The Irish standard., 1895-11-16
day. His mode Of living Isl as active as
ever Gladstone's s was and much more as

igday. His mode of living is as active as
lever GladstOne's was and much more as
lcetic. II is doubtful, however, il the av-
Ierage ascetic is as long in making his tot
Ilet, which, Judging from the time occl-
pied, must be one of the most important
operations Of Crispi' s day. For two hours
This valetsi is busy in his master s room, the
proceeding reaching a climax when the
moment OF shaving arrives, for the pa
tient insists on reading the neWspapers-
which he gradually throws on the floor in
a heap around him while the operation
is proceeding, an operation whose proceed
ing is greatly hindered by this habit.
Commentators Pinelli is his private
secretary, a bright fellow who is thor
| Oughly in his confidence. Even in his
| library Crspi never allows himself to be
| LETT alone. Moreover, on the table at
which he works, which is covered with Of
| ficial papers, there is always a loaded re-
volver within reach of hand.
! 1t is not at all difficultat to obtain an in
tervieW with him in his official capacity.
On these occasions he is affable and al
most loauacions, and when his visitore
| leave he usually shakes hands with them,
| merely touching the tips OF their fingers,
L
century. .as
He is less cordial with his subordinates
and with the government employees, " .
After dinner which is served at
| o'clock and is almost frugal in its sim
plicity-a few close friends usually drop
| in, and an animated conversation ensues,
| 10 which Donna Lima takes the enter
tanning part. 1t is amid such surround
ings that Crispi is at his pleasantest.
In his draWing-rO in the evening he
| is gay, sometimes witty, waxing eloquent
and enthusiastic when he relates some
| episode of his exile in the days of Bour-
| bon oppression, Or tells Of his exploits in
| the battlefield under Garibaldi, his friend
and leader, for whose memory he cher
| ishes boundless venefation. While he
! is fighting his battles over again" he
| looks different man from the cynical,
white-haired, wearied, worried looking
prime minister who rises in the chamber
of deputies to repel the petty and not al
| ways civil attacks Of Imbriani or Caval-
lotti
A visitor at one of these evenings has
| told how the veteran is sstransfgured
when he relates the stirring incidents of
his past. His eye brightens with un-
usual fire, his voice. becomes resonant,
alrd then and then alone, does his native
dialect come uppermost and clearly be-
tray his Sicilian BIRTH"
Incredible as it may seem in man of
his attainments, experience and charac-
ter, he is very superstitious. But to be
Sicilian is to be superstitious.
Two women, and two only, have been
important factors in Crispi's career. One
of them is Donna Lima, Nine. Crispi, and
the other is, or was Rosalie Montmasson.
The latter was living until recently in the
suburbs Of the city, retired and calm, a
stout, good-looking matron, whose con-
duct now is quite irreproachable. She is
! good bursoise. Rosalie he met when he
was a nran of 81, tall, slender, tolerab.y
good-looking and resembling in no wise
| the Falais Madames, accused of taking
part in the revolutionary movement, she
was the turkeys daughter and had the
run Of the Jail. They fell in love. Not
long after they went through the religious
fern OF marriage, Jesuit priest consent
ing to ofTiciate at the ceremony. Graf
itude,'' was the reason he assigned to the
priest, Rosalie had accompanied him in
! the expedition of Garibaldi's volunteers.
! The marriage was registered at the Sar-
| dinian, but not the Neapolitan consulate.
| There was, however, an informality. They
| lived in laisUn for IS years. and then sep
arated by mutual agreement.
| Two years before they separated, how
ever, he came under the influence of the
second woman, the present Mime. Crispi.
| One day in 1872 he was at a reception at
Palermo. Walking through the crowded
rooms, he heard an irnpa tient female voice
demanding that francesca Crispi might
| be pointed out to her. The voice had a
peculiar charm for him; it was sweet, har-
| nonious and he was sure the woman to
| whom it belonged was young and fair.
He did not look around, but he felt that
| the eyes Of the stranger, who, as he
| learned wass8 young widow, fixed upon
him all thaSeyening. Next day Crlspi
made a great speech in parliament; the
| stranger was there again; their eyes met,
and from that moment he spoke for her
only. AT Rome they met again !; Crispi for
got his politics and his country, and had
only one thought. He loved a IS woman
| who was worthy Of his regard and name
aid his affection was returned.
| sThey also were married by a religious
ceremony only, the civil ceremony being
| for the time omitted by Crispi in order TO
prevent public attention from being at
i W 1UlC IdSS'ca4Iu OFOlA plSNOnAAso
Rosalie MontmassOn to an outburst OF
jealousy. &.
A wear afterward their only child, Pep
| ina, was born, and In 1878 the civil mar
riage took place at Naples, which made
! Nine Crispi the lawful wife of her hns-
band An opponent of Crispi, M. Nicote-
ra who had been minister of the interior
| before Crispi was intrusted with the post,
| had seen the h,1sband and wife and their
witnesses coming from the municiplo after
the civil marriage, and it was d}se. to his
inquiries that q statement was = shed
lin the Piccole newspaper acca:% IL rispi
Of bigamy The crown prose- aA,h N at
Naples. but the courts acd44s5sd him,
though public opinion did not and never
1 has. Nh ss ss ff5 g.. =.
The story Of Nine. Grispi's introduction
\ at court is familiar. AS president Of the
/ council he had been invited to dinner at
1.-The pt1irinal. but Queen Margherita had
| not included Nine Crispi's name III the
IiaWitation. He was furious when he
found that The wives of the other minis
lters were to be present. What did this
exclusion mean [? d: Was the! story Of a
Idouble marriage to be revived !? The blow
isccl,ld only come from the queen. He
Ewent at once tp the quirinal to hear to
/ what it was due ~ He found her majesty s
1 secretary q but only received an evasive
i Ilsar,jswer. He insisted. and aned the of M Mfficial q
< r. -. A.a 4.