Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-07-19
An EMPRESS IN EXILE.
Eugene in Her Home at EarnbOfOuRtl


London correspondence of the New York Sun
The imperial residence of Marlborough has
quite lately Awakened from its mournful rcpose
to welcome young Prince Victor, who came to
England to be present at the commemoration Of
the fatal dag Of June which closed the last chap
ter of the Napoleonic dynasty. He was per-
| suaded to prOlong his visit, and it is said that
the simple, frank good nature Of the son Of
Princess ClOtlde, the cousin Of the king OF
Italy, the heir apparent of her own son, made
so favorable an impression on the Empress
Eugene that she has actually signed the docu-
ments which bequeath to him at her death that
same large estate of Marlborough, with all its
rare and historical collection of souvenirs of the
| empire and a not inconsiderable portion of her
| private fortune. This gift would in measure
| explain and Justify the Independent attitude
taken within the last few days by the young
| Napoleon.
! Marlborough is an extensive domain in
| Hampshire. easy OF access from London by rail
| and not a mile distant from the camp Of Alder
! shot. yet lying in the midst Of perfectly rural.
somewhat wild district among the pines, and
! surrounded by tract Of gOrse and heather
| The mansion, OF no particular style, seems
| merely the agglOmeratiOn of different buildings
/ both pseudo Norman and Gothic. 80 much ar
! fected in this country. The beams and bricks
| are partly hidden by trailing roses and creepers,
4 q III.
/ irregular roofs and gables and the whole char
acter of the house give 1t far more the aspect OF
/ belonging to wealthy commOner than of q
! princely abode. A splendid avenue Of stalwart
| trees leads mp to the principal entrance and to
| the grounds of great beauty, with French gar
dens and stiff yews similar to those Of Yer
| sailles. On one OF the terraces, surrounded by
i flowers. stands o fine marble statue of the
| Premier Consul. The Conservatives and green
houses are splendid. and at the furthest ex-
ffv of hn lfno lob 49,
acres, beyond which stretches out the forest.
| This spot the Empress calls her COMPETENCE
and 1t affords the imperial visitors excellent
| shooting.
the ever present memory Of the double tragedy
| that darkens her life. That grief is with her
! always. She is having magnificent chapel and
monastery erected In her new abode where the
mortal remains Of her son will be deposited by
| those. of his father The familiar atmosphere
surrounds her at Marlborough as at Camden
House. In entering the long gallery and recep-
ton rooms on the ground floor the rare visitors
meet with many of the objects of art and inter
! est which they knew SO well in France and
which the empress has gradually collected once
more around her. sometimes at the cost of long
! and expensive lawsuits. Some OF those bronzes
were at FOntanebleau. This inlaid cabinet
comes from the villa ut Biarritz; these minia-
lures from ST. Cloud. At the extremity of the
| central hall is the sanctuary cOnsecrated TO the
| Prince Imperial. 1t Is the fac smile of the
apartment prepared at Chiselhurst for the re-
| turn Of the young officer. His bereaved mother
has placed there his own particular furniture.
! his books, his favOrite weapons There, too,
hangs the hie-size portrait OF him by the Wen
nese artist Cannon, and the two pictures by Pro-
tais-one representing the Prince standing
alone. fOrsaken, and boldly fronting the inftl-
rated armed savages; the other showing him
lying dead in the tall grasses
| The establishment Ia OH q moderate scale The
/ fhap, fho
ponies driven by the empress herself and the
horse she brought over from the Cape. Five or
six carriages bear the imperial colors, arms and
| crown. The servants. although not numerous,
are all OF long standing in their Office. and ad-
| mirably trained. They are under the superin-
tendence of old Ullmann, who since 1856 had
never lett the prince-a most picturesque and
touching figure. Ullmsnn is the type OF those
| trusty retainers who in France made depend
ence as great as nobility. He belongs to that
| long line of faithful servants who followed their
| masters into exile. shared their prison. their
! poverty. sometimes their death. or jeaiously
! guarded their property during the emigration
/ heroic and humble, sublime and ignored never
waverlng from their allegiance. and perpetu-
/ ating through centuries the heredty of their
/ devotion as unDroken and not less glorious than
the heredity of name and rank which they
| served. Ullmann is of the race of Noel in La
Joie fat Peur," but less fortunate. He could
not bring back into his mothers arms the son
| she knew was killed. Even now. talking of his
| young masters death, his hands are clenched.
and tears OF despair well TO his eyes
| Very few people resided permanently at Cam
den House, and the number has not been in
creased at Marlborough. The Due de Bassano.
courtier of misfortune as others are of prosper
| lty: Nine. LIE Breton BOurbak sister of the gem
| eral and constant companion Of the empress for
the last fourteen years, and Monsieur Frances
chini Pietri, private secretary. exclusively COM
| pose the small household. The duke, in spite
Of his great age. frequently visits France.
Whenever it is necessary that the empress should
| be represented at imperial ceremonies or ami
| yersaries he Is seen in the first rank firm and
erect During his temporary absence he is re-
placed by his son. the Marquis de Bassano, who
| renowned diplomacy at the Ial Of the empire.
and who. having married Canadian is now
| settled in England.
| Now and then the former ladies In waiting at
the court Of the Tuieries cross the Channel to
| present their homage to their dethrOned mis-
tress. Most of them offered to share her banisf-
| ment. but she refuses. unwilling to sever the
ties that bind them to home and country. Two
or three young girls only are attached to the
/ little court. Mile. COrvisart, still In mOurning
for her father. the most celebrated of the empe-
rors physicians, has for the last few months dwelt
! entirely at Marlborough. Beyond the rare Waits
paid by Eugene to her friend and cousin" Vic
toria, those she occasionally receives from Prince
Napoleon, Prince Victor, the Due and Duchesse
| de MOuchy, and the AguadO family her solitude
| is almost unbroken. She has not put aside her
mourning, which she will wear no doubt, to her
dying day, but she does not eXpect or Wish
| other to do the same; on the contrary she pre-
fers to be surrounded by women clad in light
and elegant costumes. 1t brings back fleeing
and attractive memories Of that world so ardent
In the pursuit OF pleasure, of the time when her
Mondays" united all the votaries Of fashion of
| the charades and stag hunts Of COmpiegne of
| the days when WHITEWATER painted her the
| farest among the fair women of her court. eyok-
/ ing vision Of the DecamerOn in the middle of
/ the nineteenth century.
After her reconciliation with Prince NanoIeon
| 1t was rumored that the empress proposed to
| re-enter the arena OF politics But such was
/ never her intention. She stretched out her
/ hand to her imprisoned cousin. fulflln. what
/ she deemed duty to him. to herself to their
respective positions. but still determined to
! Keep alOOf from the past Since Monsieur
/ ROuhers death, when she requires devoted and
! special men to advise her to guard her inter-
| ests. and to insure the respect Of her dignity.
I she summons former ministers and eminent
lawyers such as Messieurs Grandperret and Bus
/ son Billaut.
/ In the seclusion of the domain of FarnborOuph
the widow lives buried in regret-regret of the
/ magical. unexpected, ephemeral past; regret OF
the husband who gave her power and lost 1t:
regret of the young son through whom alone 1t
/ might have been recOnquered. and about the
! manner OF whose death she has been ever so
strangely, so determ:nedly, SO generously
| silent.
/ This is, however. what is told az following
t her arrival at Marlborough, Col. - who COM
manded the regiment In which the Inflated
/ Prince Imperial served, owned considerable
| property In the Immediate neighborhood OF the
| estate purchased by the empress. When she