ame homage at the foot of the homeless woman
that he had once devoted to the adored and powerful Queen of Holland. He
called on the duchess, conversed with her of her beautiful and brilliant
past, and told her of the hopes which he himself entertained for the
future. Deeply bowed down by the death of his beloved wife, Princess
Charlotte of England, it was his purpose to seek consolation in his
misfortune by striving to make his people happy. He had therefore
accepted the crown tendered him by the people, and was on the point of
departing for Belgium.

While taking leave of the duchess, after a long and cordial
conversation, he remarked, with a gentle smile: "I trust you will not
take my kingdom away from me on your journey through Belgium?"

While the new government of France, as well as the exiled Bourbons,
suspected the Duchess of St. Leu and her son of entertaining plans for
the subversion of the French throne, the imperialists and republicans
were hoping that Hortense's influence might be exerted upon the
destinies of France. Everywhere in France as well as in England, the
people were of the opinion that the new throne of Louis Philippe had no
vitality, because it had no support in the heart of the people. The
partisans of the Bourbons believed that France longed for the grandson
of St. Louis, for its hereditary king, Henry V.; the imperialists were
convinced that the new government was about to be overthrown, and that
France was more anxious than ever to see the emperors son, Napoleon II.,
restored. The republicans, however, distrusted the people and the army,
and began to perceive that they could only attain the longed-for
republican institutions under a Bonaparte. They therefore sent their
secret emissaries as well to the Duke de Reichstadt as to
Louis Napoleon.

The Duke de Reichstadt, to whom these emissaries proposed that he should
come to France and present himself to the people, replied: "I cannot go
to France as an adventurer; let the nation call me, and I shall find
means to get there."

To the propositions made to him, Louis Napoleon replied that he belonged
to France under all circumstances; that he had proved this by asking
permission to serve France, but he had been rejected. It would not
become him to force to a decision by a _coup d'etat_ the nation whose
decrees he would ever hold sacred.

Hortense regarded these efforts of the imperialists and of the
republicans to win her son to their purpos