The Irish standard., 1896-01-18
tion and telusions and her husband was

tion and delusions and her husband was
| ine1trica bly, in her tolls. s.. ...., ~.
: Her relatives have been blamed for
not coming to her assistance in this hour
or personal and political distress. But
I no one could have foreseen her deplor-
able state, and indeed the Orleans
| princes were exiled from France while
EtIe COblrg branch awaited her return
to Brussels, believing there was ample
time for her to realize the tue state of af-
[fairs and. with Maximillian, to retire TO
private life. They reckoned without
Mexico, that. land Of hot passion and in
slduous poison
| One prop was gone It was in state
of mental collapse that Carlotta reached
| Paris and had an interview with the en-
perot. Bent on saving the life, the hon
or and throne other husband she ap-
preached with confidence the man most
responsible for launching him on the
| Quixotic enterprise. She understood at
last that he could do nothing. The irri-
! sistibIe logic Of events had made it I'M
possible for him to support Maxinillian
on the throne OF Mexico, against the de-
clared hostility Of the United States.
Those inathe anteloom Of the audience
chamber will never forget the terrible
screams and means which followed Oh,
! that Bourbon and Coburg, a. cousin. or
| Victoria the wife Of & Hapshurg, reign
| ing on their own throne for thousand
years, should humiliate myself to
! Bonaparte who beguiIed us for his glory,
| who, in our extremity betrays us.
| It seemed an hour that she raved in
| this fashion. then she tainted and Ma
poleon hurried out, wiping his eyes, and
| motioning her weeping ladies 10 enter.
,E,ngenie was on her knees by the couch,
using restoratives and murmurlDg: Poor
! Cariottat' So she has been to the world
eyer since--"Poor. Carlotta
| Worn out with the long sea voyage and
| distracted by the news received at -b.est,
| her mind gave way under this fresh blow.
She recovered in a few days sufficiently
| to 20 on to Rome. Once there she has
tened to the vatican and fell trembling at
the feet OF the pope, begging him to save
her from her enemies, whom she feared
| would poison her. Within a few days
she was declared hopelessly insane and
conveyed TO Miramie, the object of the
tenderest solicitude of her brother-in-
law, Franz Joseph.
More than year afterWard MaXimillan
was executed, thinking her dead.
and rejoicing that a.. her suffer-
ings were over. After some
months his remains were bruoght to
Vienna and laid in the vault Of the Haps-
burgs. She never knew it, For her he
sill lives and struggles, surrounded by
senemies., She wakes in the night and
weeps and raves. She reproaehes Napo-
leon and calls on the pope. For her
brother, tbs King OF Belgium she has
conceived the most violent hatred.
After some years, Leopold had her re-
moved to Brussels and confined at Lac
ken, where she lives in great simplicity,
with few attendants. Many believe that
the great fortune left by her father has
been absorbed by her brother. He was
trustee, there are nc. children to inquire
into the matter, and the king Is above the
law. In case Of her death tWo-thirds OF
the vast sum must go to her husbands
heirs in Austria and the other third to her
two brothers, Leopold and the Count of
Flanders.
It IS openly whispered that it has all
disappeared in developing the Congo
State, the king hoping that by the time Of
her death his ventures in Africa would
enable him to make restitution. Fifty
million francs with interest and COM
pound interest, is what Leopold will have
to account for, and Archduke Carl Lud-
wig, the principal Austrian neir, will eX-'
act it to the last cent To counteract this
demand, is is said that Leopold has in his
possession written authority from the ex-
empress, given: during her few lucid in
tervals, to invest her fortune in Africa.
But has poor Carlotta ever had lucid in
tervals? Not for ten years-not at all
since 1866, to the extent of realizing her
husbands death and her own sad for
tunes This, together with her notorious
hatred of her brother, would make it diff
ticult for him to prove that his power OF
attorney is worth anything.
Castle Boucholte, at Laeken, where
Carlotta lives, is a modest country place
inclosed by high walls. The windows are
all grated, and the ex-empress wanders
from room to room at will. The place as
guarded by dozen soldiers and two Off
GERS. In the summer the prisoner is>seen
often in the garden. She is SIS now, but
looks to be 70, with her waxen face, halt
ing gait and eyes red with constant weep
ing.
She wears an old black gown, with red
slippers, and a Mexican shawl. worn On
that last sad journey. Her hair, almost
white, streams in the wind. She picks UP
leaves and blows them from her open
hand. She will do this for hours at a
time, mumbling and laughing. When
completely exhausted with rambling, she
Will throw herself On couch and weep
herself into eomatOse state from which
it is difficult arouse her. ALI the physi-
clans are able to do now is to give her
nourishment enough to prolong wretch
ed life. '#
She will not go to bed, calling the bed d
coffin, but lies on a couch. When an at
tendant moves her she cries like child
that suffers excruciating pain and knows
no other way to tell it. Once the most de-.
vout of Catholics, she will not see apriest.
and a religious procession has no meaning
for her. The Queen of Belgium has
ceased to visit her since the poor prisoner
develops violent mania at sight of
member of the royal family.
Eight ladies of the Belgian aristocracy
form her maids of honor, and make it a
religious duty to wait ron Carlotta in turn,
a week at time. 1t is a hard task, for
they put their very lives in jeopardy, and
they have to submit to her careless habits
and economical household. During the
early days of her insanity the ex-empress
wanted gaudy toilets. . She would strut
about with crown and scepter, and have
pages to bear her train. She wore
dozen pairs of white gloves a day, and in
sisted ON attendants standing in her pres
ence. But this passion for dress has long
gone by, and she has sunk into the untidi-