his colours on servants and horses, a
big bill in the windows of their carriages with "Vote for A." on it. In
the drawing-room windows of a well-known society leader there were two
large bills--"VOTE FOR A." I asked W. one day, when he was standing for
the Senate, if he would like me to drive all about the country with his
colours and "VOTE FOR WADDINGTON" on placards in the windows of the
carriage; but he utterly declined any such intervention on my part,
thought a few breakfasts at the chateau and a quiet talk over coffee and
cigars would be more to the purpose. He never took much trouble over his
elections the last years--meetings and speeches in all the small towns
and "banquets de pompiers" were things of the past. He said the people
had seen him "a l'oeuvre" and that no speeches would change a vote.

The only year that we gave ourselves any trouble was during the
Boulanger craze. W. went about a great deal and I often went with him.
The weather was beautiful and we rode all over the country. We were
astounded at the progress "Boulangism" had made in our quiet villages.
Wherever we went--in the cafes, in the auberges, in the grocer's
shop--there was a picture of Boulanger prancing on his black horse.

We stopped one day at a miserable little cottage, not far from our
place, where a workman had had a horrible accident--been caught in the
machine of one of the sugar mills. Almost all the men in the village
worked in W.'s woods and had always voted--as one man--for him or his
friends. When we went into the poor little dark room, with literally
nothing in it but the bed, a table, and some chairs, the first thing we
saw was the well-known picture of Boulanger, on the mantelpiece. We
talked a little to the man and his wife (the poor fellow was suffering
terribly), and then W. said, "I am surprised to see that picture. Do you
know General Boulanger? Have you ever seen him?" The man's face quite
lighted up as he looked at the picture, and he answered: "Non, Monsieur,
je ne l'ai jamais vu--mais il est crane celui-la," and that was all that
he could ever get out of him--"il est crane." I don't know exactly what
he meant. I don't think he knew himself, but he was quite excited when
he spoke of the hero.

Boulanger's campaign was very cleverly done. His agents distributed
papers, pictures and _money_ most liberally. One of the curious features
of that episode was the quantity of money that was given. Gold flowed
freely in t