h the small daughter of
our concierge and one with a little Russian princess, a month younger
than himself. He calls them both 'boys,' having no idea yet of the less
sublime sex, but he likes the plebeian best. May God make you happy on
this and other seasons!

Love your affectionate and grateful
BA.

* * * * *

_To Mrs. Martin_

[Paris,] 138 Avenue des Champs-Elysees:
January 17, [1852].

My dearest Mrs. Martin,--If you think I have not written to you, you
must be (as you are) the most lenient of friends, not to give me up for
ever. I answered your first letter by return of post and at great
length. About a fortnight ago, Robert heard from Madame Mohl, who heard
from somebody at Pau that you were 'waiting anxiously to hear from me,'
upon which I wrote a second letter. And that, too, did not reach you? Is
it possible? But I am innocent, innocent, innocent. See how innocent.
Now, if M. le President has stopped my letters, or if he ponders in his
imperial mind how to send me out of Paris, he is as ungrateful as a
king, because I have been taking his part all this time at a great cost
of domestic _emeutes_. So you would have known, if you had received my
letters. The _coup d'etat_ was a grand thing, dramatically and
poetically speaking, and the appeal to the people justified it in my
eyes, considering the immense difficulty of the circumstances, the
impossibility of the old constitution and the impracticability of the
House of Assembly. Now that's all over. For the rest--the new
constitution--I can't say as much for it; it disappoints me immensely.
Absolute government, _no_, while the taxes and acceptance of law lies,
as he leaves it, with the people; but there are stupidities undeniable,
I am afraid, and how such a constitution is to _work_, and how marshals
and cardinals are to help to work it, remains to be seen. I fear we have
not made a good change even from the 'constitution Marrast'[8] after
all. The English newspapers have made me so angry, that I scarcely know
whether I am as much ashamed, yet the shame is very great. As if the
people of France had not a right to vote as they pleased![9] We
understand nothing in England. As Cousin said, long ago, we are
'insular' of understanding. France may be mistaken in her speculations,
as she often is; and if any mistake has been lately committed, it will
be corrected by herself in a short time. Ignoble in her speculations she
never is