Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-09
THE LOVES OF AN EMPEROR.
Marguerite Bellanger in the Role of "a
Middle Aged Wife and Mother.

In the leafy little suburb of BOulOgne, a
half dozen miles from Paris, stands a rus
tic villa ON the Boulevard du Quatre Sep
tembre, inhabited by respectable mer-
chant and his wife, who is fair-haired.
plump, distinguished in manner, charita-
bic in her works and much beloved by the
neighbors. She is forty-five years old and
has been married nearly twenty years.
Her maiden name is not known TO many
Of the jewellers At Boulogne-sur-Seine. 1t
was FRANCHISE Lebeuf.
There has just died in Paris man who
knew Mile. FRANCHISE LebRuf, when Paris
knew her as Mile. Marguerite Bellanger,
an actress OF no great account, playing at
the Porte Saint-Martin. This is NJ. De-
vienne, formerly President Of tbs Cour de
Cessation, a notability of the Second EN-
pire. 1t was in 1864 that NJ. Devienne
was suddenly summoned to the Tulleries.
He found the Emperor in great agitation.
The Empress was living in her own apart
ments and declined to see her husband.
NJ. ROuher, NJ. Fleury and others of the
court had tried in vain to make peace.
What had happened? Napoleon III. took
Nj. Devienne into his private cabinet and
explained.
a few hours later NJ. Devienne was on
his way to the town of Saumur. Just out
side the town is the village of Villebernier
village NJ. Devienne found pretty young
woman, in short petticOat and white cap
and wooden shoes, seated at table with
her admiring parents beside her and a
bowl Of vegetable soup before her. Not at
all surprised to see this great luminary of
the law, she babe her parents leave the
room, held consultation with NJ. De-
vienne, cleared the table, took pen and
ink and wrote the following letter as it
was dictated to her:
''SIR-YOu have asked me about my
relations with the Emperor. At what
ever price | will tell you the truth 1t is
terrible to confess that L have deceived
him, for l owe all to him. He has done
so much for me that l will confess every
thing. My child was not born in seven
but nine months. Tell him that / ask his
pardon. | have your word of honor, sir,
that you viii keep this letter.
" MARGUERITE BELLANGER."
Marguerite BelIanger and Napoleon III.
had met at Vichy, where the gOssips ac-
cused the Emperor of being on too init
mate terms with a young lady in waiting
in attendance on the Empress. They met
again at COmpiegne, at BiarritZ, at Paris :;
and their relations attracted so much at
tentiOn that the dy-in-Waiting was for
gotten. On February "a, 1864, NJ. Giraud,
the painter, accompanied by three gentle
men, was summoned to the hotel OF Mile.
Bellanger to certify to the birth of male
child, registered as the son OF unknown
parents. Who was its father? Everybody
knew. Who was its mother? Nobody
knew. Mile. Bellanger got the credit Of a
maternity which rumOr attributed to the
lady-ln-waiting. She was sent to her
parents in the country. The Empress,
hearing the story, insisted that she should
declare that the Emperor was not the
father of the child. NJ. Deyienne was
sent to extract this declaration, and when
the empire fell was arraigned for conduct
tending to lower the dignity of his pro-
fession, but was hOnorably acquitted.