The record-union., 1895-05-13
tically sxpsl her from his entertainment.


WRECKED AN EMBAssADoR.
Another Baroness OF the same kind.
who has achieved similar. though not
altogether as great notoriety, is the So
called Baroness de Kurth, who almost
succeeded in wrecking the career
OF the Marquis de Reversaux, now
French Embassador at Madrid, but
formerly Minister at Cairo. She spent
two winters in the Egyptian capital, and
talk of that scandal-loving place. She en-
joyed the reputation Of influencing the
policy OF the French Envoy in behalf of
the German Government, and ia gener-
ally believed to have been one of the
prime movers of the abortve coup d. etat
of the khedive in connection with the
dismissal from the Premiership of Mus
tapha Fehml Pacha, and which consti-
tuted such defeat for France diplomacy.
On her return to Paris she established
herself In luxurious apartments in the
Rue de la Iremoille, where her salon was
quite as much frequented 10y newspaper
men, diplomats and members of the
French Foreign Office and Government
as that of the celebrated Msrquise de
Paiva previous to the war.
An yet the lesson taught by the latter
should have had the effect OF arOusing
them to observe more discretion. Nine.
de Palva was the daughter of a Moscow
cobbler named Lachmann, who, after
making her way to Paris and figuring for
time on the police register as member
OF the demi-monde, finally succeeded In
obtaining along with wealth certain
amount of prestige. More especially after
she had induced an unfortunate Portu-
guese nobleman of ancient name, but i'm
poverished purse, the Marquis de Paiva,
10 marry her.
HE BLEW HIS BRAINS OUT.
AS soon as he had done this he realized
the lgnomlny of his conduct and blew his
brains out in her presence. Her mag
niticent house on the Ronde Point of the
Champs Elysees has just been converted
into restaurant, but during the latter
days OF the empire the .'Hotel de Paiva"
was thronged with all the leading men Of
the day. who were wont to discuss even
affairs of state in her presence. 1t was
only after the war broke out that they
discovered that she was in the pay of
Bismarck, and that everything that she
heard was reported at Berlin, the infor-
nation thus secured proving most valu-
able in 1870.
After the war she married the wealth.
lest OF all German mobiles, Count Henckel-
Donnersmarck, and, having gratified her
spite against the Empress Eugene by
buying most Of her jewels, withdrew to
Germany, where she died a few years
afterward.
Others whose names deserve to be men,
tined in this category are the Italian
Duchess OF Litta and the COmteSse de
CastlgliOne, both celebrated for their
beauty, and who played SO prominent
role at the court OF the Tuilleries during
the reign of Napoleon III. as to cause
much misery to Empress Eugene. The
latter may be said to have obtained her
revenge on one of them, for she took ad-
vantage Of the power conferred upon her
as regent after the departure of Napoleon
tor the seat OF war In 1870 to imprison the
beautiful Duchess of Ltta at Vincennes
on the well-tounded charge of being a
German spy. and there the Duchess re-
mained until the battle OF Sedan had been
fought and the Empress was forced to fly
from Paris. There are many well-known
European statesmen now living who
attribute to the intrigues of these two
laoles the secret cause OF the mex plicable
tranco-German war, which led to the
overthrow OF the Napoleonic Empire
and the consequent withdrawal of the
French army of occupation from Rome.
The kept OF the last French soldier had
no sooner vanished from the Eternal
City than Victor Emmanuel, with his
besleging army, made his appearance be-
fore the gates of Rome and took forcible
possession of the Capital.
A FAIR RUSSIAN INTRIGUANTE.
Another petticeated diplomatist is the
Russian Princess who acts as lady in
waiting to the mother of the Khediye of
Egyt. Her record is such as to render it
preferable for her Government to utilize
her services. not ia Europe, but on the
banks Of the Nile. where so many dam
aged regulations have found a home.
Through her the imperial chancellerie at
st. Petersburg obtains an early report of
every fresh state secret which the Eng
hsh Government finds it necessary TO
communicate to the Khsdive.
1t would scarcely be fair to include in
this list such eminently respectable and
respected ladies as Princess Lise Trou-
betsko and Mime. de Novlkoff Yet they,
too. form part of that highly paid corps
of female diplomatic agents who are re-
munerated out of the secret service fund
at the disposal of every continental Gov
ernment 1t is corps which, owing to
the persuasive power, the intuition, and
the talent for intrigue of its memb bers, is
of infinitely greater value to the Govern
ments employing them than the regul ar
staff of ambassadors, ENJOYS and at
aches.