, 1893-03-15

the house with rapid steps ard talked or d0n-
ming his insignia, as a Grand Cross Of the lie.
MON of Honour and of appearing before bis
accussrs to indicate his work. That night
according to a story which remhes US from La
Chesnaye, M dame de LesSeps heard hin ex-
claim. "Yes we are honest people. | have
toilcd up to the lsst moment | am t good
workmar. If all that ! have don is not re-
cog Use here | 'thdl go to Queen Victoria!
She knows me. | shall approach her with
my wife and child en-. l snail pat on my
Grand CorIoni" Like SO many of his fellow
countrymen of every rank in lif", the thoughts
of NJ. Ferlin; nd de L.sseIs appear to have
turned instinc:ively to England IN the time az
trouble. Until lie was broken down by oil
age the Ora d Franeais was wonderfully cou'
rageous. and NJ. Heari Cotru b rs Just stq'la'n'
tel US with 4 char ~4ctsris'lc instance ot TINS.
He accompanied NJ FERDINAND de Lesseps on
his return voyage from Panama IN 1856, ana
one day he noticed that be seemed to be in
accuts suffering. The weather was vely
stormy. and the old man had been thrown
down. frac' uring a rib in his fail: 1t WAS
with the utmost dificu 'ty that he could pre-
vail on VI. dc LessepS to have the injury
attended to, and only a few hours after the
surgeon had aft xed some >pIints to his Size he
insisted on emOviug them, IL he said that
they prevented him from brr athlng An en-
tire week was passed ON a chair, as no could
not lie down, and he day ftter his arrlvs' III
France he WIS at a banquet given III his hon
our at N mites. Great WAS tue distress OF the
family when kilograms were re ,elvei annourc-
ing the result OF the tuA by the Court OF
Appeal. Al frat Madame de Lessei's was
only Informed of the condemnation II her
stepson. When the even more terrible news
was communicated to her SHE remained silent
-.J H. IL lnnInsN1uI that
after all. she prefe red thht t should be 80.
The co.. demnation of h f4lher:ne The son
was such ii scandal hat it wovil serve thei
cause b tier than an Injustice Of a smaller
kind. One comfort at Ieost was that he could
never realise the fearful blow that lad 8 ruck
him but she could hardly believe that she
was rot dreaming when ske though that ell
dinand de Lesseps had been condemned to
imprisonment. When one IF the children
timidiy inquired whether he would 70. felt has
Grann Cross, the mother excla med lndlg-
nantly, He has sixteen Grand Crosses
which cannot be taken from him aad a name
/ am proud to bear"
About a week ago VI. Frrlinonl j" Les
seps asked to ses the newspapers. The 70
quest produced quite a pane IN the fanny.
until his children Lit upon the h;ppy
thong t f supplying him with journals ofthr
same date las year, in which no reference il
made to Panama. Every day the newspapers
of the cor, ssponding date q twelve month ago
are brought to him. and he prruseS them with
out noticing the innocent trick that has been
PLAYED on him. This will give some idea of
his meAtal condition In talking Of the trial
his wife exclaimed that she should IKE to
know what haim he had done TO his assail-
ants, who appeared unable to Understand
that thsy had dealt a blow through him at
their own country. She W IS astounded a all
thai she read. She saw her husbands name
mixed up with those OF men Of whose very
existence she had been ignorant. ''Corneii-
us Herr, Arton, De Reinach, guest co que
c'est que cetI9 Those names ha never be n
uttered in her house." When NJ. Henri CHttu
saw NJ. Ferdinand after the t.isl the Old man
repeated the question that had been frequent
" on his lips for several days. where is
Charles? want to see him. Serd for him!'
II bring you news of Charles" rep iei NJ.
Henri Cottu. "Can he come soon ?" Not
at once! He is detained in Paris for some
time on business" For some tim" 2" re-
peated NJ. Ferdinand de Lrsseps. mechanical
". Eyes for some little time" WIS the
answer, and soon the patient had sunk once
more into his state Of torpor. Among the
many expressions of sympathy which Madame
de Lesssps has received is one from ths Column