The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-08

He Does Not Know What Has Happene
to the Panama scheme.

No Does NOT hnOW what Has Happened
to the Panama scheme.
Pasis Letter.
We took coffee in the drawing room. It
was served on table which stood under
meath a fine portrait of Agnes Sorel, once
the mistress of the house. Facing us were
two pictures of the Inauguration of the
Canal of Suez. The furniture was covered
with tapestries, mostly from the needle OF
the countess.
1t was here that Madame dc Lesseps
told me of the old mans life. "He has
the fixed idea that the queen Of England
will come and make all things right. He
often rises in his chair and asks If Queen
Victoria has arrived, and when any
visitor comes he thinks that it is she at
last"
Then blanching, the countess added !:
You think, sir, do you not, that he is in
ignorance Of what has happened2 You
do not think that he has any suspicion.
Sometimes the dreadful thought troubles
me THAI he knows all and that, great
hearted gentleman that he is, lends him.
self TO this most tragic comedy that we are
playing. l sometimes doubt. Would
not that be terrible? And again there
are times when | am convinced that our
efforts to hide all that is are successful.
We give him last years papers.to read.
have had collections sent down. For
merry we used to cut out or erase parts
which We did not want him to see but he
seemed to. notice the alterations, and 50
We ordered down papers of a year ago.
And 1t is quite pathetic to hear the re-
marks he occasionally makes. Thus few
DAYS ago he called me to his side in high
gee and said how happy he was to hear
that his old friend NJ. Ressman had been
appointed Italian am bassador to France,
a ant NJ mon
are times. too, when he gets very impatient
at being put down here, and what ne
misses chiefly is the French Academy He IS
constantly telling me how an xious he is to
attend, and have to invent the sorriest
fables to explain 10 him that the acade-
micians are not holding any meetings. as
Tor instance, that they are all old men and
that they are taking a long holiday"
The countess sighed and said: ~ do
what can, but that terrible doubt pursues
me often. You see he did know that the
Panama affair had resulted in ruin. 1t 10
since he was called before that examining
magistrate, NJ. Prinet, that he has been
as you have seen him. He must suspec,
something. How much, We shall never,
never know"
Then she added: He is constantly
asking after Charles He knows tina, he
Is in trouble. but we hope that be does not
suspect what the trouble is Before he
was taken IS he Is Charles had, to his
knowledge, become involved in that So
ciete dies Complies Courants bankruptcy.
which ruined him, and perhaps his father
thinks that his sons troubles are in con.
nection with that affair
Then the stepmother broke out into i'm.
FASHIONED praise of the stepson. tine no
best heart. He will suffer all rather than
let the slightest harm come to his father,
lie Is a hero, gentleman. hero. hero
When he was here he told Us what be had
undergone and said that he was willing to
undergo ten times as much so that his
father be left unmoiested.
1T is strangers 10 send rs expressions
Of their sympathy. Those whom De Les
seps has enriched have forgotten him.
And yet am unjust. / have bad letters
from people who risked their positions,
their daily bread. in writing to me ~ they
did. But not single political man has
written a word 20 express coincidence with
the great patro. or With his family. They
dare no. None of MY letters are safe.
Many OF my friends hare received ~ lst-