emely unpopular
in France. Financial ruin had come upon many Frenchmen from the
failure of the Mexican bonds negotiated by the banker, Jecker, to
pay interest to their bond-holders. The Civil War in the United
States was at an end, and Mr. Seward was instructing the American
ambassador in Paris to threaten the Emperor Napoleon with the
enforcement of the doctrine of President Monroe. He resolved to
withdraw his troops from Mexico, and to advance no more money to
Maximilian. He wrote these orders to Marshal Bazaine.

Maximilian, who fully understood by this time the condition of
Mexico, and foresaw all the dangers of his position when the French
troops should be withdrawn, sent the empress at this crisis to
Europe to represent the situation of affairs to the French emperor,
and to remind him of his promises.

She embarked hurriedly and like a private person on board a French
mail-steamer. Her stateroom was close to the propeller. The noise,
coupled with her great anxiety and excitement, deprived her almost
entirely of sleep during the voyage. On landing, she hastened to
Paris, went to an hotel, and sent a message to the emperor, requesting
an interview. This the emperor declined. Carlotta then hired a
carriage and drove out to Saint-Cloud, where she insisted on seeing
him. Their interview was very painful. At its close she exclaimed
that she felt herself to blame, being a daughter of the house of
Orleans, for ever having put faith in the Emperor Napoleon or his
promises. Notwithstanding this reproach, the emperor, who was
soft-hearted, pitied her extremely. She remained at Saint-Cloud
for some hours, and that evening, when surrounded by the court
circle, she threw back her head and begged for water. The emperor
hastened to bring it to her with his own hand; but she exclaimed
that she would not take it from him, for she knew he wished to
poison her. It was her first attack of mania. She was calmed, and
the symptoms passed off, but continued at intervals to return.

From Paris she went to Rome, and there her mental malady more and
more declared itself. She refused to eat anything but fruit, for
fear of poison. Her first visit to the pope was made while he was
breakfasting, when she snatched the cup of chocolate from his lips
and swallowed it eagerly, exclaiming: "I am sure no one can have
wished to poison you!" After several other manifestations of her
disordered brain at the Quirinal, steps were taken to forward her