The sun., 1895-05-26

we arc told that the breaking OF OF Hoche's In
tercourse with Josephine and tho cause thereof
were, In those days, the talk Of all Paris, and
this is presumably ono ground Of the authors
repeated assertions that they were we'll known
10 Bonaparte.
After this Introductory reference to Jose phne,
the nuthor digresses to compare her with Mime.
Tallien. who. since the 9th Thermidor, had been
the feminine dictator of republican society In
Paris. II was we are assured. impossible Tor
Nine. de Besuharnas to enter into competition
with Nine Tallien in the matter Of physical
charms. We read that the latter was then In
the height of her freshness, whereas the former
was beginning to show the results Of precocious
decrepitude. Nine. de Beauharnais no longer do
rived any OF her attractions from nature. but
everything from art. the most refined. the most
provident the most improved art evor called
into reauisition. In a word she is described ns
certainly invalided and retired when Mmo.
Tallen still reigued supreme. Barras does not
rest until he has attributed also to Josephine
moral inferiority. 1T was known fact" he
says. that Mime. Talien braved her hus-
band, to certain extent. whenever she
wished to love another. but she preserved
some dccorun. md had not yet parted company
with him. Nine Beauharnais was more ad-
NhHCeu. Sne CIHltucu III tnOSe uHSe w w tho
noble widow OF the illustrious General Alexandra
Beauharnais. who had been the Commnnder-in-
Chief Of the Army OF the Rhine But the fact
is that long before tho death of the ilustrious
General. and even previous to the revolution,
she had been separated from her husband. Mt
whose hands she had incurred reproaches SINH
lar TO those addressed to her subsequently by
Con. Hoche. II was even said that the infdeli
ties Of the creole had overstepped the bounds Of
propriety. and TINT rising superior to the pref
udice existing against the dark skin. she had
had intercourse with negroes"
Barras declares that Bonnparte was one Of the
most Rssiduous frequenters of the Luxembourg
when 1t was occupied by the Director. and knew
Of all these adventures Just AS well as we did.
having often heard the story of them told In my
presence. In consequence, however, OF his In
tention, not to say his frenzy. to reach his goal
by all possible means, he had looked upon the
two gentlewomen whom have mentioned as in
struments he might turn to his advantage.
Whether 1t was that Nine. Tallien's beauty had
captivated him. or whether he believed the report
that she possessed greater influence than Nine.
Beauharnais 1t was to the former that In the
first place he addressed his vows and attentions.
These were soon followed by declaration Of
what he called his unconquerable passion" We
are assured that Nine. Talien replied to "the
little enamored Corsican in a acontemptuous fash
ion which left him no hope. She went so far as
to say to him ironically that she believed
that she had something better than him. After
such defeat Bonaparte considered that. beaten
in one direction, he might do we'll In another.
So he conceived the iden OF paying his court to
Nine. Beauharnais; and as no had some knowl-
edge Of her cupdity and interested motives he
began to make her presents Of dress and jew
elry." For young man in his circumstances
hu huv hnap n n ~ had I nj
been one of speculation. and Barras. hearing of
1t. said to Bonaparte: 1T seems that you have
taken la Beauharuais for one Of the soldiers of
tho 18th Vendemiaire, whom you should have
included In the distribution Of money. You
would have done hotter to have sent this money
TO your family, which needs 1t. and to whom I
have Just rendered further assistance" We nre
told that Bonaparte blushed. but did not deny
having made presents Of considerable value,
and. In response to further banterng on the part
of Barras, said: "Well. then, in whatever state
Nine. Beauharnais may be. II the relations he.
tween us were seriously meant. II the presents
which you blame me for having made were
wedding presents what then would you have
to find fault with. Citizen Director7 Were this
woman to become mine, what would be the OBJ
lection therefor" To this question. Barras says
that, after remaining silent for while. he re-
piled to Bonaparte using the familiar thee
and thou, rs 1t seriously meant, what thou
hast just told me? have just thought
over thy idea Of marriage. and 1t
seems less ridiculous to me than at
first sight" I'm the first place. Nine. Beau
harnats Is rich." reioined Bonaparte with vehe-
mence. On these words the author makes the
comment that the young Corsican had been de-
ceived by the lady's external luxuries. ignorant
of the fact that the unfortunate woman de-
pended for her existence on loans contracted in
Paris on the imaginary credit of property in
Martigny. from which she could derive no in
come as long as her mother lived. If We can
trust these memoirs. the widow Beauharnais
lived at Fontainebleau in a state bordering on
indigence "the greater part OF the year she quar-
tered herself on Mime. Doue. creole like her
self, without whose assistance she would have |
lacked the necessaries Of life. She would come |
to Paris by the public stagecoach: her daugh-
ter Hortense was apprenticed to dressmaker |
and her son to O carpenter; this was either |
very philosophical or very unmotherly Of her,
for she could find means for her toilette" AL |
though these things passed through the Dlrec- |
tors mind. he nevertheless said to Bonaparte:
- Well since you seriously asking my ad-
vice. will answer you in your own words. why |
should you not? Your brother Joseph has shown |
you the way to marriage; the dowry OF Mile. X.
has put an end to his financial straits. You tell |
me You are at your wits end for money, and
that you cannot afford to lose any more time
over the matter. Well. them marry; a married
man has a standing in society. and can better
resist the attacks of his enemies"
X.
1t seems that few days later 1t was the turn
Of Nine. de Beauharnais to come and confide in
Barras. We quote his description OF the inter-
view: "Actuated as she was by motives of in
erest, she did not display any reserve. and, con-
Tossing them to me at the very outset of her
visit, she began by declaring in tho plalnest
erms that no impulse Of the heart was at the
bottom of this new bond: that little 'puss-in-
boots she said, was assuredy the very last man