sion of the Chambers, and
inaugurated the new constitution which was his own work. "He is right,"
remarked one of his female critics, "and now we are going to dance on
the top of it. A quand les invitations?"

The invitations were issued almost immediately after the journey just
mentioned, and before the plebiscite had given the Prince-President the
Imperial crown. One of the first was for a series of fetes at Compiegne.
The chateau was got ready in hot haste; but, of course, the "hunts" were
not half so splendid as they became afterwards.

The most observed of all the guests was Mdlle. de Montijo, accompanied
by her mother, but no one suspected for a single moment that the
handsome Spanish girl who was galloping by Louis-Napoleon's side would
be in a few months Empress of the French. Only a few knowing ones
offered to back her for the Imperial Stakes at any odds; I took them,
and, of course, lost heavily. This is not a figure of speech, but a
literal fact. There were, however, no quotations "for a place," backers
and bookies alike being agreed that she would be first or nowhere in the
race.

How it would have fared with the favourite had there been any other
entries, it would be difficult to say, but there were none; the various
European sovereigns declined the honour of an alliance with the house
of Bonaparte, so Mdlle. Eugenie de Montijo simply walked over the
course. One evening the rumour spread that Louis-Napoleon had uttered
the magic word "marriage," in consequence of a violent fit of coughing
which had choked the word "mistress" down his throat. Not to mince
matters, the affair happened in this way, and I speak on excellent
authority. The day before, there had been a hunt, and between the return
from the forest and the dinner-hour, Napoleon had presented himself
unannounced in Mdlle. de Montijo's apartment. Neither I nor the others
who were at the chateau at the time could satisfactorily account for the
prologue to this visit, but that there was such a prologue, and that it
was conceived and enacted by at least two out of the three actors in the
best spirit of the "comedie d'intrigue," so dear to the heart of Scribe,
admits of no doubt; because, though the first dinner-bell had already
rung, Mdlle. de Montijo was still in her riding-habit, consequently on
the alert. Nay, even her dainty hunting-crop was within her reach, as
the intruder found to his cost; and reports were rife to the effect
that, if the one