h, he
replied, "M. de Morny applied to me several months since for a better
box, and I see no reason why Comte Walewski should have it over his
head."

Vindictive like a Corsican, he laid the matter directly before the
Emperor, and furthermore did his best to exasperate the two postulants
against one another. De Morny had the box; Bacciochi had, however,
succeeded so well that the two men were for a considerable time not on
speaking terms.

Meanwhile the Mexican question had assumed a very serious aspect. In
spite of his undoubted interest in the Jecker scheme, or probably
because it had yielded all it was likely to yield, De Morny had of late
been on the side of Walewski, who strongly counselled the withdrawal of
the French troops. But the moment the incident of the opera-box cropped
up, there was a change of front on his part. He became an ardent
partisan for continuing the campaign, systematically siding against
Walewski in everything, and tacitly avoiding any attempt of the latter
to draw him into conversation. Walewski felt hurt, and gave up the
attempt in despair. A little before this, Don Gutierrez de Estada had
landed in Europe with a deputation of notable Mexicans to offer the
crown to Maximilian. The latter made his acceptance conditional on the
despatch of twenty thousand French troops and the promise of a grant of
three hundred millions of francs.

In a council held at the Tuileries these conditions were unhesitatingly
declined. "That was, if I am not mistaken, on a Saturday," said De
Persigny; "and it was taken for granted that everything was settled. On
Monday morning the council was hurriedly summoned to the Tuileries, and
having to come from a good distance, Walewski arrived when it had been
sitting for more than an hour. What had happened meanwhile? Simply this.
Don Gutierrez had been informed of the decision of the Emperor's
advisers, and Maximilian had been communicated with by telegraph to the
same effect. On the Sunday morning the Archduke telegraphed to the
Mexican envoy that unless his conditions were subscribed to _in toto_ he
should decline the honour. Don Gutierrez, determined not to return
without a king, rushed there and then to De Morny's and offered him the
crown. The latter immediately accepted, in the event of Maximilian
persisting in his refusal. The Emperor was simply frantic with rage, but
nothing would move De Morny. The only one who really had any influence
over him was 'the othe