Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-09-11
WOMEN WHO LOST CROWNS.

liking to the young COrsican, and con
ceived the highest opinion of his abili
ties and of the powers which, event
proved, he possessed in so remarkable
degree. But in the opinion of Barras
Napoleon's want of means was mos
serious obstacle to his chance of achiev
ing fame, and he proposes to remed
this by selecting him rich wife.
Barras chose for this position WON
an who, though still undeniably hand
some, was no longer young. Though
she was called Mile. Montansier, sh,
was in reality a widow, who, because sht
had been on the stage, had never adopt
ed the name of her husband. She wa!
60 years of age, but it was said that sh,
made herself appear to be not more thar
40 by the intimate knowledge that sh,
possessed of the toilet table
To introduce Napoleon and Mile
Montansier, Barras gave a supper, to
which they were both invited. He SC
arranged matters that they were placed
together at the table, and hoped that this
precautiOn, added to the injunctions
which he had given to Napoleon to be.
have for once in his life with some show
of civility to lady, would have the
happiest result.
Napoleon was quite the last man to
rely upon in such a respect. His man
ners toward the fair sex were those of a
costermOnger, and though he could gen.
orally hold his own in a conversation
with men, he was entirely without the
knack of making himself interesting OF
agreeable to women. He felt that his
place was in the camp or the field, and
he was quite out of his element among
the conyentionalities of salon. Had
he been inclined to woo, it would have
been in Straightforward, sOldier-lik
fashion, not with the dallyings and CON-
pliments so dear to the French woman
of his time.
So presently Barras had the mortifca-
ton of seeing Mile. MOntansier, her back
turned to Napoleon, engaging in live
ly conversation with the gentleman on
her other side, while the future conquer
or was making, with little pellets of
bread, plan of battle on the table be-
fore him. Hardly a word passed be-
tween the two during the remainder of
the meal.
Supper over, Barras drew Napoleon
aside, and spoke forcibly to him of the
foolish way in which he was throwing
away his chances. "You know" said
he, ''that money is everything to you;
here are a million francs, and you will
not stretch out your hand to take them;
a most attractive woman, and you will
not show her the smallest gallantry.
Mile. Montansier has come here this
evening prepared to hear declaration
from you. Strike while the iron is hot,
and win the wealth that you cannot do
without, at one bold stroke.
'The woman is old enough to be my
grandmother" said Napoleon, who was
then 25 years old; "but that is no mat
ter, for to me all women are alike
Money is what l want, and if L cannot
get it without wife, / must take the
two together. l am no coiner of pretty
speeches, but before the evening is over
| will say to her, 'Mademoiselle, are you
willing to accept me as your husbandY
Mora thon that cannot do -
1.-THE very kind of proposal that any
woman would expect from blunt sol
dier," replied Barras. Say that, and
desire no more. You are to be envied,
for, besides her wealth mademoiselle is
very handsome still"
Napoleon turned away with a gesture
of impatience; but half an hour later
Barras noticed that the two were alone
together in recess. Presently Napole-
on got up and went away, and the lady
beckoned to Barras with a fan.
"Take away that dreadful little man" !"
she said with a shudder; he has bored
me to death, and 1 only prevented him
from proposing by sending him for
glass of lemonade"
"But why prevent him?" said Barras.
"He will be great man yet"
"Give myself and money to such lit
tie horror. such an ill-mannered boOr as
thatI'' replied the mademoiselle. "Nev
erl would sooner take the first beg
gar in the streets. What have l done
that | should be given such wretched
evening? Don't let your"
Al. ~, oh II
by the arrival of Napoleon with the
Barras turned away, still
hoping for the best; but soon he saw
at the other end of the room Bonaparte
standing in the attitude in which he
has so often been depicted, with his
arms folded and his chin sunk upon
them.
"Well, are you to be married?" he
said, fastening toward his protege.
"That old actress" said Napoleon,
"that female Cr9sus, refused me before
had opened my mouth to ask her hand.
was on the point of speaking, as l
told you L should speak, when she be-
gan to inform me that her wealth was
the cause of her constantly receiving
offers from adventures who cared moth
ing for herself; that she thanked Provi-
dence she had 50 far seen through such
fellows, and that she was resolved to
keep her independence. L was glad i
had not spoken, for it gave me the op-
portunity of saying: 'Mademoiselle,pray
persevere in that praiseworthy intention;
it is one which | am sure no one will ev-
er try to persuade you to alter Let her
keep her millions to bait the hook for
some one else. have done with her"
In after days Mile. Montansier was
fond of boasting that had she chosen,
she might have been Empress of France
and wife of the most famous man of the
age.
When the people of Grenoble, in 1888,
were preparing for the revolution, Jean
Baptiste Bernadotte, afterward King of
Sweden and Norway, was quartered in
the town. At that time he was sim
pie sergeant, distinguished by the atten-
ton he paid to his military duties, by
his skill at cards and by his popularity