The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-30 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

Crams ours owzi commerowurer.)
PARIS, WITNINDAT Eva:eter.
An interesting chapter on Paris marriages is
afforded by the report of a trial this week. M.
Lachaud appeared on behalf of the Countess de
Tolna, nee deVilna,to ask for a separation d mensa et
there from her husband, Count Sigismond Festetits
de Tolna, one of the Emperor of Austria's chamber-
lains. From the statement of counsel it appeared

that the parties were married at the mayoralty of
the 9th Arrondissement in Paris, on July 30, 1864.

The lady was then only 19 years old—the husband

42. She had nothing—he had a large fortune,
besides his rank and position at the Austrian court
already mentioned. He fell in love with her sud-
denly at an evening party at which he met her
with her mother, Madame Inure Godefroy, some-
times calling herself Godefroy de Vilna. The cir-

cumstanoes of the courtship and subsequent mar-

riage are amply explained by the folloiv"ig cor-
respondence which was read in court.
Shortly after the evening party at which he lost
his heart the Emperor of Austria's chamberlain
wrote to the mother of the young lady the following
letter : _

I desire to marry a young virtuous orphan, whose father
and mother were of noble birth, whether belonging to the
old or new nobility. I should like to know whether she
is in good health, and whether she does not object to
smoking. What are her ordinary occupations ? Is she too
religious! How many relatives has she! Has she any in
Paris, and in what position are they ? Does she like
pleasure tours? Does she understand housekeeping! Is
she gentle, good-tempered, economical, and regardless of
frivolous luxury ? I have lost both father and mother ; I
have • great many relations, bet my wife will be quite in-
dependent of my family, whom I only visit in turn every
five or six years. My father was of Hungarian orien.
My mother, née Countess de Sermage, belonged to a French
family which came from Lorraine. I reside at Boulogne.
sur-Seine, Rue Neuve d'Aguesseau, No. L
On► a separate sheet of paper he enumerated as
fo"ows what he called his ordinary occupations
Ever since 1847 I have been in the habit of travelling
for pleasure and instruction in various parte of the world.
lam much occupied with literary pursuits—l am pro-
prietor and director of • non-political journal (Le Pilerin).
I am • good Christian, I give away a great deal in charity,
but I never suffer any one to dictate to me what lam to
give. Having passed my early youth in the cavalry I
fancy I have maintained the tastes of an officer and a
gentleman, but I neither drink, play, nor hunt. I never
was in debt—l never kept mistresses—l like public
amusements better than drawing-room life—l am fond of
concerts, theatres, races, excursions and voyages.
I play the piano and the organ. I intend to live
in Pa.•s or the neighbourhood 'and shall have
• good establishment. As to the mansgen.ent of the
household, I shall arrange with my wife for our mutual
convenience. I shall receive Done but our common friends.
I care little for high societyand sumptuous living, although
my position as a chamberlain makes it necessary that I
should sometimes pay visits to ministers, ambassadors, and
great personages. lam altogether devoted to the French
Emperor. When I travel I take no servant with me. I
smoke a great deal, and I could not give up this habit,
which has become a necessity, as it was for my father be-
fore me, and nobody has ever yet blamed me for it. The
greater part of my fortune is lodged in the Bank of France.
I owe no man anything.
COUNT SIGISIIOAD FE:SMITE DE TOLNA,
Chamberlain to the Emperor of Austria.
The mamma immediately answered this letter in
the following terms :
Monsieur le Comte,—lf you have not changed your
mind, and desire to become more intimately acquainted
with my daughter, you may come to see us either in Paris,
or, better still, at Saint Germain, where I have a cottage.
But before things go further, it is most essential that you
should satisfy me that no obstacle exists to the marriage
you propose either on the score of birth or fortune. I be-
lieve you to be too much a gentleman to desire uselessly to
trouble the virgin beast of a young girl. My notes/ must
have shown you my letter of the 13th. You will
have seen that my daughter has nothing at pre-
sent, and that I cannot yet tell what expecta-
tion■ she may have for the future. Her father
has hitherto taken care of her, he is a man of honour, and
not likely to fail in his duty. As to myself, my means are
limited, it is true ; but I am perfectly independent. I
have, on the ground of my =STOW' income, lived habitually
away from Paris, where masters are very expensive, with-
out being better than those which I have always contrived
to find for my daughter. I have received the number of
your newspaper which you were good enough to send me.
Allow me to say that I think the philosophy of proverbs
remarkably well handled.—Receive, M. le Comte, die.,
Metz, 20 June, 1864. LEVEE CiODZEZOT.
A few days later Mdlle. Lure de Vilna wrote
this letter to the candidate for her hand :

July 9, 1864.
I have long desired to write to you. Mamma now
allows me. lam happy to tell you that my views of life
are altogether conformable to yours. You like travel, so
do I. I should like to go on with my drawing and music,
which are my greatest resource. Literature will have
great charms for me when I shall be able to follow it more
seriously. You smoke ; we will smoke as much as ever you
like. lam glad that you will receive our common friends,
it would have been very painful to me to give up the
people whom I have known from my infancy. I should be
very glad to learn how to ride and swim. At present I
have but very slight notions of either of those exercises. I
like the Emperor as you do ; he posseeses my entire ad-
miration. As to the management of a household I have
little experience indeed, but I have no doubt that with
your valuable advice I shall soon be able to do all you could
wish ; you are good, and therefore indulgent. I have,
alas ! no marriage portion to bring you but the agree.
hope of rendering you happy and my youth and beauty.
(The latter words, which clash terribly with the assumed
character of the timid, blushing maiden, were, M.
Lachaud stated parenthetically, in a different hand-
writing from the rest of the letter, and were
added by the mother.] And now that serious
matters are disposed of, will you dons the favour to come
to dinner on Tuesday! Mamma expecte yea, and I wish
you patinas* to come. We shall be moat cishibtad to
toe you halve= as at our table. Till then I trust in God
and m- ..; Lama Di Vaasa.
The dinner was speedily followed by a marriage.