The Washington herald., 1914-07-26

The interruption Of the campaign for a
new marriage was prolonged by the En-
press journey to Bayonne, where, with
her perfect TAFT, she greatly aided the
Emperor IN his rough task Of taking the
crown of Spain away from the Spanish
royal family who were gathered there.
She showed herself as superior in man
ner as he showed himself superior in
power to those princes born in the purple
and together they overwhelmed the Bour-
bons. Never had Napoleon seemed light
err hearted with her than on that trip,
when they ran races on the beach and he
threw her into the waves with her
clothes on.
He was still her captive when the Aus
train campaign Of 1880 began. and he took
her with him as far as Strasburg. While
he was bridging the Danube and bridg-
ing the way from the defeat Of Aspern-
Essling to the victory of Wagram, he
wrote her. You know my feelings for
Josephine; they are Interchangeable"
A Rattle Won and Lost.
But wagram seems to have decided, the
issue, when it confirmed anew his title
to the vastest and richest estate in the
world. The Empress did not miss the
caIamitous significance of that battle to
her, nor fail to understand that in her
husbands victory she had lost her fight
To be sure, his emotions were still on her
side, and even yet fitfully struggled
against the inevitable. Nearly three
months after wagram, and at the end
of September, he was writing her once
more, in the old spirit of playful fond
ness: "I warn you to look after yourself
well at nights. For one night very soon
you will hear a great noise!"
1t was perhaps fortunate for them both
that Josephine had not yet reached Fon-
tainebleau when the great noise" burst
upon that palace on a late October morn
ing in 1909. The Emperor and Travelled
from Vienna faster than the news Of his
coming, and the Empress did not arrive
from St Cloud until the evening. Her alb
sence dashed his spirits, and. when at last
they met, 1t was under the influence Of
a mutual constraint which saved them
both from a renewal Of relations that
would have only made harder the now
unavoidable trial that awaited them.
Already Fouche had seen the Emperor
and bluntly warned him: There is not
a marshal who is not considering how to
dispose OF your estate If we have the
misfortune to lose you. It is an instance
of Alexander's lieutenants eager for his
kingdoms" All the imperial Bonapartes
had been for the divorce from the begin
ming. and now even Napoleon's mother
ear-fn Nka will
have the courage this time to take the
step which not only France but Europe
awaits with anxiety. His divorce is an
act of necessity"
After a gloomy fortnight at Fontaine-
bleau. in which the Emperor and EN-
press alike strove to avoid being left to-
gether alone, one for fear of having his
purpose overcome and the other for fear
of hearing it proposed. they entered Paris
to find the chattering city busy with their
affairs. Worse still. Josephine,s credi-
tors. alarmed by her sinking fortunes.
were clamoring for money. and Napoleon
was amazed to learn that she was again
fioundering in debt.
Josephine's Extrnyaganee.
Extravagance appears to have been
Josephines >one fault under the Empire.
1t is doubtful If she had given the En-
peror any other grievance since she took
her place beside him on the throne. Once
he cast her miliiner in prison for several
hours to frighten her out Of her habit Of
extortion. But life imprisonment would
not have corrected the reckless expendi-
lures Of the Empress, with her 500 chem
l - a.