the honor of receiving those revered remains when
they had been brought back from exile by Louis Philippe's son.
Besides this, the garrisons of northern France happened at that
moment to contain the two regiments whose fidelity he had tampered
with at Strasburg four years before.

[Footnote 1: In this account I am largely indebted to the interesting
narrative of Count Joseph Orsi, an Italian banker, Prince Louis
Napoleon's stanch personal friend.]

Of course there were French agents of police (detectives, as we
call them) watching the prince in London; and this made it necessary
that he should be very circumspect in making his preparations. A
steamer, the "Edinburgh Castle," was secretly engaged. The owners
and the captain were informed that she was chartered by some young
men for a pleasure-trip to Hamburg.

On Tuesday, Aug. 4, 1840, the "Edinburgh Castle" came up the Thames,
and was moored alongside a wharf facing the custom-house. As soon as
she was at the wharf, Count Orsi, who seems to have been the most
business-like man of the party, shipped nine horses, a travelling
carriage, and a large van containing seventy rifles and as many
uniforms. Proclamations had been printed in advance; they were
placed in a large box, together with a little store of gold, which
formed the prince's treasure.

At dawn all this was done, and the "Edinburgh Castle" started down
the river. At London Bridge she took in thirteen men, and at Greenwich
three more. At Blackwall some of the most important conspirators
came on board. The boat reached Gravesend about two o'clock, where
twelve more men joined them. Only three or four of those on board
knew where they were going, or what was expected of them. They
were simply obeying orders.

At Gravesend the prince was to have joined his followers, and the
"Edinburgh Castle" was at once to have put to sea, touching, however,
at Ramsgate before crossing the Channel. Those on board waited
and waited, but no prince came. Only five persons in the vessel
(one of whom was Charles Thelin, the prince's valet) knew what
they were there for.

For some time the passengers were kept quiet by breakfast. Then,
having no one at their head, they began to grow unruly. Those in
the secret were terribly afraid that the river police might take
notice of the large number of foreigners on board, especially as
the vessel claimed to be an excursion-boat, and not a petticoat
was visible. It was all important to c