comparisons with the devil or a hyaena,
the art of historical portraiture will assuredly have to be learnt
over again in conformity with impressionist methods. That Lowe was a
gentleman is affirmed by Mrs. Smith (_nee_ Grant), who, in later
years, _when prejudiced against him by O'Meara's slanders_, met him at
Colombo without at first knowing his name:

"I was taken in to dinner by a grave, particularly gentlemanly
man, in a General's uniform, whose conversation was as agreeable
as his manner. He had been over half the world, knew all
celebrities, and contrived without display to say a great deal one
was willing to hear.... Years before, with our Whig principles and
prejudices, we had cultivated in our Highland retirement a horror
of the great Napoleon's gaoler. The cry of party, the feeling for
the prisoner, the book of Surgeon O'Meara, had all worked my
woman's heart to such a pitch of indignation that this maligned
name [Lowe] was an offence. We were to hold the owner in
abhorrence. Speak to him, never! Look at him, sit in the same room
with him, never! None were louder than I, more vehement; yet here
was I beside my bugbear and perfectly satisfied with my position.
It was a good lesson."[567]

The real cause of Napoleon's hatred of Lowe is hinted at by Sir George
Bingham in his Diary (April 19th). After mentioning Napoleon's
rudeness to Cockburn on parting with him, he proceeds:

"You have no idea of the dirty little intrigues of himself
[Napoleon] and his set: if Sir H. Lowe has firmness enough not to
give way to them, he will in a short time treat him in the same
manner. For myself, it is said I am a favourite [of Napoleon],
though I do not understand the claim I have to such."[568]

Yes! Lowe's offence lay not in his manners, not even in his features,
but in his firmness. Napoleon soon saw that all his efforts to bend
him were in vain. Neither in regard to the Imperial title, nor the
limits, nor the transmission of letters to Europe, would the Governor
swerve a hair's breadth from his instructions. At the risk of giving a
surfeit of quotations, we must cite two more on this topic. Basil
Jackson, when at Paris in 1828, chanced to meet Montholon, and was
invited to his Chateau de Fremigny; during his stay the conversation
turned upon their sojourn at St. Helena, to the following effect:

"He [Montholon] enlarged upon what he term