o M. de Flahault, which had not
been attended to by Her Majesty's Government, and he
expressed a desire that Mr. Lindsay should return to London,
lay His Majesty's views before Lord Palmerston and Lord
Russell, and bring their answers direct to him as quickly as
possible, His Majesty observing that these matters were
better arranged by private than official hands.... Mr.
Lindsay said that he had promised the Emperor to be back in
Paris on Thursday morning."

In his letter to Russell, Cowley called all this a "nasty intrigue."
Cowley had asked Thouvenel for enlightenment, and Thouvenel had denied
all knowledge and declared that certainly no such proposals as Lindsay
reported the Emperor to have mentioned had ever been sent to England.
Cowley wrote:

"My own conviction is, from Lindsay's conversations with me,
which are full of hesitations, and I fear much falsehood
hidden under apparent candour, that he has told the Emperor
his own views, and that those views are supported by the
majority of the people of England, and by the present
Opposition in Parliament, who would denounce the blockade if
in power; that he has found a willing listener in the
Emperor, who would gladly obtain cotton by any means; and I
am much mistaken if Lindsay will not attempt to make
political capital of his interviews with the Emperor with the
Opposition, and that you may hear of it in Parliament. I lose
no time therefore, in writing to you as Lindsay goes over
to-night, and will probably endeavour to see you and Lord
Palmerston as soon as possible[612]."

The close touch between Lindsay and the Southern agents is shown by his
conveyance to Slidell of the good news. Slidell was jubilant, writing
to Mason:

"Mr. Lindsay has had a long interview with the Emperor who is
prepared to act at once decidedly in our favour; he has
always been ready to do so and has twice made representations
to England, but has received evasive responses. He has now
for the third time given them but in a more decided tone. Mr.
Lindsay will give you all the particulars. This is entirely
confidential but you can say to Lord Campbell, Mr. Gregory,
etc., that I now have positive and _authoritative_ evidence
that France now waits the assent of England for recognition
and other more cogent measures[613]."

Two da