The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-07-03
UyREAsoxISs TYRANNY.

Dupre, in his 'Ricordi Ausobiogratici'
tells . curious story of the Princes
unreasonable despotism over his wife.
1t occurred just before these two dis
graceful scsnes. Dupre was at that
tine the favorite sculptor Of DemidoE.
One day the Princess MAthilde went
TO Dupres studio and said she wished
her portrait statue modelled and put
into marble. She told Dupre he must
not speak Of il TO her husband. IS she
intended It Tor gift. sad Hs a surprise
70 him. Shs gave Dupre several sit
tings. The ststuette for it Was half the
size OF life. and most successful, and
tie iksuee s~y good. sOSs day DEM
ido6 came into the stndis, sxamiBsd
everything with great curiosity. in-
sisted upon having this ststuette un-
covered: vas very angry when he saw
il. ordered the sceipsor TO break It up.
md TO tell the Princess when she cSine
Ter the next sitting that he had forbid
den the work tn proceed. Demidoff
wss Dupre's NEST, Important patron;
thus the sculptor dared not disobsy
him. 90 the statuette went into the clay
heap.
ENPHRoR SIcnnLAs's INrERvESrIsN.
Soon after the scene in the ballroom
the Emperor Nicholas came to Italy
and visited Florence Of course Prince
DsmidoG entertained his sovereign. Il
was observed by everyone. however.
that the Emperor treated Dsmidof with
haughty coldness. and tie princess with
. tenderness that was paternal. When
his Majesty visited the villa for the
first time he said to Demidotf. as they
reached the door Of the Priueess's
apartment: Vous Prince. atiez fairs e
serricS du- sdlop ds rotre fenamas." The
Princs bowel and left, not in . very
good humor The Emperor and the
young wife asd . long interview. during
which she told all her troubles and her
husbands cruel brutality. Nicholas
spared the Prince no humiliation while
be WAS in Florence. After the 1mperi-
sl visit the Prince and h,s wife went to
PAris. Wnil. th-r- DE nd # .ec~,.ei
an iupireal suun n, t. go u st.
Petefsburg. " hen he arrived An act
of divorce vas waiting for him; Lis
wife had asked for it. aud the Eu.spror
had signed it. Toe Priacess never re
turned to Florence and they never met
again. She had taken her splendid
jewels with her. but the main part of
her superb wardrobe remained ut the
Florentine villa. the uiaenifie- mt India
cashmeres. lsces, etc. The Prince on
his return found them packed ready to
BE- sent to his wife. showing that when
they left together for Paris she did not
expect 10 return. He never sent these
boxes. and he also refused to make the
Princess "a allowance. saying she
brought him 90 dot. The Czar, how.
ever. settled thst difficulty promptly.
He made Dem idoff assign property to
his wife that would yield her 2oO. 600
francs annually for her lifetime.
THE PRINcEss FoRGRTs DEMIDoFF.
Many years after, when the Prin-
osss MAthilds Was living in Paris with
her literary and artistic court about
her. post asked permiasiOu to dedicate
HE volume Of poems to her. The book
was bound splendidly With ths Bona.
parte arms on one side and Dsmidoff
on the other. When the Princess re-
csived the volume shs looked ut the
Demido& eublAzoumeut and asked
what it was. The embarrassed author
out an explanation. "Ah
on" abe said slowly. 40 il recalling
fAr-of memory. "ces ont mes arnsoiries
DsmidoT!" During her cousin Louis
Napolson's reign. the Princess Math,lds
vss literary sovereign. in her hotel
81. 0ernain. PAriA Thsophils Gautisr
YES her librarian. and st. Beuvs, Du-
mas. Goncourt. Merimee aud other such
distinguished literary men habitues Of
her salon.