The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-08-08
THE COUNTESS wALewskA.


Her vtat to Napoleon and the suspicions
Aroused Thereby.
One day something happened to dis
turb the calm routine Of Napoleon 8
lie on the mountain. The emperor
had again and again swept the horizon
with his glass. 1t was apparent that
be expected TO see something which
failed him Suddenly he babe Ber-
nottl, his orderly, speed down to Porto
ferralo. prepare four horse carriage
and three saddle horses. take them to
certain part of the shore near the
capital, and follow the instructions of
Gen Bertrand. The sun was already
about TO set The man did not, there
fore, reach the place indicated until IL
O'Clock at night He was just in time.
A Genoese sloop approached the ISL
and Shortly afterward two ladies. a
little boy and a Polish 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 the carriage, the other lady and
the soldier mounted horses, and, &C.
companied by Bertrand, the whole
party made for Marciana, the townlet
at the foot of Capanna.
They were half way when the en-
peror, on his white horse and with
several attendants, met them. It was
pitch dark by this. The emperor at
once joined the lady in the carriage
and they continued their journey. At
Marciana the lady and little bov took
horse, and the cavalcade began to
climb the mountain How they did it
In the dark, ], for one, cannot con-
celve. II Is atany time arduous enough,
and not without its moments of peril
Some of the party were thrown, but no
one was hurt. However, at 8 o'clock
In the morning, the Hermitage, as
it was called, was reached. Madame,
behold my palacel" said Napoleon,
uncovering and indicating his tent.
This occurred in the night of the LIST
OF September. The visitors staid on
Monte Capanna until the evening
of the Sd Then, at 9 o'clock in the
night, the return journey was begun
with the same secrecy, Napoleon de-
scending the mountain with his guests
as far as the seashore. 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
victim 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 her
self, Maria Louisa of Austria. They
argued, therefore, that great events
were brewing. But they were wrong.
The Lady was beautiful Pole, the
countess of Walewska, whom Napo.
leon had met for the first time al
Warsaw in 1902, 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, when you cease
to love me do not forget that l love
YOU" The devoted woman, hearing
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 detained on
the continent against her will, Napo-
leon would not let her stay with him.
He probably had some affection for
this lady even in 1914, for when bis
orderly rejoined him on the night of
her departure he found him seated by
the chestnut tree with a sad expires
sion on his face, as he leaned with bis
cheek resting in his right hand.-The
Cornhill Magazine.