bout
tells a story about one of his colleagues -- News supplied by the
Government -- What it amounted to -- The information it gave to
the enemy -- Bazaine, "the glorious" one -- Palikao -- The fall
of the Empire does not date from Sedan, but from Woerth and
Speicheren -- Those who dealt it the heaviest blow -- The
Empress, the Empress, and no one but the Empress.

Even before the Emperor started for the seat of war it was very evident,
to those who kept their eyes open, that a reaction had set in among the
better classes. They were no longer confident about France's ability to
chastise the arrogance of the King of Prussia. The publication of the
famous "draft treaty" had convinced them "que Bismarck avait roule
l'empereur,"--_anglice_, "that the Emperor had been bone;" and,
notwithstanding their repeated assertions of being able to dispense with
the moral support of Europe, they felt not altogether resigned about the
animosity which the revelation of that document had provoked. Honestly
speaking, I do not think that they regretted the duplicity of
Louis-Napoleon in having tried to steal a march upon the co-signatories
of the treaty guaranteeing the protection of Belgium; but it wounded
their pride that he should have been found out to no purpose. The word
"imbecile" began to circulate freely; and when it became known that he
had conferred the regency upon the Empress, the expression of contempt
and disapproval became stronger still. In spite of everything that has
been said to the contrary, the Parisians did not like the Empress. I
have already noted elsewhere that those frankly hostile to her did not
scruple to apply the word "l'Espagnole" in a depreciating sense; those
whose animosity did not go so far merely considered her "une femme a la
mode," and by no means fitted to take the reins of government,
especially under circumstances so grave as the present ones. On the
other hand, the Empress always showed herself exceedingly anxious to
exercise the functions of regent. The flatterers and courtiers around
her had imbued her with the idea that she was a kind of Elizabeth and a
Catherine in one, and the clerical element in her entourage was not the
least blamable in that respect.

During the Crimean war, Lord Clarendon had already been compelled to
combat the project, though he could not do so openly. Napoleon III. had
several times expressed his intention of taking the command of the ar