The times., 1898-06-06

BOiueD carriage along with the rest, and
thus 1t came to pass that Maximiiian's s
son-in-iaw, the Duke of Leuchtenberg,
came in for it at the Bavarian king IS
death. 1t was subsequently sold and re-
sold, and In fact appeared frequently In
the market till at length Herr Eifert Sc
cured 1t for mere song.
But the chronicIer is mute in one es-
sential. We are not told whether Ma
poleon IL, his majesty the king of
Rome and duke of Reichstadt is styled,
ever saw the carriage in question lie
was little more than an infant when he
was brought to Sehoenbrunn, where he
lived in strict retirement with his mother,
who contracted marriage after the Corsi
cans death with the master of her sta
bles. Count Neipperg. The boys youth
was by no means happy one, and early
in life he learned Enthusiastically that he
was not wanted. He gave himself up
to melancholy and debauch. He was
of an exceedingly delicate constitution,
and the hectic flush and the cough which
increased on approaching manhood told
his enemies-his fathers enemies-that
they would have nothing to fear from
him. Among his brother officers he had
warm friends. but they were placed on
their guard by their superiors at the
war office against seeking his confidence.
In order that he should go at double
quick march to perdition, the allurements
OF a fascinating woman of wide celeb
rity were thrown in his way. To what
extent she Influenced the Inflated youth
is widely known, and when the history of
the Hapsburgs during the Napoleonic era
is written by the historian of the future
dark indeed will be the page devoted TO
the story of the exile of Schoenbrunn.
1t is one of Austria's darkest pages with
in the memory of living men, perhaps
the Mayerling tragedy excepted.
In her extreme old age arrayed in SILK
and flashing in many diamonds, her hair
as white the costly lace which served
her as headgear, this once fascinating
woman was pointed out TO me seated in
a box at the imperial opera house at vi
emma surrounded by old men who had
known her when she was young. They
were men of the biuest blood and the rib
bons in their coats showed that they had
seen service of one kind another and
won renown. They were collected around
her because, after many years. she had
returned to town their Fanni of the step
inim!table. and they wished to see her once
again TO hear her voice. to press her
hand, 70 win her smile, to speak of long
ago-of the '2os and of the '30s. / do not
know whether they made allusiOn in re-
calling the past to the boy duke the king
of Rome the only son of the would-be
conquerer of the world. But / do know
that al Meran, in southern Tyrol, at Villa
Fanni, Fraulein Fanni Won Webenau, the
sole surviving descendant and grand
daughter Of Fanni the dancer, was be-
ing brought UP by her father, the cap
tain, in the way she should go as a
strait-laced young lady of the Austrian
| nobility.
Though FannI bewitched the exile of
| Schaenbrunn. yet ne never really loved
her. His affections were concentrated up
on one Kaethi Geyer. She was beautiful
and young and pure. His deep affection
was reciprocated. They met clandestlne-
/ she mistook him for an officer of his moth
, ity and his hand in marriage. Had he
/ lived Kae,hi Geyer. the daughter of a Vi
! emma tradesman. would have become the
/ wife of Napoleon. 1t was only when he
( lay on his death bed that he divulged TO
his mother his dearest passion. IL was on
! ly then that the object of his affections
became aware of his exalted rank. OF
! FannI he spoke not a word.
! II was in November, 1895. that "the wo-
! man in black died. The woman in
1 black" as she was called by the Capuchin
monks at the imperial vault had visited
/ the tomb Of the duke Of Reichstadt many
/ times annually, and had prayed and left
| flowers in all the years that had elapsed.
! THE woman in black was Kaethi Geyer.