out
March, and hope to be in England about May, or perhaps sooner. At Lisbon
I hope to find a letter from you; the direction is Jos. Lyne & Co. I
have been very unfortunate in not finding some friends in the Garrison,
the only officer to whom I had a letter whom I found here has been of
little Service to us. I have, however, made the best use of my time and
have been over the greatest part of this extraordinary Fortress, but
shall leave the description of it, as well as of an infinity of other
things, till we meet, which shall be very soon after my arrival in
England. I must send this instantly or wait for the next Post day, so I
shall conclude rather hastily. My best Love to Mrs. S. and Believe me,

Yours sincerely,
EDWD. STANLEY.

[Illustration: Lord Sheffield

Walker & Boutall, ph. sc.]

CHAPTER II

AFTER NAPOLEON'S FALL

News of the Emperor's fall--Foreign plans--Disquieting
rumours--Madame de Stael--London in an uproar--Emperors and
Kings--Hero-worship at close quarters.

1814.

The sudden rupture of the Peace of Amiens in May, 1803, closed France to
Englishmen, except to the miserable eight or nine thousand who were in
the country at the time, and were forcibly detained there by orders of
the First Consul. It was not until eleven years later, in April, 1814,
when Napoleon had abdicated, and when the allies had triumphantly
entered Paris and restored Louis XVIII. to the throne of his fathers,
that peaceful British travellers could cross the frontier once more.

The busy parish life which had occupied Edward Stanley during the years
which had elapsed since his first visit to France had not made him less
keen for travel than he had been in his college days, and all his ardour
was aroused by the news that there was to be an end to Napoleon's rule.

The excitement caused by the rumour of the capture of Paris and the
deposition of the Emperor may be guessed at by a letter received at
Alderley from Lord Sheffield, father of Lady Maria Stanley, in the
spring of 1814.

_Letter from Lord Sheffield._

PORTLAND PLACE, _April 6, 1814_.

...I am just come from the Secretary of State's Office. We are all
gasping for further intelligence from Paris, but none has arrived since
Capt. Harris, a very intelligent young man who was despatched in half an
hour after the business was completed, but of course cannot answer half
the questions put to him. He came by Flanders, escorted part of the way
by Cossacks,