rry for the young queen. Louis Philippe not only lost credit,
popularity, and the support he derived from the personal friendship
of the Queen and the Prince Consort of England, but he obtained no
chance of the throne of Spain for his son by his wicked devices;
for Queen Isabella, far from being childless, had three daughters
and a son. The latter, subsequently Alfonso XII., married, in spite
of much opposition, his lovely cousin Mercedes, daughter of the
Duke and Duchess of Montpensier. She died a few months after her
marriage, so that no son or grandson of Louis Philippe will be
permitted by Providence to mount the Spanish throne.

The affair of the Spanish marriages, the quarrel it involved with
Queen Victoria, and the loss to Louis Philippe of personal honor,
had a great effect upon him; he became irritable and obstinate,
and at the same time weak of will.

Troubles multiplied around him. Things with which he had nothing
whatever to do increased his unpopularity, and the secret societies
kept discontents alive. Everything that went wrong in France was
charged upon the king and the royal family.

One of the great families in France was that of Choiseul-Praslin.
The head of it in Louis Philippe's time was a duke who had married
Fanny, daughter of Marshal Sebastiani, an old officer of Napoleon
and a great favorite with Louis Philippe. The Duc de Praslin had
given in his adhesion to the Orleans dynasty, while so many old
families stood aloof, and was in consequence made an officer in
the Duchess of Orleans' household. The Duc and Duchesse de Praslin
had ten children. The duchess was a stout, matronly little woman,
rather pretty, with strong affections and a good deal of sentiment.
Several times she had had cause to complain of her husband, and
_did_ complain somewhat vehemently to her own family; but their
matrimonial differences had always been made up by Marshal Sebastiani.
The world considered them a happy married pair.

After seventeen years of married life a governess was engaged for
the nine daughters, a Mademoiselle Henriette de Luzy. She was a
Parisian by birth, but had been educated in England, had English
connections, and spoke English fluently. She was one of those women
who make a favorable impression upon everyone brought into personal
contact with them. Soon the children adored her, and it was not
long before the duke had come under the same spell. The duchess
found herself completely isolated in her