The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-28

| Lefebvre heard of the situation. He
had been fretting at the delays Of his
engineers and now resolved to take the
town by storm that day and save Lazare,
who was to be executed the day after.
He did storm the town; he captured 1t
and amid the shoutings of the triumph,
pressed Lazare to his breast. A few days
after, with great state, Lefebvre was
created Duke of Dantzic and Nine Sans
| Gene was duchess
When the Emperor of Austria sent his
daughter Maria Louise, to become the
bride of Napoleon he sent along as her
equerry the Count de Neipperg. The
count had been for some time widower;
the faithful Blanche was no more He
had been successful in all the employ
ments with which his imperial master
has intrusted him and now received this
high proof of the esteem in which the
Emperor held him. But here was the be-
ginning of that scandal which has cast
in history so dark a cloud over the names
of Maria Louise and Neipperg. Maria
Louise. mere girl, and the count,
man of middle age, fell in love with each
other.
Napoleon, having married a daughter OF
the Hapsburgs, established his court on
lines of greater formality than ever, and
was yexed with such of his marshals and
their wives as did not readily adapt them
selves to their changed conditions IN lie.
| 1T efebvre," he said one day to the mar
shall. yours is brave and loyal heart
| but you must admit that now, when you
| are a grand officer of the crown and Duke
| of Dantzic, your wife-your excellent
| wife-is a little out of place. Her man
ners are such as to make her the laugh
ing stock of the court, and her language
| too frequently suggests the washtub. 1t
| is a great pity you married 30 young
| But I was married young, too, and yet L
Really have you never thought Of d.
| vorce?" Lefebvre replied: 1T is done, sir,
and it cannot be undone. My wife and
| I love each other-that is all we care
about" well, WELL, said the Emperor,
think 1t over. I will provide literally for
your wife, and marry you to a daughter
of the old noblesse." When Lefebvre told
his wife of the proposals of the Emperor
they both had a hearty laugh over the
bare idea of a separation, and the marshal
rolling up his sleeve, showed again to
| catherine the tattoed heart, with the
legend, Faithful to Catherine until
| DEATH"
The Count de Neipperg remained at the
French court as equerry to the Empress,
| and the evident pleasure which the two
found in each others company began to
be noticed by Napoleon with vexation.
Still he dismissed jealousy from his mind
as being an unworthy sentiment. He had
the pair constantly Swallowed by his min
lister of police. Fouche, however and at
length came to believe that there was a
secret, though perhaps innocent. attach
/ ment between the Empress and her
eouerry. The Count de Neipperg was or
dered to receive his passports and return
to Vienna. French ground he was for
hidden to enter again. The Emperor act
cd quickly. firmly, quietly and without
scandal.
At the first court reception which
Maria Louise held after her formal
coronation Catherine appeared in all her
bravery as the Duchess Of Dantzic. At
the state dinner which followed the
| emperor's sister hectoreo catherine
until, losing her temper completely.
she gave loose to her tongue and
launched forth In a TRADE which
though perhaps just, was shocktngly
out of place and the language of which
was neither choice nor unprofane-for
Cath crime could swear like trooper
when her temper was up and called a
| snada a snade most automatically. There
was a painful scene. and the matter.
coming to the ears of the emperor he
determined to take measures to pre-
vent such scandals.
The court was at Compiegne and
Catherine was gazing doubtfully at q
costume just sent from her dressmaker,
which she had ordered for a hunting