Evening star., 1903-08-22

Vandal. Barres. the aristocrats of the
academy. and all the old drum heaters Of
the Napoleonic party. TO upset the republic
But-Prince Victor would not bulge. He
would say neither yes nor no. He keps
both enemies and friends alike engaged
In guessing-untII the exposition of 1870
came to occupy the popular attention and
make a queer kind of temporary peace.
I'VE must not spoil the exposition" said
French business men.
IF they were to offer my brother Victor
the throne OF France on silver plate he
would begin by looking under the plate for
a plot or trick against him." Louis Is re-
ported to have said at this epoch.
I'm order to embark we must h.5t disem-
bark. were the now historic words of old
Mathilde. Immediately on the failure OF
one plot she built another. She always
preferred Louis. Now she said:
Working for Louis,
III Victor will not move. then Louis
SHALL SO she began pushing Louis. Sho
gave out that he was to be her sole heir.
Now rumor has 1t that the Demidoffs have
paid her annually since 1S45 pension OF
2pooo francs, and that the aggregate OF
| all these sums have always drawn interest
as a kind of fund she has been keeIins in
reserve for the party She has. also. all
that she has saved out OF her own great
fortune; she possesses in her own right the
palace in the Rue de Berri, filed from cellar
to garret with paintings. statuary. brio a.
a
of Incompatible Jewels, In which Is to be
found the famous necklace of three rows OF
pearls presented by Napoleon l to Cath
crime of Wurtembourg, her mother. and the
noble chateau at Enghien, on the outskirts
of Paris. where she now lies Ill. Such
fortune might we'll stake no matter
what imperial pretender.
When Victor. in his soft nest at Brussels.
heard of this plan he was furious with
jealousy. Yet he only brooded. conuenting
himself for the rest with quietly gathering
to him such of the Napoleonic party as
allowed themselves to dwell on the theory
that no good could come from a split in
their ranks
All Plans Baked
Still Victor made no move. until Mathilde
as the crowniug triumph OF her old age
found a wife for Louis. wife who could
help him to the imperial throne Of
France This none less than that stat
uesque young Juno, the Grande Duchess
Helene. daughter of the Grand Duke Vlad-
imir and sister OF our guest of last year,
Boris. How near the project was to suo-
ceeding. and how great was the Russian
announcement of Louis, may be gathered
from the fact that at the breaking out of
the Dreyfus imbroglio he was but colonel
in the Russian army. Well, while in Brus-
sells. absent from his regiment and con-
spring against the French republic the
tsar actually promoted this same Colonel
Louis to be major general over the heads
of eighty colonels OF the Russian army.
What act. even of tsar. could be more
significant?
The aged Mathilde thrilled at the thought
of success after all those years of waiting.
Then. in Brussels. Victor heard of the en-
gagement.
Louis shall not marry her!" he cried.
How will you prevent it?" they asked
Il will marry her myself he exclaimed
In a fury of resentment.
He did not marry her. and this spring, as
you know. she married to another.
But Prince Victors venomous opposition
when it took the form. OF proposal for the
ladys hand, as well refusal to move
down and out of the position OF the head
of the house. proved sufficient to balk all
these fine plans for Louis. Victor, as pre-
tender and chief Of the Bonapartes. could
demand the hand of Helene; and on refus-
ing him the tsars advisers were against
the marriage with his younger brother.
So, once again. Mathilde saw her schemes
ruined. In the past two years has she
made others? AS she now lies, a very aged
woman. on her dangerous bed of pain a
mixed company gathers round her Euge-
ME, her ancient enemy. comes to forgive
her. Clotilde. her pious sister-in law,
speaks to her of her soul
STERLING EEILIG.