St. Paul daily globe., 1890-07-13

dDOuG IT,. ="
The commissioner pleaded: "But my
dear yiscomte, we have among US an
American who may be induced to pay an
unreasonable sum for what you can well
spare in these. the latter days of your
life. Besides, / think l can assure you
that the portrait will not leave France
until the exposition is dissolved"
The last stipulation must have COM
mended itself to the viscomte's c0nsid-
Grafton, for he seemed moved to greater
interest. when it daWned On him that
he might realize on good bargain and
still keep the picture before the French.
While the propositions of the commits
siOner were fair and the temptation in
deed great, yet the viScOmte had little
confidence in the Americans ardor for
and quest of Lefeyre's masterpiece.
Moreover, the French minister OF war
had the viscomte's promise that the pict-
ure should remain in the exposition.
The commissioner urged the viscomte
to set some price, some quotation to
which he would attach his honor and
performance.
The viecomte was firm in the belief
that his only security lay in the value
he placed upon his chattels. Zone
hundred thousand francs! No, hold;
the sum must not be round. will not
do even that. Hundred and ten; there"
said his nobility, as he turned away,
''that will soOthe your importunate
Americana" He felt certain the timber
king of our Western states would not
squander s21. ZOO for Napoleon's portrait,
even though it were worth double. that
sum as an addition to art in America.
Retracing his steps the viscomte
qualified his offer by stating that the
picture must not leave the exposition
without the consent of the war depart
commissioners could not invoke.
Possessed now with something tenta-
tive from the viscomte, Mr.. Cramm
found Mr.. Walker and reported the re-
suit of his interview. With character
istic candor, Mr.. Walker procured cur
rent exchange for 10000 francs, dis
patched a messenger to the American
consul, and with him held a short con-
sultation, while the commissioner
played upon the heads of tine war de-
partment. For no consideration would
the department consent to the removal
of the picture. One Nine. B., however,
the friend of Monsieur L., of the war
department and also the successful
pleader with certain of the managers OF
the exposition, for substantial reasons,
now became party to the combination.
Through her efforts the war depart
ment allowed the portrait to be taken
from the building to be reframed, re-
placing the unique eight-cornered
moulding with an elaborate modern pat
tern. IL the meantime, the commits
sioner sought the viscomte at his chat
eau and, rendering him the currency,
10000 Francs,
iy, ~ n xuhi iah
he told him Mr.. Walker had ac
cepted, completely dumbfounded the
lord of Nantailais. A scale of words
followed. in which the obligations were
technically construed. and the viscomte,
realizing that he had presumed upon
uncertain premises in his estimate OF
the llberality of his American patron,
in the perpleXities Of the moment exc
sioner had prepared. "Of COURSE" said
the viscomte. ''the picture remains
in Paris, for our war department will not
grant otherwise until the close of the
exposition" By deft elusion the COM
missioner parried the query and bowed
himself out of the presence Of his anX-
ious audience.
Monsieur L., too, had learned from
Madance B. to believe that the Lefevre
portrait of 1906. then in Germany, could
be purchased by the department, and,
acting on this supposition, the portrait
of 1910 was formally acknowledged the
property of MIR. Walker.
The work of packing and shipping
the picture off to American shores was
performed with such dispatch that
and the other factors in the play recOv-
cred from the ''piece de Circumstance"
and realized that the greatest, and, as it
appears, the only authentic portrait of
Napoleon I.,lhad left France, the chagrin
was deep indeed.
Mr.. Walker extended elaborate hoSpi-
talities, visits followed, and the social
intercourse between the members OF the
war department, the Viscomte de Beau
pleay and others drawn into the con-
viviality which lasted for week after
the "business affair."" were used by the
Frenchmen to parley a compromise,
while our American host made the time
the means of restoring, as far as posi-
BILE. the good fellowship between the
countrymen and American admirers OF
Napoleon the Great.
The famous picture is now posed to
an American audience. Richly dressed,
it hangs in the gallery proper which
adjoins the Walker mansion in the city
of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Though at
a great cost, Americans now possess the
best material impression of Napoleon
Bonaparte, extant, masterpiece of
this century and the subject of associa-
tions interesting to all the world. Un-
der the seal of France and the private
seal of Viscomte de Beaupleay, the
history OF this portrait, as above set
fourth, was attested; and this affidavit,
together with other and valuable cor
respondence, is now in the possession
of Mr.. T. B. Walker.
HAROLD WITHRAE.