Evening star., 1909-09-04

of throwing his handkerchief at the beau
tiful foreigner. Once Eugene and her
mother were hidden to a parade review
at the Tuileries. In the courtyard Napo-
leon drew up his horse under the win
dows of the first floor. to salute the
ladies'. He wished to dismount and go
up to them.
"Mademoiselle." he said. addressing Eu-
genie. which way shall l take to get to
your?
He was almost as new to the Tuileries
as any of u.s. told the Eugene of eighty
three years. He did not know his way
about the palace.
Sire she called down to him. you
must come by way of the chapel.
As fact, the corridor leading to the
chapel was the shortest route to those
den meaning. Again. one afternoon at
Compiegne, when the flower Of the brand
new emperors court was idling around
his vingt-et-un table, she told him. Seat
ed at Napoleons right. she consulted
him from time to time as to her play.
She found two picture cards IN her
hand, counting twenty out of twenty one
possible points. Stand on that" said
the emperor 1T is very high
No. said Eugene 4 must have all
or nothing
The court ladies were in full slander
of her when Napoleon had made up
of the second empire had extraordinary
manners. One evening at Compiegne.
when Eugene was going in to dinner on
the arm of Col. de Toulongeon, slight
confusion permitted him to whisk Eu-
genie ahead of Nine. Fortoul. wife of
the minister of that name.
How" she exclaimed, audibiy, to her
cavalier. do you permit that crea-
tIlre to push past me-?
The next morning Mile. de Montf1o,
with tears in her eyes, stood on the
terrace apart from the others 1t was
no ruse to attract Naooleon's sympathy.
The girl saw her prfnce-hero disappearing
in a nightmare of hateful gossip. Napo-
leon. who had sought her. asked the
cause of her sorrow. Il must leave
Compiegne." she faltered. and told of
her sights and insults.
The emperor listened to the beautiful
girl, tranquil and smiling. Then, when
she had finished, he tore a green string
OF ivy from a park tree, deftly twisted
it into crown and said loudly, that
all might hear, as he placed it on her
head:
Wear this one-meanwhile."
1t was his proposal of marriage He
never actually asked her hand-he took
it. Not another murmur rose from the
court ladies. At once they focked
around Eugene.
1t was another matter. however, for
Napoleon to force his choice on the
statesmen and soldiers backing his still
risky empire. Opinions were divided on
which royal alliance he should make.
Some were for princess of Sweden;
some for a Braganza some for the Ho-
henzollern. Then, suddenly, Napoleon
speaking of Eugene. sprang the mine by
saying: There is no question but OF
the right hand"
mo question but of the right hand!
The words ran through the hackers like
an alarm of fire. One with the strongest
hold upon Napoleon-de Persigny, his
minister of interior-was sent to tell him
in the name of all it would not do.
De Persigny. mixed up with Napoleon
in many an old adventure. had kept his
old-comrade liberty Of speech He joked
about Napoleon's admiration for Eugenie
sure the emperor must amuse himself
When he noticed that Napoleon's face
grew stern he rose to fighting argument
brutally accommodating proofs and rea-
sons why marriage would be idiotic
both dynastically and otherwise. He
sneered at the Montijo title: brought out
the grandfather, Kirkpatrick, bankrupt
Malaga raisin merchant: then he took ul
Eugenies rowing life: what was the CIR
doing here in Paris?'
Did you ever hear of the young Duke
Of Sesto?' asked de Persigny. Did yol
ever hear of Merimee?'
"Merimee is a great writer" said Ma
poleon
Surely. for he writes Eugenie's letter!