Arizona republican., 1891-05-17
THE FRENCH COUNTESS.

an English friend of his pre-khedival days, who was married to a very beauti- full and clever French countess. The lady in question-whoi is regarded in sev. eral of the capitals of Europe as even more successful, and thfSefore more dangerous, diplomatist than Mme. d. Novikof-was able within few months to place in the hands of the khedive a written assurance from great person age in London that no attempt would be made to modest him or even to impair his authority by the establishment of a protectOrate.
 The German government employs a number of fair diplomatists. One of the most famous, from Berlin point of view, and infamous, from Parisian stand point, was the captivating Baroness de Kaula, who lived for a time near the presidential palace at the Elysee, and was accustomed to receive the minister of war, Gen. de Cissey, at midday break fast every Thursday.
 This was precisely the day on which the cabinet councils were held at the presidential palace, and on quitting the latter the general, who was a great ad /. mirer of the baroness, invariably strolled over to her house to dejeuner. Her table was an excellent one, so much so, indeed, that the general often remained sipping his coffee and his liqueur until 9 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon. During that time couple of Prussian officers belong ing to the headquarters staff at Berlin, and who were attached to Mime. de Kaulas household under the disguise of servants, were in the habit of carefully perusing the contents of the ministerial portfolio, which the general invariably left on the hail table or in the salon with his hat and gloves. Stenographic notes were quickly made of the various docu- ments contained therein, and by the next morning the German authorities at Berlin were in possession of a detailed report of everything that had taken place at the cabinet council held on the banks of the Seine under the presidency of the French republic just twenty hours pre- viously.
 The Italian government has always had particular fondness for intrusting its most difficult diplomatic negotiations to women, who, unlike the secret service ladies of Russia, have invariably been distinguished for their remarkable per sonal beauty. Few, however, have wielded such power and enjoyed such fame as did the Countess de Castiglionne and the Duchess de Litta in the days of the Tuileries. There are many we'll known European statesmen now living who attribute to the intrigues of these two ladies the secret cause of the inex- plicable Franco German war of 1870, which led to the overthrow of the em- plre and the consequent withdrawal Of the French army occupation from Rome. It will be remembered that the kepi of the last French soldier had no sooner vanished from the eternal city than Victor Emmanuel, with his besieging army, made his appearance before it's gates and took forcible possession of the capital
 There are many more whom I might cite, notably the blonde and beautiful Countess B. at Dresden and Vienna, Mime. de M at Brussels and the Marquise de P-(h her husband has pur- chased marquisate from the pope) at Paris. All three are in the service of the Russian government. There is like wise the wife of the Muscovite general Wassilief, who under the pretext of dis covering traces of her child, which had been stolen from her years ago, and which was the only heir to her fortune, succeeded in winning the sympathies of the nihilists' colonies in Paris. Bucharest