The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-21

Crimean war he was always to be found
in the same corner of the Cafe de Pro
vence, at the end of the Rue st. Honore,
coming down about in the evening and
going when he could find no one to talk
with 1t took some self-restrain to
listen to the old diplomatist, for his
stories were beyond all belief, and yet
ne was quick at detecting the shadow
of a smile or the slightest little rising of
the eyebrows.
OF all his stories none was more nOtori-
Gus than that of the Koran and the For
eign Office messenger. And yet when
Monsieur Otto's memoirs were written it
was found that there really vas Some
foundation for old Lacour's Incredible
statement.
You must know, monsieur" he would
say, that I left Egypt after Kleber's
assassination. / gladly would have stayed
on, for l was engaged in translation
of the Koran, and between ourselves T
had thoughts at the time of embracing
Mahometanism, for I was deeply struck
by the wisdom of their views about mar
riage. They had made an incredible mis-
take, however, upon the subject of wine,
and this was what the Lufti who at
tempted to convert me could never get
over. Then when old Kleber died and
AIenou came to the top | felt that it
was time for me to go. carried my
Koran and my papers to London, where
Monsieur Otto had been sent by the
First Consul to arrange a treaty of peace,
for both nations were very weary OF the
war, which had already lasten ten years.
Here ! was most useful to Monsieur
Otto on account of my knowledge of the
English tongue, and also, if may say so.
on account of my natural capacity.
.'Well, Monsieur Otto, our Ambassa-
dor, was kept terribly busy over that
treaty and all of his staff were worked
to death.
You can understand that it was no
child's play. After ten years of war each
nation had got hold of great deal which
had belonged to the other, or to the
other allies. What was to be given back?
And what was to be kept? Is this island
worth that peninsula? If we do this at
Venice. will you do that at Sierra Leone?
If we give up Egypt to the Sultan, will
you restore the Cape of Good Hope,
which you have taken from our allies
the Dutch? So We wrangled and wres-
tied; and I have seen Monsieur Otto
come back to the Embassy so exhausted
that his secretary had to help him from
his carriage to his sofa. But at last
things adjusted themselves, and the
night came around when the treaty was
to be finally signed.
Now you must know that the one
great card which we held. and which we
played, played, played at every point OF
the game, was that we had Egypt. The
English were very nervous about our
being there. It gave us foot on each
end of the Mediterranean, you see. And
they were not sure that that wonderful
little Napoleon of ours might not make
It the base of an advance against India.
So whenever Lord Hawkesbury proposed
to retain anything, we had only to reply,
I'm that case, OF course, we cannot con-
sent to evacuate Egypt" and in this
way we quickly brought him to reason.
well, it was upon the first of October
that the treaty was finally to be signed.
In the morning 1 was congratulating
Monsieur Otto upon the happy conclusion
of his labors. He was little pale
shrimp of a man, very quick and nerv-
Gus. and he was so delighted now at his
own success that he could not sit still,
but ran about the room chattering and
laughing, while 1 sat on a cushion in the
corner, as had learned to do in the
East. Suddenly in came messenger
with letter which had been forwarded
from Paris. Monsieur Otto cast his eyes
upon it, and then without word his
knees gave way and he fell senseless upon
the floor I ran to him, as did the
courier, and between us we carried him
to the sofa. He might have been dead
from his appearance, but / could still
feel his heart thrilling beneath my palm.
'' what is this, them l asked
"T do not KNOW answered the mes
senger. Monsieur Talleyrand told me to
hurry as never man hurried before, and
to put this letter into the hands OF
Monsieur Otto. was IN Parls az MD
night yesterday.
az know that I am to blame, but
could not help glancing at the letter,
picking it out of the senseless hand OF
Monsieur Otto. My god! the thunder
bolt that it was! 1 did not faint, but
sat down beside my chief and I burst
into tears. 1t was but few words, but
they told us that Egypt had been evacu-
ated by our troops a month before. All
our treaty was undone then, and the
one consideration which had induced our
enemies to give us good terms had van
ished In twelve hours it would not have
mattcred But now the treaty was not yet
signed. We should have to give up the
Cape We should have to let England
have Malta. Now that Egypt was gone,
we had nothing to offer in exchange.
Monsieur Otto recovered his senses
presently, and we took counsel what we
should do.
1t is useless to go on, Alphonse,' said
he. This Englishman will laugh at me
when I ask him to sign
Courage I cried; and then, sud-
den thought coming into my head. How
do we know that the English will have
news of this? Perhaps they may sign
the treaty before they know of it,
Monsieur Otto sprang from the sofa
and flung himself into my arms.
.Alphonse,' he cried, you have saved
me. Why should they know about it?
Our news has come from Toulon, to Paris,
and thence straight to London. Theirs
will come by sea through the straits of
Gibraltar At this moment it is unlikely
that any enc in Paris knows II. save
only Talleyrand and the First Consul. If
still eyAf