General Fleury. A FTER the Italian war, there were necessarily im- jLa. portant changes in the great diplomatic posts, and Baron von Hiibner (best known to the general public by his interesting travels, which show con- siderable acuteness of observation), was replaced at the Austrian embassy by Prince Richard Metternich. A great historical name is often an inconvenient inheritance, by raising too great expectations ; and the agreeable, well-bred Austrian gentleman who bore this title was certainly not equal to those which it awakened. He was soon better known by his wife's eccentricities than by his own merits. 116 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIEE 117 Too young in every respect for such a position as that of ambassadress, the Princess Metternich soon attracted unfavorable notice by her strange ways and fancies, which first astonished Parisian society, and then provoked severe criticism. The Princess Metternich was a mere wayward, spoiled child, who imagined that her high rank authorized her to defy all rules of decorum; and that, so long as she abstained from what was ab- solutely wicked, she could do anything she pleased. At that time there was a sort of intoxication in the very atmosphere of Paris, a fever of en- joyment — a passion for constant amusement, for constant excitement, and, amongst women, for ex- travagance of dress. This was encouraged by the court, with the intention of giving an impetus to trade, and of gaining popularity by favoring con- stant festivities and consequently constant expense. In the days of Louis Philippe there had been great moderation in all matters of luxury; the King and Queen were aged, sensible and economical; the young princesses were kept within rigid bounds by the example above them. But when the Emperor came to the throne, after a period of revolution and consequent commercial stagnation, he wished to re- vive trade, and also to give the prestige of splendor to a court which so many did not seem to take in earnest. His beautiful wife, suddenly raised to a supreme position for which nothing in her previ- ous life had prepared her, finding what seemed 8* 118 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES unlimited means within her reach, keenly enjoyed the possibility of procuring everything that pleased her, and enhanced her remarkable personal attrac- tions by all the advantages of exquisite toilette without consideration of cost. Everything that she wore suited her admirably; others tried to imitate her, and the general tone became raised. She had the art of constantly choosing something new and unusual, which attracted attention, so that, instead of being satisfied with conventional types of silks and satins, which formerly had been considered sufficient for all occasions, every one tried to invent something different from others, and to improve upon what had been seen before. Consequently, not only in dress, but in all matters of taste and luxury, there was an eager struggle to outvie others, to reach a higher degree of splendor, and extravagance became universal. Paris was a sort of fairyland, where every one lived only for amuse- ment, and where every one seemed rich and happy. "What lay underneath all this, would not bear close examination — the dishonorable acts of all kinds, which too often were needed to produce the glamour deceiving superficial observers. Into this hotbed of "pomps and vanities" came the young and thoughtless Princess Metternich, with all the pride characterizing the high aristoc- racy of her native land, and fully disposed both to enjoy, and to despise, what awaited her. She had been accustomed to the restricted society of UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 119 Vienna, composed of distinct circles, wheels within wheels according to rank and social privileges, those belonging to each circle keeping aloof from all others, marrying only amongst their equals, and associating exclusively together. As a natural con- sequence, the quintessence of the aristocracy, form- ing the most limited among these circles, becomes a sort of large family; all are more or less related to each other; all are intimate from childhood. In such a society, the hoydenish ways of "Pauline" were only smiled at, and were not of much conse- quence. But when she came to a cosmopolitan city like Paris, full of observant enemies, who did not care in the least for her quarterings, or her faultless pedigree, and did not admit any superi- ority, the case was very different. Her husband ought to have understood this, and to have inter- posed his authority; but he was indolently indif- ferent, and when his wife exceeded all social limits, the strongest reproof was a languid, "Aber, Pau- line ! " which in no way acted as a check. In the Princess Metternich was an inexplicable mixture of innate high breeding and acquired tastes of lower degree. When she appeared in society, at her very entrance there could be no [mistake : from head to foot, she was the high-born lady, the grande dame. And yet she had an extraordinary inclination for walking on the edges of moral quag- mires, and peeping into them, with a proud con- viction that her foot could never slip. There are 120 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES stories of her imprudent adventures; but she es- caped unscathed, and had no other motive in seeking them than curiosity — foolish, morbid curi- osity — as to people and matters which should never have been even mentioned in her presence. She acted with a degree of rashness and folly which would have ruined most women ; yet no one ever really attacked her reputation ; all allowed that, according to the expression of a lady of the court, she had never "crossed the Rubicon." Notwithstanding all her follies, the Princess Met- ternich was far from being silly: on the contrary, she had considerable wit, and great sharpness of repartee. As she did not care for anything she said, her retorts were often very clever, and always amusing, but too free to be easily repeated. She affected masculine manners. When she first arrived in France she had been invited to Compiegne, with other ladies of the "corps diplomatique," and on their return in the train, Lord Cowley, then British ambassador, asked if he might be indulged in a cigarette. The young ambassadress drew from her pocket a cigar-case of most masculine appearance, offered him a formidable cigar, and took one herself. Some time afterward a lady of my acquaintance called on the ambassadress of Austria. The major- domo informed her that "her Highness" was in the garden. The Comtesse de L stepped into the garden, looking about her wonderingly in search of the Princess, when a voice, seeming to come from UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 121 on high, called to her. She looked up: the ambas- sadress was lying on her back, in a hammock slung among the trees, smoking a cigar. Her will alone seemed to her so sufficient to jus- tify her acts that, haughty as she was, she did not hesitate to invite to her dinner-table the celebrated " Theresa," a singer whom no one else, at that time, would have dared to receive, and yet from whom the Princess Metternich condescended to take les- sons, in order to sing her bold songs with duly pointed emphasis. The mischief done by the example of the Prin- cess Metternich in Parisian society is indescribable. She threw down the barrier which hitherto had separated respectable women from those who were not, and led the way to a liberty of speech and liberty of action which were unknown before. She was much attached to her husband, and, in essen- tials, she was a good wife; others, less favorably situated, may not have escaped, as she did, from the natural consequences of looking too closely over the frontier of the Debatable Land. It is not unlikely that the excessive pride of the Prin- cess Metternich may have led her to imagine that in Paris she might do anything without compro- mising her dignity. She was intimate with a lady who, although received everywhere in Parisian so- ciety, did not seem to be sufficiently her equal in rank to become her friend. To a remark on the subject, she carelessly answered : " Oh, it is all 122 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES very well here — of course, I could not see her in Vienna ! " She was reported to have made a more impertinent speech at Compiegne while on a visit there. The short, looped-up skirts were just beginning to be worn ; the Empress had not yet habitually adopted them, and the Princess Metternich had been urg- ing her to appear thus dressed on the public occa- sion of the races in the town, against the opinion of her ladies. "When the Empress left the room, one of the ladies-in-waiting said to the Princess : "Would you give the same advice to your Empress ? " "Oh, no," said the Princess; "but the case is quite different — the Empress Elizabeth is a real Empress." I have no positive information as to the absolute trustworthiness of this report ; but it was not unlike the style of the Princess Metternich, and was cur- rently repeated. On another occasion at Compiegne, in the pres- ence of the Empress, on a rainy day, which had brought some dullness to the circle, the Princess Metternich, by way of diversion, suddenly seized one of the ladies-in-waiting, tripped her up in school-boy fashion, and laid her flat on her back prostrate on the floor. This was told to me by an eye-witness of the scene, which shocked every one present, the more so as the victim chosen, the Comtesse de M , was particularly lady-like, quiet, and unoffending. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 123 The Empress was never really intimate with the Princess Metternich, but she liked her, on the whole, and her oddities amused her, so she was always a welcome guest, especially in the country- residences, such as Fontainebleau and Compiegne, where invitations were greatly extended, and where the "series," as they were called, of about eighty visitors at a time, for a week's stay, rendered amusement for all an arduous task to the kind imperial hosts. The hospitality of Fontainebleau and Compiegne, but particularly the latter, was dispensed in the most liberal manner, and nothing was neglected that could make the guests enjoy the visit, which, however, was perhaps too much prolonged for plea- sure, on both sides. The invitations were for a week, but those particularly favored were requested to remain for another "series"; the fatigue was excessive, and every one felt surprise that the Em- press could continue such a life for several weeks. In the spring the court went to Fontaine- bleau, but the invitations were of a less general kind, and were confined more to those in some way connected with the court itself, and considered as friends. There were also foreign princes and the members of their embassies; but the style was more exclusive than at Compiegne, where every one of any note was invited at least once. Paint- ers, composers, literary men, were included in the " series." Their wives generally did not accompany 124 LIFE IN THE TUILEKIES thern, and the masculine costume requiring no vari- ety, they were able to enjoy the imperial hospitality without too much expense ; but to those in a more aristocratic position, whose wives must necessarily appear, Compiegne entailed ruinous consequences. It was understood that no dress could be worn more than once; for a week's stay it was usual, therefore, to take fifteen dresses, seven of which were intended for the evening, and consequently must be of the most expensive kind. The extra- vagance of Compiegne caused so much blame that the Empress, who at first had encouraged, by her example, the follies of those around her, tried to restrain them by adopting for drives and walks in the forest a plain skirt of black silk over a red woolen or tartan underskirt; but this only caused additional complications. The weather in Novem- ber was not always favorable, and the costume was only fit for out-door wear. Then came the hunts of Compiegne, so splendidly organized ; those who fol- lowed on horseback wore the hunting uniform of green cloth, trimmed with gold lace and crimson velvet, very handsome, but necessarily expensive. There were four successive " series " of invita- tions for Compiegne; the guests of each "series" went together in a special train prepared for the occasion, followed by innumerable trunks contain- ing the dresses provided for the week. At the Compiegne station the imperial carriages awaited the guests, taking them through the town UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 125 to the palace, which was brilliantly lighted up to receive them, as the hour of arrival was late in the afternoon, and the season November. On reaching the palace, a splendid vestibule was first crossed between two rows of servants in the imperial liv- ery; the Prefect of the Palace then came forward to receive the guests, assigning to each group a servant, who led the way to the apartments pre- pared for them, which were as comfortable and convenient as possible. Everything looked cheer- ful and encouraging to new-comers, who were often rather nervous as to the trial before them. Shortly after seven, the guests assembled in the great drawing-room to await the entrance of the Emperor and Empress, who spoke to those known to them, and then led the way together into the immense dining-hall, where the dinner was served in splendid state. A band played during dinner, after which their Majesties rose, and followed by the guests, returned to the drawing-room. The great difficulty of amusing, during a whole week, eighty strangers of different ranks in society (many of whom knew nothing of court usage), may be im- agined. The Emperor and Empress tried to speak to every one with the greatest kindness and sim- plicity of manner, begging them to feel perfectly at home, to consider themselves free to abstain from any excursion if they pref erred not to join the others, to do exactly as they pleased with re- gard to the disposal of the day; but naturally 12 G LIFE IN THE TUILERIES every one felt that this indulgence could not be interpreted too literally. The days were spent in drives through the forest in open carriages, which all did not enjoy in November ; the celebrated stag- hunts of Conipiegne, followed in carriages or on horseback at pleasure; shooting-parties with the Emperor, etc. At five o'clock the most noted among those present — literary men, artists, and sci- entific celebrities — were invited to take tea in the private apartment of the Empress, who then kindly and with much tact tried to draw out each one by leading the conversation to the particular sub- jects in which they had reached fame. These con- versations, which were full of interest to those who were admitted by privilege, delighted the Empress so much that she forgot the hour, and often did not give the signal of departure till seven o'clock, a cause of intense anxiety to those who, having probably a considerable distance to go before reach- ing their apartments, were yet obliged to be punctu- ally ready in full dress before half-past seven, when their Majesties made their appearance before dinner. The evenings were the most trying part of the day here as elsewhere. The Princess Metternich was then of immense resource in all the entertain- ments prepared by the court. She sang and acted cleverly; she danced as if she had been trained for the ballet ; she got up charades, plays, " tableaux vivants," in short, anything that was required, with a spirit and animation which never flagged. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 127 But matters did not always go on smoothly; there were differences of view and of opinion, and the Princess then became much excited. On one occasion of this kind there was a memo- rable dispute with Madame de Persigny, wife of the well-known statesman, who was herself equally well known for her caprices of temper. Though by no means sufficiently witty to be a match for the sharp tongue of the Princess Metternich, she was quite able by her obstinacy to destroy the effect of all the plans of her opponent. The Princess, though by nature far more good-humored than Madame de Persigny, at last having completely lost patience, appealed to the Empress, who, much annoyed at the dispute, was trying in vain to restore peace: "Pray, pray, my dear Princess, let the matter rest ! spare her — remember that her mother is mad ! " " So her mother is mad ? " retorted the Princess. "Well, Madame, my father is mad; so why should I give in to her?" The argument was irresistible, and the Empress could not help laughing; but the manner in which the Princess had honored her father's peculiarities was received in general with more amusement than approbation. Count Sandor, the father of the Princess Metter- nich, was noted for his eccentricities and wonderful adventures. He was a remarkable horseman, and performed all sorts of apparently impossible feats 128 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES on horseback, risking his life at each one, and escaping by what seemed a miracle, or rather a succession of miracles ; though not without serious injuries, some of which had affected his brain, according to public rumor. A collection of drawings representing these strange performances had been engraved and bound in a volume, and I had an opportunity of examining this series of crack-brained exploits and hair-breadth escapes. One of the most amusing though really the most pitiable of the former, represented his houskeeper, a fat old woman, with an agonized expression of fright on her upturned face, held horizontally by two men, while her master leaped his horse backward and forward over her. The poor creature was evidently terrified out of her senses, and no wonder. The Princess Metternich had no beauty ; her face was of absolutely simian type, only redeemed by bright intelligent eyes; her complexion was dark, her mouth was large, and her nose was flat." Even her figure was more than slender, and devoid of all beauty of form; but owing to her remarkable elegance of demeanor, her animated expression of countenance, and her richly fashionable dress, she was considered attractive, notwithstanding her physical disadvantages. She was passionately fond of dress, and in this, as in all things, her taste led her into eccentricity regardless of expense. At the Austrian embassy, her EMPRESS EUGENIE, 1863. FROM A PH^IOoKAl-H lit ut^HCtS SPINGCER. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 129 rooms, furniture, receptions, carriages, and horses were only surpassed by the court, and her example had a pernicious influence on the general mania for extravagance of all kinds. The turnout of the Emperor's carriages, horses, and liveries was unsurpassed in Europe, under the direction of General Fleury, who was more remark- able in this respect than as a military commander. In fact, he would probably never have reached such high promotion had he not been the friend of the Emperor, and his auxiliary in the "coup d'etat," when he was only Captain Fleury at the Elysee. He was neither liked nor much esteemed in general ; but he certainly performed admirably his duties as "Grand ^cuyer," or what at the English court would be termed "Master of the Horse." The Emperor and Empress were the kindest of hosts, most anxious to amuse their guests and to make their visits as pleasant as possible; therefore the Princess Metternich was welcome, because she brought with her life and animation ; but at the same time her performances were open to criticism with regard to their deficiency in that refinement and social propriety which should be guarded care- fully in such a circle, thus gradually drawing on the Empress to show too much indulgence when amused. Unfortunately, in addition to the dubious songs, charades, and plays got up by the Prin- cess Metternich, romping games were often chosen a^ a diversion; which, though certainly undigni- 130 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES fied and ill suited to those beyond school years, had not, however, the character attributed to them by public report, nor the licentious freedom believed in by the " Faubourg St. Germain," and so contempt- uously sneered at by its aristocratic inhabitants. The mistake lay in doing on a large scale what ought to be tolerated only among intimate friends and very young people. But the mean ingratitude of those who enjoyed all the generous kindness lavished on their guests by the imperial hosts, and then disfigured the truth to sneer at them with their enemies, was too contemptible to be even mentioned with patience. CHAPTER XII "Golden wedding 11 of the Comte and Cointesse de Tascher de la Pagerie — Curious story of a lost ring — Marriage of my elder pupil — Prince Maximilian von Tkurn und Taxis — Death of the Comte de Tascher — Kindness and affectionate attentions of the Emperor and Empress during his last illness — Sorrow of the Emperor — The Count laid out in state — Effect on the Empress — Her nervous condition — Her private sorrows — She begins to interfere in political matters — Our home life after the death of the Comte de Tascher — Home evenings —Weekly receptions — Ambassadors Extraordinary from Oriental lands — The Persian Ambassador — The Embassy from Siam — Re- ception at Fontainebleau — The hair-dresser Leroy. THE year that followed the war with Austria (the fourth of my residence at the palace of the Tuileries) was marked by a family event, the "golden wedding," or fiftieth anniversary of the marriage of the Comte and Comtesse de Tascher de la Pagerie, which was celebrated at Baden- Baden in the presence of all their children and grandchildren. A curious circumstance occurred on this occasion, which is worthy of mention. The (Princess) Com- r- r- m m > n z v. o T. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 209 Paris when the result was known. Eveiy one would have supposed that the future of the Empire was se- cured indefinitely. Lord Malmesbuiy mentions that he came to Paris at this time ; and, speaking of the Emperor, he says : "I found him much altered in appearance, and looking very ill, it being three years since I had seen him. . . . He observed later that Europe ap- peared to be tranquil ; and it was evident to me that at that moment he had no idea of the coming hurri- cane which suddenly broke out in the first week of the following July. ... I feel sure that not a thought of the impending idea of a Hohenzollern being a candidate for the Spanish throne had crossed his mind. Count Bismarck had kept it a profound secret, and that very deep secrecy and sudden sur- prise is the strongest proof of his intention to force a quarrel upon France. . . . The result of my visit and conversation with the Emperor was one of ex- treme pain, for I saw that he was no longer the same man of sanguine energy and self-reliance, and had grown prematurely old and broken." This account by Lord Malmesbuiy, who, as a very old friend of the Emperor from almost boyish days, was particularly interested in all concerning him, absolutely confirms all that I heard myself during my stay in Paris. At the Tuileries, in the apartments of the de Tas- cher family, all was sad in consequence of the Duke's death, which had occurred in the preceding 210 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES year. The Emperor had desired the ladies to retain the apartments until the death of the (Princess) Countess, whom he wished to leave undisturbed; but every one felt that the fatal time was not far dis- tant. I found her much broken ; and at over eighty years of age everything was to be feared. She re- ceived me most affectionately, repeating how much she missed me, and that she could not get accus- tomed to my absence, adding earnestly : " Come and drive with me in the Bois de Boulogne, as we used to do." I went with her, feeling painfully that it would be the last time. 1 My old friend Robert was now filling his father's place and enjoying his honors. This, too, seemed strange and painful, though it was impossible to be more heartily friendly than he showed himself on that occasion, as on all others. I left the palace with sorrowful forebodings — a sort of threatening cloud seemed to hang over it, nay, over Paris itself. As I saw Paris recede in the distance on the day of my departure, I thought of the doomed cities in Scripture, and my impression was so deep that I even expressed my fears in a letter to a relative in America, who was greatly struck when events so terribly justified what then seemed to be almost prophetic views. The next time that I stood before the palace of the Tuileries, it was in ruins ! I could still discover the 1 She died at the chateau of one of her daughters, in Alsace, at the beginning of the war, which was concealed from her. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 211 remains of my old apartments, which I longed to visit, but was told that the danger would be too great. I could discern what was left of the " Salle des Marechaux," where I had witnessed such splendid scenes of festivity. I could still see the place where had been my habitual seat in that chapel where my loved Hortense had been married, in the presence of Napoleon III. and the Empress Eugenie ! The Archbishop of Paris, who then officiated, had been foully murdered ; the fair young bride was in her grave ; the Duke, her father, who had led her to the altar, was no more ; the Emperor and Empress were exiles ; and the very chapel where she had knelt, with her bridal veil and wreath of orange blossoms, was in ruins ! Who would wonder at the tears which I could not repress ? CHAPTER XX Apathy of the Emperor — The party of the Empress — A con- sultation of medical and surgical authorities on the Emperor's health — An operation declared necessary — The Hohenzollern incident — The Emperor unwilling' for war — The scene at St. Cloud related to Lord Malmesbury by the Due de Gramont — The Emperor yields — His sad forebodings — The Empress ap- pointed Regent — The Prince Imperial goes with his father to join the army — The " baptism of fire " — First reverses — The Empress returns to Paris — The Emperor's health gives way — He is urged to return to Paris — Opposition of the Empress — The Emperor sends the Prince Imperial to Belgium — The Emperor goes to Sedan against his will — The Prince Imperial receives orders to go over to England, where he meets his mother at Hastings. THE torpor of the Emperor exasperated the Em- press, who did not understand its cause, and she strove with passionate expostulations to rouse him to his former vigor of purpose. His mind and intellect had not failed, but his physical energies had given way so completely that the former seemed dormant. There was now a political party calling itself "le parti de l'Imperatrice " (the party of the Empress), and the ministers, with other politicians, perpetually held consultations with her, talking her over to their views, which she then enforced in vehement scenes with the exhausted, weary Emperor. 212 UNDER THE SECOND EMPIEE 213 Lord Mahnesbury says again : "My impression as to his having given a consti- tutional government to France was that it was more the result of bodily suffering and exhaustion from a deadly disease than from any moral conviction, and that he felt, as he must have done, that the life left him was short, and that his son would have a better chance of quietly inheriting the throne under a parliamentary and irresponsible regime. Perhaps he was right, if he had found able ministers ; but that was not the case, and their mismanagement at the provocations of Prussia under Bismarck must always be cited as the most incapable diplomacy on record." Shortly before these fatal incidents, rumors con- cerning the Emperor's health became so alarming that the Duchesse de Mouchy (Princess Anna Murat) urged the Empress to have a consultation with sev- eral celebrated surgical and medical authorities, pre- sided over by the famous Dr. Germain See. The statement of the case was duly drawn up by Dr. See, declaring the now well-known nature of the malady, and the urgent necessity of an operation. The friends of the Empress assert positively that the truth was concealed from her, and that she re- mained ignorant of the true state of the Emperor. Immediately after this consultation, the Hohenzol- lern incident occurred suddenly. It was of a nature to excite passionate feelings in the Empress, for it concerned Spain, giving the crown of Spain to a 14* 214 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES German prince. Now (since the war which followed has caused snch calamities) the partizans of the Em- press deny strenuously that she was in favor of risk- ing it, or that she ever used the words so often quoted : " This is my war." It is, however, certain on the best authority that she considered any con- cession on the French side to be disgraceful, and that she took up the question with her usual pas- sionate vehemence and direct interference. We must again quote Lord Malmesbury : "The Duke himself [de Gramont 1 ] gave me the following account of the last scene on July 14, be- fore the declaration of war. " The Hohenzollern candidateship to the throne of Spain was abandoned, and the Emperor was decidedly disposed to accept this renouncement and to patch up the quarrel and turn this result into a diplomatic success, but his ministers had avoided no oppor- tunity of publishing the insult 2 to all France, and the press stirred the anger and vanity of the public to a pitch of madness. None had yet taken advan- tage of the characteristic temper of the Emperor. Before the final resolve to declare war, the Emperor, Empress, and ministers went to St. Cloud. After some discussion, Gramont told me, the Empress, a high-spirited and impressionable woman, made a strong and most excited address, declaring that war 1 Then Minister of Foreign Affairs. 2 The telegram, now acknowledged to be false by Prince Bismarck, which was sent by him over Europe, and which represented that the King of Prussia had refused to receive the French ambassador. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 215 'was inevitable if the honor of France was to be sustained.' She was immediately followed by Mar- shal Leboeuf, who in the most violent tone threw down his portfolio and swore that if war was not declared he would give it up and renounce his mili- tary rank. The Emperor gave way, and Gramont went straight to the Chamber to announce the fatal news." This narrative was confirmed by another, given to me personally on good authority. The latter states that the Emperor positively refused to sign the declaration of war, and left the room, after the scene with the Empress and Marshal Leboeuf. The former showed great anger, and seizing the arm of one of the ministers, she exclaimed against the apathy of the Emperor, adding: "We will make him do it!" She followed the weary Emperor, who finally yielded to her pressing insistence. The Empress no doubt attributed the Emperor's opposition to the physical languor and unwillingness for exertion which had characterized his conduct for some time, and thought it necessary to use energetic means to rouse him from his torpor. But the re- sponsibility was an awful one in the case of a woman not called by duty to take such a decision as a reigning sovereign. When war was declared, and she saw how gravely and sadly the Emperor looked toward the future, she was herself frightened at the sight of the demon which she had raised, and would gladly have wel- 216 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES corned any peaceful intervention — but it was too late. The Emperor went to the war with the worst forebodings, and with the despairing resignation of a doomed victim. Let those who accuse him of hav- ing rashly and presumptuously undertaken the task under which he fell read the sad proclamation at the beginning of the campaign, and compare it with the spirited resolution which announced the Italian war — that war which was a triumphant march through Lombardy, crowned by the glorious victory of Sol- ferino. What a departure from the Tuileries was that, and what a return ! Alas ! that magnificent success had taught the French nation to believe it- self invincible, and led to the fatal delusion of 1870 — a delusion which, however, was not shared by the Emperor, who seemed to feel that his day was come. His own departure for the army was caused by characteristic sentimental motives of " sharing the fate of his soldiers " ; but in his physical state it was an act of folly. For a considerable time he had been unable to ride a horse without intense suffering ; he was utterly incapable physically of acting as com- mander-in-chief ; and his presence prevented any of the marshals from being appointed to that supreme command. His resolution of taking with him the Prince Im- perial, then only fourteen years of age, was much blamed, notwithstanding the sonorous terms in which it was announced. Every one expressed the sensible view of the matter, viz., that the place of a school-boy UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 217 was in the school-rooni, and not with an army in active service, which would entail fatigue and risk beyond the physical powers of his age. But the real truth was concealed. It was consid- ered safer for the boy to be with his father in the French army than to be exposed to the risk of being seized, perhaps, as a hostage by a revolutionary mob, should there be riots in Paris. When the Empress was first appointed Regent during the Italian war, the Emperor was blamed for giving the government of France " into the hands of a mere woman of fashion." But if he had not yielded to the ardent wish of the Empress, he would have had no one whom he could appoint to the office but Prince Napoleon, who was universally unpopular, and who had, besides, a sort of Richard the Third flavor about him, which caused the most vehement opposition on the part of the Empress and of many among the Emperor's most trusted advisers. In 1870 the mistake, now universally acknowledged, lay in go- ing with the army instead of appointing a responsible commander-in-chief. Unfortunately, the Empress was blind as to his present condition, and with her high and romantic feelings she considered that he ought to lead his army, refusing to see any impedi- ments. Consequently she was naturally appointed Regent, as before. The Emperor did not join the army from Paris, or leave officially, as he had done in 1859 for the Italian war. He evidently dreaded the fatigue of 218 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES popular demonstrations, which was in itself a proof of his weakened state, and started from St. Cloud, reaching the army by cross railway lines. The poor little Prince, delighted with his uniform as sub-lieutenant, and his sword, which he proudly grasped tight, was yet struggling to keep back natural childish tears as he looked up into his mother's face and held her hand. She preserved perfect self-command as she embraced her husband and son; and when the train moved off she called to the boy : " Louis, do your duty ! " What the military duty of such a child could be is not easily comprehensible, and most people would have liked her better if, instead of heroic speeches, she had shown more natural tenderness. When the train had disappeared round the curve of the line, and she had seen the last look, the last wave of the hand, from both husband and son, — then only, — she wept. The Empress Eugenie was too fond of being sublime. The first telegram from the Emperor, after the first successful skirmish of Saarbriick, "Louis has had the baptism of fire? was much ridiculed by those who did not know that the expression is habitually used in French, meaning that a soldier has stood fire well for the first time. The poor boy had not flinched, though the shot fell around him. He had " done his duty," and was laughed at, which stung the Empress to the quick. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 219 I was at Granville, a small seaport in Normandy, with a friend, when the war broke out. Who can forget that war? — the bewildering suc- cession of defeats — the astonishment and fury of the French nation as each telegram came! I remember that rumors having reached me of a great catastrophe (the defeat of Worth or Eeichs- hofen), I went out to see the telegram pasted upon the walls in the little town. A crowd of fishermen and their wives were gathered round it, evidently trying in vain to decipher the appalling news. I drew near. An old fishwife then said to me: "Madame, you who can read — will you not read it to us?" Of course I immediately acquiesced, and raising my voice I read the fatal telegram relating the defeat of the French army, but concluding with words of hope. The consternation of those around me seemed to accept no comfort; they looked at each other in blank despair. As I moved away, I remembered with increasing anxiety what the old Comte de Tascher had said to me in the beginning of the Italian war : " Every- thing depends on the success of the first battle. If our troops are victorious, the campaign will be tri- umphant ; but the French cannot bear defeat." Alas ! the war of 1870 began with a defeat, and the old General's words were verified. The unfortunate Empress then left St. Cloud for the Tuileries, where she established a field hospital, 220 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES and there she received day by day the war bulletins, which became more and more alarming. The Emperor's health had given way completely in the very beginning of the war. The fatigue, the absence of medical care, had increased his suf- ferings to an unendurable degree, and he had been obliged to hand over the command of the Army of Chalons to Marshal MacMahon, who, after the dis- asters, very nobly declared that he was alone respon- sible, and that he had acted against the views and wishes of the Emperor, who no longer commanded the army. The presence of the Emperor was not only of no possible use, but was, in fact, an impediment to due rapidity of movement, etc. ; and all the mar- shals, generals, and superior officers were of opinion that he ought to return to Paris, taking with him a sufficient portion of the army to cover Paris, and thus, protected by the forts which surround the for- tifications, render the advance of the Germans too perilous to be attempted. Prince Napoleon was energetically in favor of this plan, and especially of the Emperor's return; the latter himself agreed that his proper place was at the head of the govern- ment in Paris itself. But the Empress vehemently opposed his return, declaring that a revolution would break out if the Emperor appeared in Paris after defeat; that he would be accused of personal cowardice, with a sel- fish wish to concentrate the troops round his own person for the interests of the dynasty. The best UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 221 proof of the weakened state of the unhappy Emperor is shown by the mere fact of his taking her will to account, instead of appearing in Paris without even consulting her, as he would have done a few years before that time. Who was right, who was wrong, in such appre- ciations f Opinions are divided ; but the most reliable and authorized blame the Empress for taking such a re- sponsibility against the opinions of the generals who, being on the spot, were certainly better able to judge what ought to be done than she could, at the Tuileries, with her advisers. Trochu was sent to Paris with the mission to the' Empress, of explain- ing how matters stood, and to urge the necessity of the Emperor's return ; but she would listen to no argument, and the unfortunate Emperor remained with the army, a mere burden, repulsed on all sides; while the Empress, without even consulting him, governed Paris, summoning the Legislative Assem- bly without his authorization, changing her minis- ters (whose advice she would not follow), and send- ing orders to the army commanders disconcerting their plans. It is unnecessary to explain that the writer of these pages has not the presumption either to ex- press, or even to form, an opinion on such a mo- mentous subject. The Empress acted according to her views and convictions ; it is for others to judge whether she was right or wrong. Her most zealous 222 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES partizans, however, reluctantly admit that she was mistaken in her opposition to the Emperor's return, and deplore that she did not leave the responsibility of such a decision to those better qualified to bear the load. With the resignation of a victim, the Emperor, though disapproving the march on Sedan, and fore- seeing the consequences, yet followed the army; having reached such a degree of suffering, both physical and moral, that the one hope left to him was in the mercy of death by a shot on the field of battle. But the poor young Prince Imperial, whose health had completely given way, imperatively re- quired rest and care which he could not have in a camp, and the Emperor, who wished to spare him the sight of what would follow according to his pre- visions, sent the young Prince to Mezieres, promis- ing to summon him to Sedan. But, after several contradictory telegrams, which drove him vainly to and fro, positive orders were re- ceived to cross the Belgian frontier at once, which was effected without informing the Prince of the motives for this determination, or even where the train was taking him. On the frontier the dreadful truth was revealed to the poor boy, who had struggled so hard to behave manfully " like a soldier " — to " do his duty," as his mother had said, and who now broke down com- pletely, like the child he really was, repeating with bitter tears and sobs : " My poor father ! Our army ! Poor France ! " UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 223 He was taken to Naniur, where the Prince de Chi- may, governor of the province, received him with every kindness and care at the Chateau de Chimay. But a telegram came, signed by the Emperor : "I am the King of Prussia's prisoner. Take the Prince to England." And the poor, weary boy, crushed and heart- broken, set off again for Ostend, whence he crossed over to Dover and Hastings, where he met his mother, whom he had left, little more than a month before, with such bright hopes of glory — so proud to " be a soldier " — so anxious to " do his duty " ! CHAPTER XXI MacMahon leads the army to Sedan — Despair of the Emperor — He vainly seeks death — He gives up his sword to the King of Prussia — Telegram to the Empress — Confusion and treachery around her — The Princess Clotilde comes to share her danger — The ambassadors of Austria and Italy offer their protection — She goes with them, f oho wed only by Madame Lebreton — The Empress and Madame Lebreton left to their fate in a hackney- WHEN, obeying orders from the Regency in Paris, MacMahon, in the vain hope of joining Bazaine, turned his army corps toward Sedan, — a town situ- ated in a hollow surrounded by hills, — the unfortu- nate Emperor clearly foresaw what must happen, and in his despair thought only of seeking death, yet he was too much of a believer to commit the crime of suicide. For five consecutive hours he remained in the sad- dle — an effort which, under the circumstances, the surgeons who attended him declared to have been superhuman; he exposed his person on the most dangerous points, where he repeatedly went forward alone, with shells and shot falling round him, hoping to find there the end of his torture, without him- self destroying his own life. At last, unscarred, but 224 RIIINs 01 THE HAM. OF THE MARSHALS, CARYATIDES 0! THE THRONE <)N THE RIGHT. mOM A fni, UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 225 having reached the last point of exhaustion, annihi- lated by pain and grief, he returned to the town of Sedan, where the army was crowding in the greatest confusion. As the shells fell into the streets, full of wounded and fugitive soldiers, the destruction took the proportions of a massacre. MacMahon was se- verely wounded, and unable to give orders. All was confusion. The Emperor then ordered the white flag to be hoisted above the town. It was not imme- diately perceived, and the firing continued, while the Emperor, in a state of prostration, as if in a deliri- ous dream, repeated : " They are still firing ! The cannon ! The cannon ! It must be stopped ! It must be stopped ! " At last the signal was noticed, the firing was in- terrupted, and the Emperor sent his well-known message to the King of Prussia : "Having been unable to meet death at the head of my troops, I give up my sword to Your Majesty." The rest is too well known to need description: The personal surrender of the unfortunate Emperor, the pitiless terms of the conquering Germans, a whole army carried off as prisoners. It is evident that if the Emperor had retained any remnant of his former energies, matters would never have reached such a disastrous extremity, and that, like Francis Joseph of Austria after Solferino, he would have sought peace before that time, when the exigencies of the Germans would have been far less heavy than thej^ proved at a later period, after the 16 226 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES insane resistance carried on by Gambetta, who was so generous in shedding the blood of others (not even his countrymen, for he was a Genoese), driving the French like a flock of sheep to the shambles. The Empress had remained at the Tuileries in constant consultation with the ministers, in an agony of hope and fear, but still preserving delu- sions, still believing that one blow struck at the proper time would change the course of events. But, day by day, the war bulletins became more ap- palling, till at last a telegram was given to her : " The army is vanquished, and in captivity. I am myself a prisoner. " Napoleon." What the suffering of the following night must have been to the Empress is beyond imagination. Here was a wife and mother in the responsible posi- tion of Eegent, left to face the hatred of an exasper- ated mob, who, not unjustly, attributed the disas- trous war to her influence. She had said, or was believed to have said, " This is my war," and those unfortunate words will never be forgotten or for- given in France. The constant prosperity of the Empire had deluded her into the belief that it would always continue. She had looked forward to glory, to increase of territory, to the gratitude of the na- tion ; and she had only provoked a series of calami- ties such as the French had never yet seen. Now all hope was gone ; but still she could not immedi- ately realize the consequences of the Emperor's po- sition, and she could not imagine that in the very UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 227 presence of the conquerors the nation would reject its unhappy sovereign. Her first words on hearing the terrible news had been, " Do not think of me — think of France"; but France and the Empire still seemed to her inseparable. During the whole night ministers, senators, politi- cians, and deputies were coming and going, to and fro, from the Tuileries. All was confusion. Some remained, resting as they could in arm-chairs or on sofas, while servants brought refreshments. The Empress refused to take any rest, notwith- standing the entreaties of her attendants. At seven o'clock on the morning of the fatal fourth of Septem- ber (Sunday) she heard mass in her private oratory for the last time, and then received the ministers and General Trochu, the governor of Paris, who had said to her : " Madame, I am a Catholic, a Breton — a sol- dier — and I will die at your feet sooner than harm shall reach you ! " On that eventful morning he seemed still devoted to her, and discussed the measures to be taken for preserving order and putting down any insurrection, expressing to his colleagues the greatest admiration for her energy. A few hours later, General Trochu was at the head of the Provisional Government at the Hotel de Ville, while the Empress Eugenie was left to her fate. And yet the man was not a traitor. He was a talker, fond of making sonorous speeches, saying more than he meant, and then forgetting what he had said, full of 228 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES good intentions, but also full of vanity, considering himself indispensable to the safety of the nation, and sincerely convinced that all, including his promised allegiance to the Empress, must be sacrificed to the general good. Meanwhile, the progress of events was fearfully rapid. Every half-hour brought more disastrous news. The Chamber of Deputies had been invaded by the mob ; the downfall of the Empire had been decreed; the Republic had been proclaimed. The cries of the popular fury were heard in the very gar- dens of the Tuileries, and the enraged populace was coming nearer and nearer. The crowd reached the reserved garden in front of the palace, and tore down the emblematic imperial eagles. It was then a quar- ter past three in the afternoon. The Austrian and Italian ambassadors, who were at the palace (with other supposed friends of the Empire, and some sincere adherents), now en- treated her to leave the dangerous imperial home, but she warmly rejected the proposal. She was the daughter of a noble race ; the heroic blood of the Guzman s, her Spanish ancestors, flowed in her veins ; and she could not but consider flight as an act of cowardice. She " was a sentinel left to defend a post, and she would die there." The roar of the mob became louder and louder, the cries of " Vive la Republique ! " were distinctly heard. " Madame," then said the prefect of police, Pietri, " by remaining here you will cause a general massa- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 229 ere of all your attendants." She seemed struck by this, and turning to General Mellinet, she said : " Can you defend the palace without bloodshed ! " " Madame, I fear that it would be impossible." " Then all is over," said the Empress. She turned to those present : " Gentlemen, can you bear me wit- ness that I have done my duty to the last ? " They hastily answered, " Yes," still urging her to leave the palace, while the two ambassadors pro- tested that if she would go with them, they would answer for her safety under their protection. As they had long been on terms of friendship with her, and had always made great demonstrations of per- sonal attachment, the Empress trusted them without remembering that the first consideration in the sight of diplomatists is the interest of their respective courts. Let me hasten to add that her ever-faithful friend and follower, the Due de Bassano, was not there ; he was at the Senate-house vainly trying to stem the flood. Had he been within reach, he would never have left her to the exclusive care of aliens, however distinguished in rank and position. The Due de Tascher, who was so completely devoted to her cause, and who would have been able to make his voice heard with authority in any presence, had died two years before, and no one present dared to take the lead as to deciding what she ought to do, although the rapidly increasing danger of her situation was evident to all. 230 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES In the midst of this agitation and perplexity the Princess Clotilde appeared, coming from the Palais Royal, with her usual quiet resolution, prepared to share whatever danger might threaten the Empress. The latter immediately told her what had been pro- posed, and urged her not to remain in Paris. After the decision of the Empress had been made known to her, the Princess Clotilde retired, and prepared for her own departure, which she effected in royal fashion with all her accustomed state, and without the slightest opposition from the mob, who treated her with the greatest respect as she passed, perfectly calm as usual, on her way to the Lyons station in her well-known carriage. Meanwhile, the Empress bade farewell to all her attendants of the "service d'honneur," who were assembled in the rose-colored room — a fairy bower, ill suited as a frame for such a tragic picture, and which she was never to see again. No one knew where she was going — no one even inquired. The two ladies who were especially "in waiting " asked if they were to follow her, but she refused, saying that she would involve no one in her evil fortunes. Some writers have described in most romantic fashion these last scenes, rei^resenting the Empress as a sort of tragic queen, surrounded by weeping and devoted attendants, and making grand sonorous speeches to her ministers and ladies, bid- ding them farewell in the style of the final scene in Schiller's " Mary Stuart." The Empress was brave UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 231 and resolute, but she was not and could not be per- fectly calm and self-possessed in such a situation, with danger increasing every moment, and conflict- ing advice all around her. I have heard the Empress taxed with cowardice for her flight. But the bravest military commanders, who fear nothing on the battle- field, shrink from falling into the power of a lawless mob. The Empress had been warned that evils worse than death awaited her, and of these a wo- man cannot, and ought not, to accept the risk. The Empress had lived in a state of overwrought nerves and physical fatigue for some time ; to obtain even a little sleep, she had been obliged to have recourse to narcotics ; she had not even gone to bed on the pre- vious night, and had hardly tasted food. How could she be calm and collected under such circumstances ? She was not in the habit, at any time, of indulging in eloquent speeches ; she often expressed romantic, rather high-flown, thoughts or maxims, but she always spoke in short, abrupt sentences, rather disconnected, without any affectation. There was no time for eloquence on this occasion. She says herself in one of her published letters : "Trochu forsook me, if not worse; he never ap- peared at the Tuileries after the Chamber [of Dep- uties] was invaded by the mob any more than the ministers, with the exception of three, who urged me to leave." ' i "Lc n;ss should embark at midnight. At half-past eleven a police agent came on board and carefully examined every part of the yacht, at last leaving it perfectly satisfied that his suspicions were ground- less. It is not known how he was first led to suppose that the Empress might be there. Sir John Burgoyne 1 Deauville and Trouville are parts of the same town. 238 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES appeared perfectly indifferent, giving him every facil- ity for examining the vessel, but naturally felt much relieved when he went on shore, and, after watching his proceedings through night-glasses, and seeing him cross the bridge leading to the Trouville side, he went onshore himself at the place appointed for meeting the Empress. Soon he saw two ladies walking together, followed by a gentleman (the nephew of Dr. Evans) carrying a hand-bag kindly prepared by Mrs. Evans, and containing traveling necessaries. One of the la- dies immediately accosted him, saying, "I believe you are the English gentleman who will take me to Eng- land. I am the Empress," bursting into tears as she spoke. Sir John Burgoyne then told his name, and of- feringhis arm led her on board the yacht Gazelle, where Lady Burgoyne was presented to her. She eagerly asked for news of the Emperor and Prince Imperial, and begged for newspapers. As she stepped on board, she seemed frightened, but on receiving the assurance that she was perfectly safe, she replied gracefully : " I am, I know, safe with an English gen- tleman." She spoke English, which she knew well, and often used in conversing with the Emperor, when she did not wish to be understood by those around her. Her pronunciation of that language was per- haps less foreign than her French, which she spoke with a marked Spanish accent. She was much agitated on that evening, weeping frequently, as she spoke to Lady Burgoyne, saying that she had been shamefully deserted at theTuileries, UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 239 that her very servants had stolen things from her private apartments, and that on the fourth of Septem- ber, the day of her flight, she could not even get her ordinary servants to bring her breakfast, and her ladies had to perform menial offices to help her. At the same time she showed fortitude, but perhaps more confidence than was quite justified by the circum- stances, as six hours must elapse before the water would be high enough for the yacht to leave the dock. Sir John Burgoyne was exceedingly anxious, and in his fear of attracting attention by too much going to and fro, he desired Dr. Evans and his nephew to re- main on board. There was great noise in the town, all regular government having ceased, and the place being full of drunken, disorderly mobiles, whose riot- ous appearance alarmed Sir John Burgoyne so much that he called up his men, told them who was the lady whom he had taken on board, and warned them that they might possibly be called upon to de- fend the Empress. The men all answered that they would do their duty. Lady Burgoyne tried to persuade the Empress to take rest, but she was too much absorbed in her news- papers, and kept herself awake by drinking coffee. When the time came for leaving the harbor, the weather was so stormy that the crew became anxious as to the possibility of a small sailing-vessel like the (liLii-lfa encountering such a sea without perishing i 1 1 the attempt to cross the Channel. That very night the six-gun turret ship Captain, of the British navy, 240 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES with five hundred men on board, commanded, through a curious coincidence, by Captain Hugh Burgoyne, cousin of Sir John Burgoyne, foundered oft* Cape Finisterre. The danger was great, but everything had to be risked under such circumstances, and at seven in the morning the yacht Gazelle set off on her adventurous passage, which lasted eighteen hours. The nephew of Dr. Evans went on shore at six o'clock, but the latter, although he would have been fully justified in leaving the Empress under the care of Sir John Burgoyne, and although well aware of the danger, determined not to leave her till she had reached English soil, bravely risking his life in the attempt. Sir John Burgoyne also imperiled the life of his wife, who nobly accepted her share of the immense danger, and had but one thought, the care of her il- lustrious charge, whom she encouraged by her exam- ple, showing no sign of fear, although the small yacht shipped heavy seas by which at any time it might have been swamped, and struggled against wind and weather. The Empress and Madame Lebreton both showed calm courage, but many times they thought they had seen their last of land. At the worst of the tempest, when, as Madame Lebreton said, " Tout cra- quait autour de nous " (Everything seemed to give way around us), the Empress remarked that the storm in Paris had been worse still. Sir John Burgoyne remained on deck the whole time, commanding his yacht himself with able sea- RUINS OF THE VESTIBULE OF THE Tl ILERIES. ,. M * PHOTOGRAPH. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 241 mauship, and at two o'clock in the morning of the eighth of September he safely brought the sturdy little vessel to Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, where they anchored. At three o'clock an excellent supper was served in the main cabin, where the Empress, now relieved from present anxiety, joined the party and was very cheerful. Her health was drunk in cham- pagne, for which she returned thanks, expressing herself hopefully ; but it was noticed that, now she had recovered her self-possession, she became ex- tremely reticent in regard to political subjects, no longer complaining vehemently of those who had deserted her, or entering into the particulars of her grievances. She warmly expressed her gratitude to Sir John and Lady Burgoyne, and also her wish to give some token of her thanks to the crew. A gold piece of twenty francs (four dollars) to each man being considered sufficient by those around her, the men were summoned to the cabin, and each one re- ceived his gold piece from the hand of the Empress, who said as she gave it, in English, "I thank you very much." They were all delighted, but would not spend the coins, in which they punched holes to wear them as mementos. At half-past seven the Empress landed with Sir John Burgoyne, after her soiled traveling-clothes had been replaced by more fitting attire supplied by Lady Burgoyne. She was t.-tkoi at once to the York Hotel at Ryde, and from thence went over to Hastings, where she had t lie joy of meeting the Prince Imperial. 18 242 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES In a few days a group of Bonapartists formed a small court around her, and she settled at Camden Place, Chiselhurst, in a furnished country house placed at her disposal at a nominal rent by a wealthy Englishman named Strode. The Emperor was a prisoner at Wilhelmshohe, but was kindly and cour- teously treated. He was, nevertheless, heartbroken, thinking only of the sufferings of the army, to whom he sent all the money he could raise. To the last the poor Emperor was generous and unselfish, think- ing far more of the sufferings endured by others than of his own, cruel as they were. Even the Germans around him were completely won by his unvarying gentleness and patience, with the kindness ever ready to sympathize with all their own concerns, whether for weal or for woe. CHAPTER XXIII The Emperor in England — Visit of Lord Malinesbury — His im- pression of the interview — The Commune in Paris — What the leaders really were — Burning of the Tuileries — How effected. THERE were great official difficulties in the way of the much-desired visit of the Empress to Wilhelmshohe. At last, however, in December she determined to try a rapid journey, incognita, with- out informing any one of her intentions. This she managed to effect, but dared not take the Prince Imperial with her, notwithstanding his entreaties. Her arrival at "Wilhelmshohe was quite unexpected by the Emperor, who received her with a joy which he was obliged to conceal so as not to betray her identity. They were able, however, to converse together alone, and both derived great comfort from the short meeting. The capitulation of Paris and the treaty of peace, however, soon released the imperial prisoner, who then joined his wife and son at Chiselhurst. "We must again quote Lord Malinesbury, who, as an old friend, immediately went to see him: '• After a few minutes he came into the room alone, and with that remarkable smile which could light up 248 244 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES his dark countenance, he shook me heartily by the hand. I confess that I never was more moved. His quiet and calm dignity, and absence of all nervous- ness and irritability, were the grandest examples of human moral courage that the severest stoic could have imagined. " I felt overpowered by the position. All the past rushed to my memory : our youth together at Rome in 1829 ; his dreams of power at that time ; his subse- quent efforts to obtain it ; his prison, where I found him still sanguine and unchanged ; his wonderful es- cape from Ham ; and his residence in London, where, in the riots of 1848, he acted the special constable like any Englishman ; his election as president by millions in France in 1850 ; his further one by mil- lions to the imperial crown ; the glory of his reign of twenty years over France, which he had enriched beyond belief, and adorned beyond all other countries and capitals — all these memories crowded upon me as the man stood before me whose race had been so successful and romantic, now without a crown, with- out an army, without a country, or an inch of ground which he could call his own, except the house he hired in an English village. " I must have shown, for I could not conceal, what I felt, as, again shaking my hand, he said: 'A la guerre, comme a la guerre. * C'est bien bon de venir me voir ' (It is very kind of you to come to see me). " In a quiet, natural way he praised the kindness 1 A French proverb, meaning that we must bear the fortunes of war. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 245 of the Germans at "Wilhelinshohe, nor did a single complaint escape him during our conversation. He said he had been trompe (deceived) as to the force and preparation of his army, but without mentioning names ; nor did he abuse any one until I mentioned General Trochu, who deserted the Empress whom he had sworn to defend, and gave Paris up to the mob, when the Emperor remarked, ' Ah ! voila un drole ' (There is a villain). During half an hour he conversed with me as calmly as in the best days of his life. . . . When I saw him again in 1872 I found him much more depressed at the destruction of Paris, and at the anarchy prevailing over France, than he was at his own misfortunes ; and that the Communists should have committed such horrors in the presence of their enemies, the Prussian armies, appeared to him the very acme of humiliation and national infamy." His fate is now deeply regretted by the French of all classes, save a fraction of ardent republicans. If his son had lived he would, in all probability, gov- ern France at the present time, for all love his mem- ory, and all repeat how happy was the time of the Second Empire. The horrors of the siege and of the Commune are not, perhaps, sufficiently known outside of France. They have been described by enthusiastic writers, taking a one-sided view of the terrible subject, and who have presented a totally false picture. That among the Communists were many sincere and well- 16 246 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES meaning republicans, who, taking an imaginative view of events, indulged in fanciful, but cherished and honest dreams, is undeniable. It must also be ad- mitted that in the frightful reprisals after the entry of the troops, there were many innocent victims — poor workmen, especially — who had acted perforce to give bread to their families. But the majority of the leaders were monsters, whose sole object was their own gain, and who savagely massacred what stood in their way, with deliberate, merciless cruelty. Most of these men were governed by the mere ha- tred of what was above them, with the determina- tion to enjoy everything which others had enjoyed, and to destroy, rather than lose, what they had gained by robbery, lest others should obtain the ad- vantages which they now possessed. Under such circumstances it can be no matter of surprise that the last days of the Tuileries were at hand. Mean- while, the sovereign people, proud of entering the palace of kings, went there for dreary fetes during the siege and the Commune, while the "Marseil- laise " was recited by the tragic actress Mile. Agar, and a virago sang a street song, glorifying la canaille, " C'est la canaille ! eh bien, j'en suis," a proposition that none felt inclined to deny. But the palace of the Tuileries was soon to perish in a catastrophe recalling memories of Nineveh and Babylon. Bergeret, the Communist leader, had declared that UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 247 the Tuileries would be in ashes before he left it, aiid he kept his word. No one else should enjoy what he could not have. On May 21, 1871, the Ver- sailles troops entered Paris, and on the 23d Berge- ret, in a war council, decreed the destruction of the palace. In this dreadful task he was assisted by a butcher named Benot. During the afternoon of that fatal day omnibuses and carts loaded with gun- powder and petroleum repeatedly crossed the court of the Louvre and the Place du Carrousel, while their contents were thrown into the central pavilion of the Tuileries, called "Pavilion de l'Horloge." Benot collected petroleum in pails, with candles and brushes, and led his associates through the splendid galleries, where they dashed petroleum over the hangings, the floors, walls, and doors. Here and there they placed jars of petroleum, a barrel of gun- powder on the ground floor, and a heap of combusti- ble matter in the magnificent " Salle des Marechaux." All was connected by trains of gunpowder. When all was ready, with the delight of a mad- man Benot set fire to the building. At a few min- utes before nine the great clock stopped, under the influence of the fire. At ten o'clock the conflagra- tion was raging in all its fury, while Bergeret and his so-called " officers" went quietly to dinner at the Louvre barracks, and then came out on the terrace to enjoy the sight of their fiendish work. It was an awful, but magnificent spectacle. At eleven o'clock there was a terrific explosion, and 24S LIFE IN THE TUILERIES the central cupola, the chef-d'oeuvre of Philibert De- lorrne, fell in. At four o'clock in the morning the Communists, wishing to complete their work of de- struction, set fire to the priceless library of the Louvre, despite the entreaties of the keepers, who shed tears as they saw treasures impossible to re- place utterly destroyed. The whole building was threatened with destruction, including the picture- galleries and museums. Happily, MacMahon's troops arrived in time to save the latter. But the palace of the Tuileries was a mere wreck, though beautiful still. The graceful outlines yet re- mained; the stones were not blackened, but red- dened, by the flames, and seemed to bear a weird, lurid glow. The fire had done its work with strange caprice; here and there, amid the crumbling ruins, a wooden shutter or a piece of drapery had escaped. The hand of the clock dial still pointed to the fatal hour. Fragments of the velvet curtains embroid- ered with golden bees (the imperial emblem) could still be seen in the " Salle des Marechaux," and also, in the apartments of the Empress, the crimson hangings of the canopy over her bed. Nothing but the mere front of the building remained, however, in any shapely form, and the internal destruction could easily be discerned from the exterior. Still this sad memento of civil war and savage passions was worthy of preservation; it was beautiful with the sad beauty of the ruins of Heidelberg. The halo of its glorious past seemed still to surround it ; but ■' 53 W ~ffW .. - ■ r^jiw. THE PAVILION ' IF 1 LORA Al Tl K THE FIR! . rui tun conned wing ol the I ouvre. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 249 greater than its beauty was the lesson it conveyed of the consequences of revolutionary anarchy. The two pavilions at the extreme ends of the building have been restored: the Pavilion de Flore, looking on the quay and the Seine; the Pavilion Marsan, looking on the rue de Rivoli, where I lived for so many years ! This has been entirely rebuilt ; the Pavilion de Flore was less injured, and more easily repaired. The whole of the central part of the building, the chapel, the splendid " Salle des Marechaux," the apart- ments of the Emperor, Empress, and Prince Impe- rial, have been entirely pulled down, and the space on which they stood turned into a garden. Flowers now bloom, and children play, on the spot where Marie Antoinette shed such bitter tears ; where Madame Elisabeth tried to save her by the sacrifice of her own life ; where Napoleon I. brought his glory and his imperial crown ; where Josephine smiled and "won hearts" for her faithless hero; the palace from which the " King of Rome " ! would not go when his mother, Marie Louise, fled before the allies, and from which he was torn by force, cry- ing, " I will not leave my palace of the Tuileries ! " 2 ;i- if he foresaw he would never see it again; that palace whence two other monarchs fled in succes- sion, swept away by a storm of revolution, and where, after many changes and reverses, the grand- 1 Son of Napoleon I. and Marie Louise. - The I I'rincesse) Comtesse de Tascher was present at this scene. 250 LIFE IN THE TUILEEIES son of Josephine reigned, by the vote of the nation, with his beantiful consort, during a period of splen- dor, glory, and prosperity such as will never be seen again. It is said that before leaving the Tuileries, the Empress Eugenie stood for a moment motionless, with fixed gaze, repeating as if unconsciously: "A dream ! A dream ! A hollow dream ! " CONCLUSION The Empress and her son settle at Camden Place, Ckiselkurst — The Emperor joins them after the peace — First difficulties — Education of the Prince Imperial — Woolwich — Hopes of a restoration of the Empire — Tke Emperor's health — His un- expected death — The Prince receives a large number of Im- perialists on his coming of age — Passes his examination satis- factorily at Woolwich — His life at Chiselhurst — Difficidties — Hopes — He determines to join the English army in South Africa — His departure — His reckless bravery — He is killed in a reconnoissance — Particulars of his death — Announce- ment of the news to the Empress — Her journey to Zululand — Her present life. THE residence of Camden Place, Chiselhurst, had been offered to the Empress Eugenie as a loan, by the owner, Mr. Strode, in her first hour of dis- tressed perplexity on arriving in England as an exile. The Empress, however, insisted on paying rent; and after some discussion, Mr. Strode having finally accepted a nominal sum, the Empress and her son sorrowfully took possession of the shelter so quickly and providentially placed at their disposal. II'T'', the tutor of the Prince Imperial, M. Filon, im- mediately joined them, and the young Prince re- sumed his studies without delay. A few faithful followers, with members of the imperial family, hered round them, while the Duchessede Mouchy 251 252 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES (Princess Anna Mnrat) supplied the unfortunate Empress with the necessaries of which she was com- pletely deprived, having nothing but what Mrs. Evans had put into a traveling-bag for her use, with the dress taken from Lady Burgoyne's wardrobe to replace the travel-stained garb in which she had fled from the Tuileries. The revolutionary government having, however, authorized the removal of her per- sonal effects, they were speedily sent to her, and the strange inconveniences of her altered position ceased to exist. The Emperor, being, as he said, determined to share the fate of the army, refused all offers of lib- eration till the signature of the treaty of Versailles, by which the French prisoners were released. When they were free, but not till then, the Emperor joined the Empress and his son in England, where he was received, even by the people, with great warmth and sympathy. But the question of how they were to live was now the problem to be solved. The Emperor was proud to declare that all he had received from France had returned to France, and that he had taken nothing with him. After Sedan, and during his imprisonment at Wilhelmshohe, all the money in his possession, or that he was able to raise by personal sacrifice, had been sent for the relief of the war-prisoners in Germany ; he had nothing left. And this was fully characteristic of his nature from his earliest years. When a prisoner at Ham, during UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 253 the reign of Louis Philippe, horse exercise had been ordered, medically, as necessary for his health ; and although it could only be taken on the ramparts of the fortress, he greatly enjoyed this one resource of recreation. And yet he sold his horse to re- lieve the distress prevalent in the country around him. 1 In the same spirit he gave all he had to relieve the sufferings of the captive army. If he had not, from time to time, purchased land for the purpose of agricultural experiments, and model farms, etc., he would have been penniless ; but this private prop- erty, originally bought for philanthropic purposes, was now sold, and brought him the small fortune which we have before mentioned as having been sworn, on the Emperor's demise, in the Probate Court, as under £120,000. 2 The straits from which he suffered at first were painfully depicted in a letter from Torquay, where he had been sent by his medical advisers in the hope that a milder climate might relieve the suffer- ings which had been greatly increased by the in- tense cold of Wilhelmshohe. The Emperor stated that he had found benefit from the change, — that h<- would willingly remain longer; "but hotels are dear, and 1 must go back to Chiselhurst." The Empress had considerable property in Spain, and went over to her native land in order to effect the sale of her estates. The Emperor wrote to her: i See "Napoleon III. [ntime," by Fernand GKrandeau. - [bid. 254 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES "It is, no doubt, very painful to part with what has belonged to your family for so long a time ; but it is for the sake of our son's future." * Immense sums of money had been at the disposal of the Emperor, who had never thought of his own interests. The horrors of the Commune, and the anarchy in France, affected him far more than his own misfortunes; but they raised hopes of a reac- tion in his favor, which he valued for his son's sake. These were encouraged by the reports of his few faithful followers — how few, alas! for the honor of human nature ! It is certainly true — and all those who were in France at that time can bear witness — that, not- withstanding the reverses of the Empire, what had followed was so horrible that regret for past peace and prosperity was really awakened ; there was now a strong feeling of sympathy for the Emperor, and especially for the Prince Imperial — the "Petit Prince," whom all remembered with fond affection — the "Son of France." Beyond a small minority, no one cared for the Comte de Chambord ; and the large sum claimed by the Orleans princes as restitution, at the time when the coffers of the State were empty, and the nation was crushed by the terrible war-forfeit to Germany, had caused a general feeling of exaspera- tion against them, which had greatly damaged their cause. 1 Fernaiid Giraudeau. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 255 The confiscation of the property of the Orleans family was certainly the least justifiable act of the Emperor's reign, and was so completely in contra- diction to his generous nature and magnanimous spirit that it is impossible not to believe that it was suggested, and finally enforced, by unscrupulous advisers or too recklessly devoted partizans. But the time chosen by the Orleans princes for putting- forward their just claims was most inopportune, and was universally resented. Notwithstanding the symptoms of a Bonapartist reaction, the time had not yet come when a " return from Elba" could be risked; and the Emperor's greatest present care was the education of his son, superintended by himself, with the Prince's tutor, and the assistance of professors. The Emperor personally undertook to teach his son modern his- tory compared with that of past times; and in long conversations he strove to develop his judgment, and to initiate hi in in political questions concern- ing the government of nations. The Emperor no longer spoiled "Loulou," al- though, as ever, he was the kindest, the most affec- tionate of fathers — the friend and guide of his son, who, matured by adversity, now studied assiduously from seven o'clock in the morning till the same hour in thf evening, with no other interruption than was necessary for the ddjewner, and two hours devoted to dorse exercise. The whole imperial party lived at Chiselhursl in complete retirement, with 256 LIFE IN THE TUILEKIES only a few faithful attendants, who formed a small court around them, at the head of which was the Due de Bassano, who had immediately followed the Empress after her flight, and a few servants, most of whom had come from the Tuileries. The Emperor, however, soon felt that a more com- plete and more official course of instruction would be necessary for his son ; and, notwithstanding the objection that an English military school would be unwelcome to his French supporters, having none other within his reach, he applied to the Queen of England for permission to send the Prince Imperial to the Royal Academy at Woolwich. The Queen not only heartily gave the necessary authorization, but offered to dispense with the preliminary examina- tion. To this, however, the young Prince would not consent; and never did he accept any indulgence throughout the course of studies, although it is easy to understand that he labored under unusual dis- advantages, having had only foreign methods and training, which differ from what is usual in England. In October, 1871 — scarcely more than a year since his father's surrender at Sedan, and his mother's flight from the palace of his birth — after satisfac- torily passing the usual examination, the Prince Im- perial was admitted into the Royal Academy at Wool- wich, with his young friend, Louis Conneau. Both had this explanatory note affixed to their names : " Not as commissioned cadets, but as being author- ized to follow the course of studies with the cadets." UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 257 The Prince would accept no favor of any kind, and in every respect was treated like his comrades. In an interesting book by the Comte d'Herisson, " Le Prince Imperial," he describes a visit to Wool- wich after the death of the poor young Prince, and a conversation with General Simmons, who com- manded the military school during his stay there. General Simmons spoke of him with the highest es- teem and great affection. He explained to the Comte d'Herisson the impossibility of showing any favor to a cadet in the examinations. The questions are prepared and sealed at the War Office. The cadets do not know beforehand the questions which will fall to them, and the examiners are equally igno- rant of the authorship of the answers, which bear no signature, and are only marked by chance numbers. The young Prince liked his new life at Woolwich, and according to universal testimony he won the good-will and esteem of all his English comrades. Meanwhile, the chances of a Bonapartist restora- tion seemed to be ripening. An explanatory pam- phlet on the war of 1870, published under the name of the Comte de la Chapelle, but really written by the Emperor himself, had been much discussed by the press, and had produced a general and strong im- pression. The former partizans of the Empire now raised their heads and drew around the Emperor, offering their services. The Comte de la Chapelle (who assisted the exiled sovereign in his desk-labors, and acted as his emissary in many political matters) 17 258 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES succeeded in winning over other adherents ; so that soon the Emperor felt that he was supported by a powerful political party, able to lead on the masses, where there might be hesitation, but no hostility. A plan of action was carefully prepared, and the success of an appeal to the nation seemed more than probable. But the Emperor's health did not admit of the vigorous personal direction and cooperation which were necessary under such circumstances, and in the interest of his son, for whom he was ready to make any sacrifice, the Emperor consented to un- dergo the operation which was fated to have such a dire result. Although he had a nervous dread of the pain in prospect, he seems to have been kept in ignorance of the extent of the danger he had to en- counter, and of which the Prince Imperial, espe- cially, had no definite appreciation. He knew that his father had a serious internal malady, which pre- vented him from sharing his son's rides on horse- back ; the Prince knew also that surgical means had been considered necessary, but he was deceived by the perfect calmness of the Emperor, who showed no apprehension, and he did not foresee even the possibility of the calamity which was soon to befall him. " Dans tin mois — a cheval!" (A month hence — to horse !) said the Emperor, cheerfully, to the Comte de la Chapelle, only a few days before his death. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 259 The operation, which was performed by the slow and gradual process, was endured by the Emperor, several times, with perfect success. A letter from the Emperor's French physician, Baron Corvisart, quoted by the Comte de la Chapelle, dated January 11, 1873, was full of satisfaction for the present, and hope for the future. He says : " The Emperor has dined ; he has no fever ; all is going on as well as we could wish." Sir Henry Thompson, the operating surgeon, had again successfully performed two operations, and the thirteenth of January was appointed for the final ordeal ; but the condition of the Emperor seemed so favorable that the presence of the Prince Imperial was considered unnecessary, and on the twelfth he returned to Woolwich, little dreaming that he would never again see his father alive. The prominent English physician who principally attended on this occasion (while Sir Henry Thomp- son's care was purely surgical) had ordered a draught, prepared with chloral, to be taken on the evening of the twelfth of January. The Emperor ab- solutely refused to take it, saying that the draught had thrown him into a distressing state of prostra- tion on the previous night, that he felt no pain, and that, should it return, he would infinitely prefer to endure it rather than take the chloral. But the order of the attending physician was stringent; the Empress was called, and her en- treaties induced the Emperor to take the dose. 260 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES The chloral was taken at nine o'clock in the even- ing ; the Emperor fell into a deep sleep, from which he only momentarily awakened at ten o'clock on the following morning; but he was then, evidently, fast sinking. 1 He uttered a few unintelligible words, and as the Empress anxiously bent over him he made a motion as if to kiss her, and immediately expired. The grief and consternation of all around him were indescribable. The Comte de la Chapelle, from whose narrative we borrow these particulars, states that he arrived at Chiselhurst on that very morning, and was present at a sharp altercation between Sir Henry Thompson and the attending physician, on the subject of the dose of chloral. There was, un- happily, nothing to be done, and consequently the matter was hushed up. The Comte Clary had immediately set off to bring the Prince Imperial, when the first alarming symp- toms appeared, but of course all was over long be- fore he could reach Chiselhurst. The Empress went to meet him, and her first sobbing words, as she em- braced him: "My poor Louis, you are all I have left ! " contained the first positive assurance that all was indeed over; that his beloved father, his best friend, had been taken from him. The poor boy sobbed as if his heart would break 1 The writer begs to leave the full responsibility of this narrative, and its conclusions, to the Comte de la Chapelle, not having the pre- sumption to form a personal opinion. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 261 as he embraced the lifeless form; but after a par- oxysm of grief, by a truly Christian and affecting impulse, he fell on his knees, and repeated aloud the Lord's prayer. At the solemn funeral of Napoleon III. the de- meanor of the young heir of the Bonapartes awoke sympathy from all in the immense concourse of French, belonging to all classes, who came to offer a last mark of respect to their late sovereign. In an interesting paper on the Prince Imperial, published in the " Century Magazine " for June, 1893, Mr. Archi- bald Forbes thus describes the scene : " I never saw dignity and self-control more finely manifested in union, than when the lad, not yet seventeen, dressed in a black cloak, over which was the broad red ribbon of the Legion of Honor, fol- lowed his father as chief mourner along the path lined by many thousand French sympathizers ; and his demeanor was truly royal, when, later on that trying day, the masses of French artisans hailed him with shouts of 'Vive Napoleon IV.!' — and he stopped the personal ovation by saying: ' My friends, I thank you, but your Emperor is dead. Let us join in the cry of " Vive la France," ' baring at the same time his head, and leading off the acclamation." The best proof of the Emperor's unconsciousness of his own danger may be found in the fact that no will was discovered of more recent date than one written in 18G5, five years before the fall of the Em- pire, in which he left everything that he possessed 17* 262 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES as private property to the Empress, evidently sup- posing that his son would be his successor on the throne of France. It cannot be admitted that under such altered circumstances he would not have other- wise provided for his son, had he foreseen the possi- bility of a fatal issue to the operation. The Empress was sole guardian of her son; for Prince Napoleon, who, according to the French law, as the nearest relative, should have represented the paternal line in watching over the interests of the young Prince, characteristically refused to have any- thing to do with him, and left England immediately after the funeral of the Emperor. The young Prince then returned to Woolwich, where he studied assiduously, feeling that he was obeying the wishes of his father, for whose loss he could not be comforted. A year later, having reached his legal majority of eighteen years, he received the deputations from the different provinces of France, each deputation headed by a leader, bearing the provincial banner. More than ten thousand Frenchmen of every class had gathered at Chiselhurst, led by sixty-five pre- fects of the Empire, many members of the National Assembly, and twelve former ministers. A tre- mendous shout of " Vive l'Empereur ! " greeted the young heir as he appeared, with his mother by his side, surrounded by the leading Bonapartist states- men, and the representatives of the highest classes of Imperialists during the Empire. After the ad- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 263 dress of the Due de Padoue, expressing the faith of those around him in the future of the dynasty chosen by the nation, and bidding him to be pre- pared for what might, providentially, be in store for him, the young Prince, with a dignity and simplicity which greatly impressed all present, thanked them in the name of his father, recalling his principles and his teaching; he referred to the will of the nation, which should rise above all political parties, in the choice of what would best secure the public good ; he alluded to his own youth with great mod- esty, and concluded with the following declaration : " When the hour has come, if another government should be preferred by the majority of the nation, I will bow respectfully to the decision of the country ; but if the name of Napoleon, for the eighth time, should be chosen by the people, I am ready to ac- cept the responsibility imposed upon me by the vote of the nation." The enthusiasm aroused by this simple, manly speech spread far and wide. The young Prince still required ten months of study to finish the course of instruction begun at Woolwich. Many of his advisers thought that, having taken the position of a Pretender, there would be some loss of dignity in returning even to a military school ; but he was extremely anxious to pass his final examinations, and it was settled that he should resume his studies. How thoroughly he worked to carry out his father's views in sending 264 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES him to Woolwich may be inferred from the fact that, in consequence of the before-mentioned dis- advantages under which he labored, he had been twenty-second in a class of thirty-five during the year 1873 ; but when he left the Royal Academy in 1875, he had outstripped his competitors, and now held the position of seventh among thirty-five, with the option, had he entered the Queen's service, of choosing between the engineers and artillery. On his return to Chiselhurst he became the offi- cial representative of the Bonapartist cause, but was, nevertheless, condemned to lead a life which could only be most irksome to a young man. The Empress necessarily lived in retirement, and, like many other mothers, she did not sufficiently understand the craving for independence felt at the time of the approach to man's estate by all youths of any spirit. To the Empress he was still the child for whom strict discipline was necessary. Her po- sition gave her complete control over him; and, with the idea of preserving him from the dangers of his age and rank, she fully exercised that control. She feared for him the example of the Prince of Wales and the young men of his court; she feared the treacherous allurements of French adventurers with wonderful plans for bringing about the restora- tion of the Empire; she feared the habits of the rich young English noblemen with whom he must associate; and, to guard against all these evils, she gave him as little money as possible. A small al- UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 265 lowance for mere pocket-money was all that was granted to him, the Empress repeating in answer to all remonstrances: "Let him ask me for what he wants, and he shall have it." But what spirited lad of his age would submit to the necessity of always applying to his mother, and explaining his wishes — especially in a country where the " apron- string" is always mentioned with contempt? The Prince was a dutiful son, and did not rebel against his mother's will; but all agree in saying that he suffered acutely from the straits in which he was kept, and the humiliation of appearing as a pauper among the wealthy. A story is told by the Comte d'Herisson of a dinner given by the Prince at St. James's Hotel, Piccadilly, to Count Schouvaloff, and to which he had invited General Fleury. The latter had brought with him Arthur Meyer, a young jour- nalist, now editor of the " Gaulois " newspaper. This was unforeseen by the poor young Prince, whose supply of money had been reckoned so closely that when the bill had to be paid he was thirty shillings short, and was forced to borrow from General Fleury. The humiliation of such a necessity in the position of the young Prince will be understood by all. An- other anecdote is related of a conversation with his former equerry, Bachon, who, considering that the horse used by the Prince Imperial was not worthy of his rider, proposed to him another, costing six thousand francs ($1200). The Prince replied that he had not the money at his disposal; on which 266 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES Bachon immediately offered to speak to the Em- press, and lay the matter before her. The Prince quickly and decidedly forbade him to ask her for anything. An explanation followed; after which honest Bachon, with tears in his eyes, declared that his Prince should have a suitable horse, and that he would pay for it himself by selling a small vine- yard that he possessed. The Prince was much af- fected, but of course prevented the sacrifice of the vineyard. In his will he left an annuity of five thousand francs ($1000) to his faithful Bachon. There is much to be said on both sides with re- gard to these delicate matters. The young Prince was deprived of his natural guide by the death of his father, and at the same time was raised to a particularly prominent and dangerous position at a too early age. His mother was certainly justified in fearing that he might be led into many errors. It is not easy under such circumstances to judge exactly how far it is wise to loosen the grasp of the reins. The Empress Eugenie held them with a firm hand. She feared the naivete — what has been called " childishness " — of some points noticed in the char- acter of the young Prince ; and she did not under- stand that incessant dictation, incessant control, incessant watchfulness, would not tend to develop those qualities of determination in authority, and others necessary for a ruler of men. He was imagi- native like his mother: " full of delusions," as Maxime UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 267 Du Camp (the well-known writer of the " Revue des Deux-Mondes ") described him to me after a visit to Chiselhurst; although he admired his character in every respect, and repeated: "II est tres bien. vl But the Prince was scarcely allowed to have an independent opinion, and was guided by others in all things. He soon longed for emancipation. There was some question of a journey round the world, but various difficulties caused this plan to be given up. He traveled to Italy with his mother; to Sweden with the Comte Murat and his mother's devoted sec- retary, Franceschini Pietri. Wherever he went he gained the good will and esteem of all who were in contact with him. "When he returned to the weary home at Chiselhurst he mixed in London society ; but all this could not satisfy his yearning for decided action — his earnest wish to show him- self the worthy representative of an illustrious name. Surely such feelings are high and noble, and should not be stigmatized as " ostentation," or else all the chivalry of past days must be open to the same accusation. He wished to show that he was not a mere carpet-knight, but a soldier in earnest, ready to " do his duty " fearlessly. But how, in his situ- ation, could he get an opportunity of revealing the " sacred fire " that burned in his veins ? He applied to the French government for permission to join 1 In French the praise is higher than could be expressed by a literal translation, and signifies: "He is everything that he should bo." 268 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES the troops fighting in Tonqnin, but was refused; and meanwhile the sneers and ridicule heaped upon him by adverse French newspapers stung him to the quick. Nothing seemed open to him till the disaster of Isandlwana, and the hurried departure of English troops to retrieve the reverses in Zulu- land. Here, then, was the opportunity for which he had longed. His comrades of Woolwich were going — they would be exposed to the dangers of savage warfare; and he would not be a soldier of mere parade. He would share their peril, and would show his gratitude to the Queen of England by fighting under her flag. He did not stop to consider whe- ther he would there be in the place belonging to a Bonaparte. He forgot the rancor of former times in present dreams of glory, and perhaps other " de- lusions" added to those already noted by Maxime Du Camp. The purpose, attributed by Mr. Forbes to the English court, of promoting the overthrow of the French Republic by giving the Prince an opportunity to distinguish himself is, according to my belief, a complete mistake. There is no more truth in the statement that there was a "project of marriage" between the Prince Imperial and a daughter of the Queen of England. There was, in fact, a youthful and delusive romance, but which no one contemplated seriously. The Queen, who had prevented the marriage of her niece 1 with Na- poleon III., then at the zenith of prosperity, on the 1 Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe. See Memoirs of Lord Malmesbury. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 269 ground of insecurity and difference of religious faith, would not be likely to unite her favorite daughter to the precarious fate of the exiled Prince Imperial. That the Queen encouraged his wish to join the South African expedition is really true ; but it may well be supposed that both the royal mother and the Prince of Wales — who did not foresee the too sad consequences of the consent given — were glad to welcome a natural interruption to a youthful love-story, which could not be taken into practical consideration. The sorrow, not unmixed with self- reproach, felt by the kind-hearted Queen, after the catastrophe, is well known. The ill-feeling, alluded to by Mr. Forbes, on the part of the French nation toward England since that time, is founded on the lamentable desertion of the young Prince, which caused his untimely fate, and not on any suspicion of a conspiracy or intrigue against the French Ee- public, every one being well aware that the part played by the English government in such matters has invariably been strictly neutral. The young Prince told no one of his plans till they were definitely settled, and the earnest opposi- tion of his friends and advisers could no longer pre- vail. The Empress herself knew nothing of his intentions till they were irrevocable. Several of the young Imperialists, who had been his personal friends, asked to follow him, and to form a sort of guard of honor around him. It is doubtful whether the English government would have consented to 270 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES such an arrangement, but the proposal was never submitted to their examination, being, at once, char- acteristically rejected by the Empress, who replied : " My son goes as a soldier, and must share the fate of other soldiers, with equal protection, but no more." On the eve of his departure from Chiselhurst, the young Prince summoned the domestic servants of the household around him, saying that before he left the country, for a long and perilous voyage, he wished to thank them for their services, and shake hands with them. All shed tears, but they afterward remembered with renewed sadness how bright and hopeful he seemed, as he shook hands with each in turn, bid- ding them a hearty and friendly farewell. The hurry of departure did not lead him to forget the duties incumbent upon all Catholics when about to encounter perilous adventures; and at an early hour in the morning he was seen running across the fields, to the Catholic chapel of Chiselhurst — the same where his remains were laid when brought back to England. The rest of the sad tale is well known. His ar- rival in South Africa — especially intrusted to the care of Lord Chelmsford by the Commander-in- chief, the Duke of Cambridge; his appointment on the staff; his reckless bravery and love of enter- prise, which led him several times into considerable danger, and which induced Lord Chelmsford to give UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 271 Colonel Harrison a written order that "the Prince should not quit the camp without a written permis- sion from his lordship? says Mr. Forbes; who ad- mits that "the military arrangements were lax," which is the sole possible explanation for the fact that, notwithstanding this prohibition, Colonel Har- rison allowed him to go on the fatal reconnaissance with Lieutenant Carey. There seems to have been the grossest mismanagement throughout. No one appears to have clearly understood who was to com- mand the expedition, Carey repudiating all responsi- bility, while Colonel Harrison maintained that he had intrusted the command of the escort to Carey. So far as it is possible to extract the truth from con- flicting testimony, it would seem that Carey had the real command, but, as a matter of courtesy, left to the Prince the mere utterance of the orders, which came from himself. An escort of six white men and six Basutos had been requisitioned; but the latter never joined the party, thus reduced to the Prince, Lieutenant Carey, a sergeant, a corporal, four troop- ers, and a black native guide, nine persons in all. The rest of the sad story may be briefly summed up, the facts being generally known : the imprudent sense of security of all the party, till the sudden sur- prise by the Zulus, before they had time to obey the order to mount ; and the mad panic which caused a general flight, headed by Carey. It is best here to transcribe the graphic account given by Mr. Forbes : " As to the Prince, the testimony is fairly unani- 272 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES hious. Sergeant Cochrane stated that he never ac- tually mounted, but had foot in stirrup, when, at the Zulu volley, his horse, a spirited gray, sixteen hands high, and always difficult to mount, started off, pres- ently broke away, and later was caught by the sur- vivors. Then the Prince tried to escape on foot, and was last seen by Cochrane running into the donga [ravine], from which he never emerged. . . . The most detailed evidence was given by trooper Lecocq, a Channel islander. The Prince was unable to mount his impatient horse, scared as it was by the fire. One by one the troopers galloped by the Prince, who, as he ran alongside his now maddened horse, was endeavoring in vain to mount." And not one of these. men gave him a helping hand to hold the horse one moment, which would have en- abled such a perfect horseman to vault into the saddle. Mr. Forbes continues : " The Prince was left alone to his fate. The horse strained after that of Lecocq, who then saw the doomed Prince holding his stir- rup-leather in one hand, grasping reins and pommel with the other, and trying to remount on the run. No doubt he made one desperate effort, trusting to the strength of his grasp on the band of leather crossing the pommel from holster to holster. That band tore under the strain. I inspected it next day, and found it no leather at all, but paper-faced — so that the Prince's fate was really attributable to shoddy saddlery. Lecocq saw the Prince fall back- ward, and his horse tread on him and then gallop ■L 111 THE PRINCE IMPKRIAL, IN ARTILLERY UNIFORM. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH Br THE LONDON STEREOSCOPIC CO, UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 273 away. According to him, the Prince regained his feet, and ran at full speed toward the donga, on the track of the retreating party. When, for the last time, the Jerseyman turned round in the saddle, he saw the Prince still running, pursued only a few yards behind by some twelve or fourteen Zulus, as- segais in hand, which they were throwing at him. None save the slayers saw the tragedy enacted in the donga." When the Empress Eugenie went to see the spot where her gallant son had met his fate, the Zulus who had attacked him were discovered and ques- tioned ; they all said that when he saw he was for- saken and could not escape, " he turned on us like a young lion," and made a desperate defense. The body when found had seventeen wounds, one in the right eye, from an assegai, which the surgeons deemed was the first received, and immediately fatal. Let us hope that their appreciation is justified ; but others stated that the wounds in the left arm seemed to have been received while holding it as a shield before his face. Mr. Forbes (an eye-witness of the scene) thus describes the finding of the body : "He was lying on his back. His head was so bent to the right, that the cheek touched the sward. His hacked arms were lightly crossed over his lacer- ated chest, and his face, the features of which were nowise distorted, but wore a faint smile that slightly parted the lips, was marred by the destruction of the right eye from an assegai stab." 18 274 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES He adds : " His wounds bled afresh as we moved hiin. Round the poor Prince's neck his slayers had left a little gold chain, on which were strung a locket set with a miniature of his mother, and a reliquary containing a fragment of the true cross which was given by Pope Leo III. to Charlemagne when he crowned that great prince emperor of the West, and which dynasty after dynasty of French monarchs had since worn as a talisman." The body was taken back to the camp, wrapped in a cloak and placed on the lance-shafts of the cavalry- men ; and after embalmment, such as could be prac- tised under the circumstances, and a solemn funeral service in the camp, the homeward journey began, which was to be principally effected on board of the Orontes, whence the bier was transferred at Spithead to the Admiralty-yacht Enchantress, which carried it to Woolwich, where funeral honors began. Immediately after the catastrophe the Queen was informed by telegram sent to Balmoral, and she at once set off on her return journey to Wind- sor. By order of the Queen, Lord Sidney went to Chiselhurst to inform the French suite of the ter- rible news, and to urge them to prepare the Empress for a calamity which might be too suddenly revealed by some accidental circumstance. But no one could summon courage to inflict such a blow. The Due de Bassano, 1 overpowered by his own personal grief — 1 The following particulars were related to the writer by the Due de Bassano himself. UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 275 for he was deeply attached to the poor young Prince — implored Madame Lebreton to break the news to the bereaved mother. " You are a woman : you will know better what to say to her — how to prepare and to comfort her." But Madame Lebreton vehe- mently retorted, "I should drop down dead in her presence before I could utter the words ! " Meanwhile, the Empress seems to have heard vaguely that a telegram had been received addressed to her secretary, Pietri, who was absent ; and during the before-mentioned discussion she sent for the Due de Bassano, who had no choice left but to obey the summons. " Bassano," said the Empress, " what is this about a telegram received? Have you news from Zulu- land?" "Yes, Madame," answered the Duke mournfully, "and the news received — is not good." "What? Is my son ill?" asked the Empress eagerly. "There has been an engagement," faltered the Duke. " Is Louis wounded ? " "Yes." " We must go to him directly," cried the Empress, starting up. "Preparations must be made imme- diately ; we must go up to London and embark for the Cape. Give orders at once, my dear Duke ! " "But, Madame, how are we to embark? Ships do not leave every day for the Cape." 276 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES "Oh, we shall find means — we can hire one if necessary." "But such arrangements would require time — ■ and — your Majesty ivould arrive too late." The Empress turned and looked full in the Duke's face, down which tears were flowing. She uttered a cry, and fell as if stricken by a thunderbolt; he was just in time to receive her in his arms. I shall never forget the tone of anguish in which the Due de Bassano said, when relating the above : "I had rather be shot any day than go through such a scene again." The crushing grief of the unfortunate mother was continually revived during the torturing weeks pre- ceding the arrival of her son's remains by receiving his letters, sent by the mails before the telegram announcing the catastrophe. She could not open them till some time had elapsed. The last, written in pencil, was dated on June 1st, immediately before starting on the fatal reconnaissance. The contrast between the bright and joyous tone of these letters and the circumstances in which they were received was heartbreaking to the mother when, at last, she opened these messages from the dead. The magnificence of the funeral need not be de- scribed. It was a poor atonement; but such as it was, the English nation could offer no more, and their sympathy was heartily given. The Queen and Princess Beatrice wept " so bitterly that they could UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 277 hardly stand," was the expression nsed by the Dnc de Bassano. All France had sent deputations with funeral wreaths, and Englishmen of all ranks at- tended in crowds. The only person present who preserved his composure was Prince Napoleon, who refused to see the Empress after the ceremony, and immediately left England for Paris. It is known that the Empress has now left Chisel- hurst, where all the recollections awakened were too painful, and is settled at Farnborough, not far from Windsor, where she finds comfort in the sympathy and friendship of the Queen. The remains of her husband and son have been transferred to Farn- borough. She lives in retirement with Madame Lebreton, her secretary, Pietri, and one or two other faithful followers. The Due de Bassano, having reached a very advanced age, is now replaced in his official capacity by his son, the Marquis de Bassano, who accompanied the Empress in her sad pilgrim- age to the spot where her son fell so gallantly, and where she seemed to find a sort of consolation in gathering every detail, every testimony, which could still further honor his memory. No one seems to be exactly acquainted with her present financial position ; but judging from appear- ances it may be supposed to be one of liberal comfort. The sale of her private jewels produced a large sum, and her own fortune is considerable. Her residence at Farnborough is handsome and well ar- ranged ; she has, also, a villa near Mentone, which 278 LIFE IN THE TUILERIES is described as a paradise, where she seeks a refuge from English winters. But the life of the Empress Eugenie is ended. After having known the most exceptional prosperity ever granted to any woman, she remains alone and almost forgotten, save by a few faithful friends — having lost all that she prized as an Empress, all that she loved as a woman. What is left to her can scarcely be valued or en- joyed after such reverses. Some of those who wish her well regret that she should have chosen to live on French ground in her southern home ; and still more that she should now reappear in Paris, where once she reigned supreme, in a hired dwelling opposite to the vacant spot where the Tuileries once stood. This regret is in- creased by the fact that she is not popular in France, and that the part she played during the Empire is judged with unjust malevolence. Eugenie de Montijo was raised to an unnatural elevation, for which nothing in her past life or edu- cation had prepared her; and if all circumstances be considered, it must be allowed by all who are not blinded by prejudice that few women could have gone through such an ordeal without having more cause for self-reproach. A woman so beautiful, so nattered, so admired, and so deeply wounded by her husband's errors, who yet never fell from her high estate, notwithstanding every temptation; one so spoiled by fortune as to be able to indulge in every caprice, and who was ever kind and charitable ; who, UNDER THE SECOND EMPIRE 279 after being betrayed and deserted by those whom she trusted, has no unkind word for the traitors, nor has ever sought for revenge ; whose errors were those of a high and noble nature, ill regulated by defective guidance, but not the less real — such a woman deserves respect in the present and indul- gence for the past. She was dazzled by the splendor of her exalted position; for a time she thought only of pleasure and enjoyment, but no bad act can be laid at the door of the Empress Eugenie. Her faults were trifles in themselves, and became important only in consequence of the obligations of a situation which she never completely understood. She has now suffered the deepest sorrow ; she has lost all for which she was so much envied. Let us hope that her last years may be spent in peace. University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed. QL APFU5 £g JUN o ■ uc SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FAC LITY AA 000 177 584 o ^ (eries- under the" M&Tgiaiiiitmm Gmp/rc