-saloon "organizer" of Homburg, and, on
the receipt of the trifling consideration of twelve million francs and
an annual tax of one hundred and fifty thousand, consented to allow
him to establish the world-famous saloons at Monte Carlo, about a mile
and a half from the capital.

The people of Monaco pay few taxes, enjoy many privileges, like and
laugh at their sovereign, and by no means desire annexation either to
France or Italy. By law they are strictly prohibited from gambling,
and are a quiet, thrifty, peace-loving set, kept in order by an army
of sixty-one men, ten officers and a colonel, of whom more anon. Just
at present the court of "Liliput" has given room for a great deal
of gossip. His Serene Highness the hereditary prince, and Her Serene
Highness the princess, after a few months of matrimonial bliss, have
quarreled and separated. It happened on this wise. (The information I
give I know to be correct, as it was communicated to me by an intimate
friend of the young princess, and I was at Nice myself when the affair
occurred.) About four years ago the young prince of Monaco married,
through the influence of the empress Eugenie, the Lady Mary Douglas,
sister of the duke of Hamilton and daughter of H.I.H. the princess
Mary of Baden, duchess of Hamilton, and grand-daughter of the
celebrated Prince Eugene Beauharnois. The wedding was magnificent, and
the bride and bridegroom appeared exceedingly well pleased with each
other. After a brief honeymoon both their highnesses returned to
Monaco to reside with the reigning prince and princess. Very soon
afterward the young lady commenced making bitter complaints to
her friends of the court etiquette, which she declared was utterly
unendurable, especially to a free-born Englishwoman. An instance will
suffice: One morning Her Serene Highness came down to breakfast before
the whole family was assembled. To her amusement, she beheld on each
plate an egg labeled "For His Serene Highness, the reigning prince,"
"For H.S.H. the reigning princess," "For H.S.H. the hereditary
prince," "For H.S.H. the hereditary princess." Being in a hurry and
hungry, "Her Serene Highness the hereditary princess" sat herself
down and ate her own egg and the eggs of her neighbors. Horror! Court
etiquette was over-thrown. The egg destined for the august prince
Florestan II. had been eaten by his own daughter-in-law! The outraged
majesty of Monaco was indignant, and the youthful aspirant to the
throne