Mower County transcript., 1889-07-24
THE COUNTESS WALESKA.
An Incident Of Napoleon's Sojourn on the
Island of EIba.


An Incident OF Napolcon's sojourn on the
Island of EIba.
One day something happened to din.
turb the calm routine of Napoleon's
life on the mountain The Emperor
had again and again swept the horizon
with his glass. 1t was apparent that
he expected to see something which
failed him. Suddenly he bade Ber-
motif, his orderly, speed down to Porto
Ferraio, prepare four-horse carriage
and three saddle horses, take them to
a certain part of the shore near the
capital, and follow the instructions of
General Bertrand. The sun was al
.eady about to set. The man did not,
therefore, reach the place Indicated
until eleven o'clock at night. He was
just in time. A Genoese sloop ap-
preached tho island. Shortly afterward
two ladies, little boy and Pol
ish Colonel landed from it. Bertrand
received them, and stood bareheaded
under the moon while speaking to the
ladies. Then one of the ladies and
the boy stepped into tho carriage, the
other lady and the soldier mounted
horses, and, accompanied by Bertrand,
the whole party made for Marciana,
the townlet at the foot of Capanna-
They were half way when the Emperor,
on his white horse and with several
attendants, met them. It was pitch
dark by this time The Emperor at
once Joined the lady in the carriage
and they continued their journey. At
Marciana the lady and the little boy
took horse, and the cavalcade began to
climb the mountain. How they did it
in the dark /, for one, can not con-
ceive. 1t is at any time arduous
enough. and not without it's mo-
ments of peril. Some OF tho
party were thrown, but no one was
hurt. However, at three o'clock in
the morning, the "Hermitage," as it
was called, was reached. MADAM,
behold my palace!" said Napoleon, un-
covering. and indicating his tent.
This occurred in the night of the 1st
of September. The visitors staid on
Monte G apanna until the evening of
the Sd. Then, at nine O'Clock in the
night, the return journey was begun
with the Same secresy, Napoleon de-
scending the mountain with his guests
as far us the seashorc. During the in
tervening two days and nights the
lady and Napoleon were closeted to-
gether; nor did she once show her
face outside the Hermitage The boy,
however, was allowed to climb about
the rocks. Such an incident, so dra-
matically contrived, hugely excited the
spies in Elba, especially as their VIC
tim had for a week or more been out
of their way. They wrote to their
respective chiefs, and had no
doubt that this visitor was the
Empress herself, Maria Louise Of Aus
tria. They argued, therefore. that
great events were brewing But they
were wrong. The lady was beauti-
full Pole, the Countess Waleska, whom
Napoleon had met for the first time at
Warsaw in 1907, and the little boy was
her son by the Emperor. 1t is said of
her that she had given him gold
ring inclosing a lock of her fair hair,
and with the inscription: "Whcn you
cease to love me do not forget that l
love yon." The devoted woman, hear
ing that Maria Louisa was not with
her husband in Elba, had travelled
thither to offer him her own loving
attentions. But out of regard for the
Empress, whom he believed to be de-
tanned on the continent against her
will, Napoleon would not let her stay
with him. He probably had some af-
fection for this lady even in 1914, for
when his orderly rejoined him on the
night of her departure he found him
seated by the chestnut tree with sad
expression on his face, as he learned
with his cheek resting in his right
hand.-Cornhill Magazine.