For Sceptre and Crown Volume II Part 51

She saw this look, a shudder pa.s.sed through her, in violent excitement she pressed her hand to her heart, and she said with a deep breath, fixing her burning eyes upon the emperor:

"Sire, it is not a question of my husband's honour alone; to care for this is certainly our own affair, but something else is staked upon this, something that touches your majesty more nearly,--and that is the honour of France."

The emperor gave a cold smile.

"My armies only withdraw from Mexico at my command, and they bring rich laurels with them," he said.

"Laurels?" cried the empress with flashing eyes, "yes, the soldiers who have bravely fought bring laurels with them, and laurels grow on the graves of the fallen, but the banners of France, who now desert the throne raised by France's emperor, the prince who went thither at the call of France, and who is rewarded by humiliation and desertion,--these banners should be veiled in c.r.a.pe, for they have forsaken France's honour! Oh! sire," she exclaimed, restraining herself with a great effort, "I beg you once more--I conjure you--recall your hard decision!"

The emperor's brow wore a gloomy frown, an icy smile was on his lips.

"Madame," he said, "your majesty will allow that I am the best, the only competent judge of what the honour of France demands."

The eyes of the empress flashed, a look of proud contempt appeared on her face.

"Your majesty is the _judge_," she said, "then let me be the _advocate_ of the honour of France, my blood gives me this right, the blood of Henri Quatre flows in my veins, and my grandfather was the French king!"

The emperor's long eyelashes were raised, and his angry eyes gazed on the excited woman who sat trembling before him.

He stood up.

The empress also rose.

She pressed both hands upon her heart, her whole form swayed to and fro with the violent effort she made to recover her calmness.

"Sire," she said in a low soft voice, "forgive the wife who pleads for the honour and the life of her husband, if her zeal has made her speak too boldly in a cause which must ever be to her the highest and the holiest on earth. Sire, I implore you for G.o.d's sake, for the sake of eternal mercy,--have pity on us, give us your protection one year longer, or give us money, if the blood of France is too precious."

And with an imploring look of indescribable anguish she gazed up at this man, from whose mouth the words of hope could come, which she might bear back to the husband longing for her with such weary anxiety, refreshing his hara.s.sed soul with new strength.

Napoleon spoke in a cold voice.

"Madame, the greatest service at this grave moment is perfect truth and openness. I should sin against your majesty, if I allowed you to entertain vain hopes. My decision is as unalterable as the necessity that dictates it. I have nothing more for Mexico--not a man, not a franc!"

The features of the empress grew frightfully distorted, the whites of her eyes grew red as blood, a flaming brightness glowed in her gaze, her lips receded and showed her gloaming white teeth; with outstretched arms she walked close up to the emperor, and with hissing breath that seemed to drive the words from her breast, she cried in a voice which no longer sounded human:

"Yes! it is true, the image of my dream, the horrible apparition of my sleep! there he stands with his goblet of blood!--demon of h.e.l.l!--executioner of my family!--murderer of my husband!--laughing devil!--murder me, the grand-daughter of Louis Philippe,--of that king who rescued you from misery, and saved you from the scaffold."

As if before some supernatural appearance the emperor slowly stepped backwards to the door. The empress stood still, and stretching out her hand towards him she cried, whilst her features grew more frightfully convulsed, and her eyes glowed more wildly:

"Hence, fiend! but take with thee my curse. The curse which G.o.d hurled at the head of the first murderer shall destroy thy throne! flames shall blot out thy house! and when thou liest in the dust from whence thou hast risen, expiring in shame and weakness, the avenging angel shall shake the depths of thy despairing soul with the cry of 'Charlotte and Maximilian!'"

Seized with horror the emperor turned round, covering his eyes with his hands. He hurried to the door, and rushed into the anteroom, where he found his equerry, and General Almonte much shocked at the dreadful sound of the empress's voice. He cried scarcely audibly--"Come, Fave, come quickly, the empress is ill."

He hurried down the steps, looking anxiously back; the equerry rushed after him.

General Almonte hastened back into the empress's room.

The unhappy princess had sunk on her knees in the middle of the salon, her left hand was pressed to her heart, her right stretched upwards, and with upturned eyes she stared vacantly at the ceiling--a statue of despair.

The general hastened to her.

"For G.o.d's sake," he cried, bending over her, "I conjure your majesty, calm, collect yourself! What has happened?"

A slight shiver pa.s.sed through her limbs, she slowly turned her eyes towards the general, she looked at him with surprise, pa.s.sed her hand over her brow, and allowed him to raise her, and lead her to the sofa.

A lady in waiting had entered in great anxiety, and a.s.sisted the general, the lacquey stood with a frightened face at the door of the ante-room.

Suddenly the empress rose, her eyes wandered round the room. "Where is he?" she cried in a hoa.r.s.e voice, "he has gone, he must not go. I will dog his heels, day and night my shrieks for revenge shall pierce his ears!"

"Your majesty!" cried the general.

"Away!" screamed the empress, "leave me: my carriage, my carriage; after him, the traitor, my husband's murderer!"

And she tore herself free from the general, and the lady in attendance, rushed through the anteroom and down the stairs, still crying, "My carriage! my carriage!"

The general hastened after her. The servant followed.

In the large court of the Grand Hotel there was a concourse of inquisitive people, attracted by the arrival of the imperial carriage.

On the large balcony sat foreigners reading newspapers and chatting.

Suddenly they heard the loud out-cry of a woman clad in black, with distorted features and blood-shot starting eyes. She appeared at the foot of the large staircase, and shrieked incessantly: "My carriage, my carriage!"

General Almonte overtook the empress. He sought to calm her, it was impossible. All eyes were fixed on the surprising apparition.

The general in great distress wishing to bring the dreadful scene to an end, desired the lacquey who was in the empress's service, to bring a carriage into the court of the hotel.

The equipage drove round.

With one spring the empress threw herself in. The general seized the door to follow her. Then her strength failed her--she collapsed, her eyes closed, white foam appeared on her lips; unconscious, with convulsive shudders, she fell back on the cushions.

Several servants hastily appeared. They carried her gently upstairs to her own room.

"What a tragedy begins," said General Almonte, shuddering, as he followed slowly; "and what a conclusion lies in the lap of the future!"

Late in the afternoon, the brilliant carriages belonging to the aristocracy, the _haute finance_, and the foreign diplomacy, drove slowly round the Bois de Boulogne. The whole Paris world had remained in town, the universal interest in the European crisis chained them to the capital; and the whole world took its accustomed slow drive before dinner, along the beautiful sh.o.r.es of the two lakes, in the charming, wonderfully-kept Bois de Boulogne. Between the imposing heavy-looking carriages with their powdered servants, drove the carriages belonging to the 'demi-monde,' light and graceful, with spirited prancing steeds; and the young gentlemen, without regarding the displeased looks of the ladies of the 'grande monde,' rode close to these carriages, laughingly and jestingly replying to the piquant remarks made by the ladies of the avant-scene and the Cafe anglais.

In an open caleche drawn by four beautiful brown horses, preceded by two piqueurs in green and gold, with an officer riding near the door, drove the emperor amongst the lively varied throng. Beside him sat General Fleury. Napoleon's face beamed with good humour, he conversed with animation to the general, responding with gracious empress.e.m.e.nt, right and left, to the salutes he received, whilst the brilliant equipage drove slowly three times round the lake. An hour later all Paris knew that the emperor was in excellent health, and that affairs must be going on well, since his majesty showed such remarkable cheerfulness.

The emperor was in the same good spirits at the dinner to which the marshals and several distinguished officers were invited. The _cercle_ was over, the sun had set, and the warm darkness of evening was spread over the gigantic city.

The emperor entered his cabinet. He laid aside the uniform he had worn at dinner, and put on a plain black frock coat.

As soon as his valet had gone he called Pietri.

"Is my carriage without livery ready?" he asked.

"It is waiting at the side door as your majesty commanded."