"Accepts them," said the emperor; and half speaking to himself he added, "to accept is not to acknowledge--to accept indicates a fict.i.tious position which we permit to continue as long as we will."

"I admire, as I have often done before, the dexterity with which your majesty chooses your words," said Pietri. "But," he proceeded, "this theory of nonintervention, this declaration that the three portions into which Germany is dividing completely rea.s.sure us as to the interests of France, will not accord with the views of M. Drouyn de Lhuys. I do not believe he will accept this programme without discussion."

The emperor looked steadfastly at his secretary.

"I cannot compel him to do so," he then said.

"And your majesty is firmly determined to abide by this programme."

"Firmly determined?" said the emperor, thoughtfully. "How difficult it is to decide at such a time. Do you know, Pietri," he said, as he laid his hand upon his shoulder, "determination is something that hurts my nerves; I do not know fear,--danger makes me cold and calm; but I am always thankful to those who compel me by an impulse to do what is needful to be done. Make me the copy,--I will drive out."

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE EMPRESS CHARLOTTE.

Monsieur Pietri finished his business with Napoleon the next morning, and rose to withdraw to his own room.

The emperor looked down gravely.

"I must visit the Empress Charlotte," he said in a low tone.

"The poor empress! she is indeed to be pitied," remarked Pietri.

"Why does she cling so madly to that absurd Mexican crown?" cried Napoleon. "Can I uphold the Emperor Maximilian on a throne which he has himself undermined with his liberal ideas? He has estranged himself from the Church party, and has deeply offended the clergy, the only power that can lead the ma.s.ses out there, and above all, that can get him money, which he needs so greatly; for without money he will soon have neither troops, nor generals, nor ministers, nor friends. Ought I," he continued after a pause, "ought I to continue pouring into this Mexican abyss streams of French blood and French money, without being able to fill it, now, when this German danger, which I must bear in smiling silence because I cannot act, threatens the frontier of France?" He clenched his teeth firmly together, a look of anger crossed his face. "This Mexican expedition was a great idea," he then said, "the establishment of the monarchical principle on the other hemisphere opposed to threatening North America; the rule of the Latin races. With the subjugation of the Southern States these plans became impossible; the Emperor Maximilian has not known how to find supporters for his throne; I have no longer any interest in upholding him, and I cannot do it."

"If your majesty had supported the Southern States vigorously?"

suggested Pietri, with some diffidence.

"How could I alone?" cried the emperor with animation. "Did not England leave me in the lurch? England, who had a much greater interest than I, in opposing the growth and consolidation of this American Republic? who sheathed the sword that should have cut through those cotton threads, which are threads of life to proud Great Britain. Shall I draw down upon myself alone the hatred and enmity of that nation for the future, without being sure of victory, that I may maintain an emperor upon a throne where he wishes to rule with const.i.tutional theories, joined to wild experimental politics? I am sorry for Maximilian," he continued, taking a few steps about the room; "there is something n.o.ble, something great in him; but also much mistiness; he has something of his predecessor, of Joseph II., who came into the world a hundred years too soon, and of that other Maximilian, who was born as much too late, whom the German poet called the last of the knights, forgetting Francis I. I pity him," he said, sighing; "but I cannot help him. After all, it is not so bad after this expedition again to become an archduke of Austria; there are princes who have no such line of retreat if their thrones are wrecked! I wish the Empress Charlotte had gone," he said in a gloomy voice; "she was much excited yesterday--it will be a painful visit!"

He caused the equerry on duty to be summoned, ordered his carriage, and withdrew into his dressing-room.

In a salon, on the _bel etage_ of the Grand Hotel in the Boulevard des Italiens, sat the Empress Charlotte of Mexico, dressed entirely in black. Her face once so lovely, fresh, and charming, was pale and sad; it was already marked with deep lines which gave her the appearance of premature old age, her hair was entirely concealed beneath the black lace handkerchief which came low down on her forehead, her mouth had a restless nervous movement, and her wearied eyes shone at times with an unsteady feverish brilliancy.

Before the empress stood General Almonte, the Mexican amba.s.sador in Paris, a pleasing-looking man of the southern type. He gazed sadly at the princess, who not long before had crossed the sea to ascend the dazzling throne of Montezuma, in fabulous splendour, and who now sat before him broken down by the deepest sorrow; instead of Montezuma's diadem, she had found Guatimozin's crown of martyrdom.

"You do not believe then, general," asked the empress in a trembling voice, "that anything is to be hoped from France?"

"I do not believe it," replied the general gravely; "according to all that I have seen and heard here, the emperor is quite determined to withdraw quickly and definitely from the whole affair. If his majesty the Emperor Maximilian wishes to maintain his throne, (which I ardently desire for the sake of an unhappy country robbed by one adventurer after another)--he must not rely on France--he must find supporters in the country itself. Before all, he must endeavour to win back the firmest and mightiest support, which he has lost--the Church and the clergy; they will procure him both money and soldiers. Not here," added the general, "is help to be found; if your majesty takes my advice you will go to Rome--the pope alone can restore to the emperor the mighty power of the Mexican clergy--certainly he would require conditions, but quick action is needful, before it is too late," he added in a gloomy voice.

"Oh!" cried the empress, standing up and walking up and down the room with hasty footsteps, "oh! that my n.o.ble, unhappy husband should have listened to the enticing words of that fiend, whom men call Napoleon; that he should have forsaken our beautiful Miramar, to hurl himself into this abyss, in which we sink deeper and deeper. If you knew," she cried, with sparkling eyes, as she stood still before the general, "how I entreated him, this man--he went to St.-Cloud, to avoid me," she cried, speaking quicker and with still greater excitement; "I followed him there, I pressed myself upon him, I begged and implored him, I repressed all the anger in my heart, I prayed to him as we pray to G.o.d, I threw myself at his feet, I, the grand-daughter of Louis Philippe, threw myself at the feet of the son of that Hortense--oh! my G.o.d!"

She sank back exhausted on the sofa.

"And what did the emperor reply?" asked the general, looking with deep compa.s.sion at the unhappy lady, whose diadem weighed so heavily upon her brow.

"Nothing," sighed the empress; "phrases of regret, cold words of comfort, which sounded like scorn from his mouth. General," she cried, rising suddenly, and fixing a tragic look upon him, "general, I fear that my reason will give way. So much sorrow no human soul can bear, so many tears no eyes can shed, without falling a prey to the powers of darkness. At night," she cried, gazing into s.p.a.ce as if her mind pursued a vision, "at night, if after long tearful watching an uneasy slumber falls upon me, I see him creep up towards me, this demon--this demon brought forth by h.e.l.l; he holds out a goblet, green flames dart from it! I shudder to my heart's core, but he holds the goblet to my lips, the flames beat on my brow with frightful pain; I must quaff,--quaff the terrible drink he offers me, and this drink is blood!--the blood of my husband!" she cried, shrieking aloud, and stretching out her hands with a movement of convulsive horror.

"Your majesty! for G.o.d's sake, calm yourself!" cried the general, dismayed.

A sound was heard in the antechamber.

A lacquey entered.

"His majesty the emperor has just driven into the _porte cochere_," he cried, and threw open the folding door leading to the anteroom.

The Empress Charlotte rose quickly. She pa.s.sed her handkerchief across her brow, the bewildered look vanished from her features, and she said with a calm and sorrowful smile:

"Leave me alone with him, general, perhaps G.o.d has softened his heart."

Napoleon appeared in the antechamber, he wore a black coat with the star and ribbon of the Order of Our Lady of Guadaloupe. Colonel Fave accompanied him.

The empress met him at the threshold of her room.

General Almonte with a deep bow withdrew into the antechamber. The servants closed the door.

Napoleon kissed the hand of the empress, led her to the sofa and placed himself in an arm-chair beside her. The empress looked at him in breathless suspense, his veiled eyes were cast on the ground.

"Is your majesty comfortable here?" he asked in a courteous tone. "I should have been happier if you would have accepted hospitality at one of my palaces."

"I want nothing," said the empress with slight impatience, "I have come to hear my fate. I implore your majesty to say if it is p.r.o.nounced, and what I have to hope."

"I think I told your majesty yesterday my determination, and the political reasons upon which it was founded," said the emperor in a calm voice. "I can only regret that circ.u.mstances forbid, absolutely forbid my compliance with your majesty's wishes, as I should so much have wished," he added, with a polite bow.

The Empress Charlotte's lips trembled convulsively.

"Sire," said she in a repressed voice, "it is not a question of my wishes, they have never been directed to that distant throne. It is a question of the honour, perhaps of the life of my husband, for he will sacrifice his life to his honour."

"But madame," said the emperor, slightly twirling his moustache, "I cannot see how honour can require him madly to bury himself beneath the ruins of a throne that cannot be upheld. Your husband undertook a great and good cause; that it cannot be carried out is the fault, not of himself, but of circ.u.mstances,--no one could reproach him."

A bitter smile curved the lips of the empress.

"My husband does not thus regard it," said she, "he will not pa.s.s through life as a dethroned prince,--in his opinion a prince who has once ascended a throne should only abandon it with his life."

"The Emperor Maximilian will not drive this opinion, which really does not apply to present circ.u.mstances, to extremes," replied Napoleon. "I will send General Castelnau to him, he shall lay before him in my name a full explanation of the circ.u.mstances to which I am forced to yield, the emperor will understand them, he will return, and I heartily beg you, madame, to support the general's mission by your persuasions."

A flush pa.s.sed quickly over the empress's face, her eyes sparkled, her lips quivered, and she said in a hoa.r.s.e voice:

"The mission will be in vain, and I will never advise my husband to do anything he holds to be at variance with his honour and his n.o.ble chivalrous heart."

The emperor slightly bit his lips, his veiled eyes opened for a moment, and a hard, almost an inimical look, flashed upon the empress.