n --
The revival of the Empire his only and constant dream -- In order
to realize it, he appeals first to Jerome, ex-King of Westphalia
-- De Persigny's estimate of him -- Jerome's greed and
Louis-Napoleon's generosity -- De Persigny's financial
embarrassments -- His charity -- What the Empire really meant to
him -- De Persigny virtually the moving spirit in the Coup d'Etat
-- Louis-Napoleon might have been satisfied with the presidency
of the republic for life -- Persigny seeks for aid in England --
Palmerston's share in the Coup d'Etat -- The submarine cable --
Preparations for the Coup d'Etat -- A warning of it sent to
England -- Count Walewski issues invitations for a dinner-party
on the 2nd of December -- Opinion in London that Louis-Napoleon
will get the worst in the struggle with the Chamber -- The last
funds from London -- General de Saint-Arnaud and Baron Lacrosse
-- The Elysee-Bourbon on the evening of the 1st of December -- I
pass the Elysee at midnight -- Nothing unusual -- London on the
2nd of December -- The dinner at Count Walewski's put off at the
last moment -- Illuminations at the French Embassy a few hours
later -- Palmerston at the Embassy -- Some traits of De
Persigny's character -- His personal affection for Louis-Napoleon
-- Madame de Persigny -- Her parsimony -- Her cooking of the
household accounts -- Chevet and Madame de Persigny -- What the
Empire might have been with a Von Moltke by the side of the
Emperor instead of Vaillant, Niel, and Leboeuf -- Colonel
(afterwards General) Fleury the only modest man among the
Emperor's entourage -- De Persigny's pretensions as a Heaven-born
statesman -- Mgr. de Merode -- De Morny -- His first meeting with
his half-brother -- De Morny as a grand seigneur -- The origin of
the Mexican campaign -- Walewski -- His fads -- Rouher -- My
first sight of him in the Quartier-Latin -- The Emperor's opinion
of him at the beginning of his career -- Rouher in his native
home, Auvergne -- His marriage -- Madame Rouher -- His
father-in-law.

"A man endowed with a strong will and energy, active and intelligent to
a degree, with the faculty of turning up at every spot where his
presence was necessary either to revive the lagging plot or to gain
fresh adherents; a man better acquainted than all the rest with th