e at
the Institute and on the Quai d'Orsay. He is said to be the only French
diplomatist whom Bismarck never dared to look in the face. It is
supposed that he will very shortly have one of the great Embassies. Then
what will become of the Duchess? To leave Paris and follow him would be
a serious thing for a leader of society. And then abroad the world might
refuse to accept their equivocal relations, which here are looked upon
almost as marriage, in consideration of the propriety of their conduct
and their respect for appearances, and considering also the sad state of
the Duke, half paralysed and twenty-years older than his wife, who is
also his niece.

The Prince, was no doubt discussing these grave matters with Lavaux and
Madame Astier when I drew near. A man just arrived in any society, no
matter where, soon finds how much he is 'out of it,' He understands
neither the phrases current nor the thoughts, and is a nuisance. I was
just leaving when that kind Madame Astier called me back, saying, 'Will
you not go up and see him? He will be so glad.' So I went up a narrow
staircase in the wall to see my old master. I heard his loud voice from
the end of the passage, 'Is that you, Fage?'

'No, sir,' said I.

'Why, it's Freydet! Take care; keep your head down.'

It was in fact impossible to stand upright under the sloping roof. What
a different place from the Foreign Office, where I last saw him, in a
lofty gallery lined with portfolios.

'A kennel, is it not?' said the worthy man with a smile; 'but if you
knew what treasures I have here,'--and he waved his hand towards a large
set of pigeonholes containing at least 10,000 important MS. documents,
collected by him during the last few years. 'There is history in
those drawers,' he went on, growing more animated and playing with his
magnifying glass; 'history new and authentic, let them say what
they will.' But in spite of his words he seemed to me gloomy and
uncomfortable. He has been treated very badly. First came that cruel
dismissal; and now, as he has continued to publish historical works
based on new documents, people say that he has plundered from the
Bourbon papers. This calumny was started in the Institute, and is traced
to Baron Huchenard, who calls his collection of MSS. 'the first in
France,' and hates to be outdone by that of Astier. He tries to revenge
himself by treacherous criticisms, launched, like an assegai, from the
bush. 'Even my letters of Charles V.