the memoirs of victor hugo-第26部分

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er。　　Of　this　sum　he　spent　only　160；000　francs。　　He　was　greatly　amazed　and　very　agreeably　surprised　on　arriving　in　London　to　find　that　the　balance　of　the　500；000　francs　remained　at　his　disposal。

M。　Vatout　is　with　the　Royal　Family。　　For　the　whole　of　them　there　are　but　three　servants；　of　whom　one；　and　one　only；　accompanied　them　from　the　Tuileries。　　In　this　state　of　destitution　they　demanded　of　Paris　the　restitution　of　what　belongs　to　them　in　France；　their　property　is　under　seizure；　and　has　remained　so　notwithstanding　their　reclamations。　　For　different　reasons。　　One　of　the　motives　put　forward　by　the　Provisional　Government　is　the　debt　of　the　civil　list；　which　amounts　to　thirty　millions。　　Queer　ideas　about　Louis　Philippe　were　entertained。　　He　may　have　been　covetous；　but　he　certainly　was　not　miserly；　he　was　the　most　prodigal；　the　most　extravagant　and　least　careful　of　men：　he　had　debts；　accounts　and　arrears　everywhere。　　He　owed　700；000　francs　to　a　cabinet…maker；　to　his　market　gardener　he　owed　70；000　francs　*for　butter*。

Consequently　none　of　the　seals　placed　on　the　property　could　be　broken　and　everything　is　held　to　secure　the　creditorseverything；　even　to　the　personal　property　of　the　Prince　and　Princess　de　Joinville；　rentes；　diamonds；　etc。；　even　to　a　sum　of　198；000　francs　which　belongs　in　her　own　right　to　the　Duchess　d'Orleans。

All　that　the　Royal　Family　was　able　to　obtain　was　their　clothing　and　personal　effects；　or　rather　what　could　be　found　of　these。　　Three　long　tables　were　placed　in　the　theatre　of　the　Tuileries；　and　on　these　were　laid　out　all　that　the　revolutionists　of　February　had　turned　over　to　the　governor　of　the　Tuileries；　M。　Durand　Saint…Amand。　　It　formed　a　queer　medleycourt　costumes　stained　and　torn；　grand　cordons　of　the　Legion　of　Honour　that　had　been　trailed　through　the　mud；　stars　of　foreign　orders；　swords；　diamond　crowns；　pearl　necklaces；　a　collar　of　the　Golden　Fleece；　etc。　　Each　legal　representative　of　the　princes；　an　aide…de…camp　or　secretary；　took　what　he　recognised。　　It　appears　that　on　the　whole　little　was　recovered。　　The　Duke　de　Nemours　merely　asked　for　some　linen　and　in　particular　his　heavy…soled　shoes。

The　Prince　de　Joinville；　meeting　the　Duke　de　Montpensier；　greeted　him　thus：　〃Ah！　here　you　are；　Monsieur；　you　were　not　killed；　you　have　not　had　good　luck！〃

Gudin；　the　marine　painter；　who　went　to　England；　saw　Louis　Philippe。　　The　King　is　greatly　depressed。　　He　said　to　Gudin：　〃I　don't　understand　it。　　What　happened　in　Paris？　　What　did　the　Parisians　get　into　their　heads？　　I　haven't　any　idea。　　One　of　these　days　they　will　recognise　that　I　did　not　do　one　thing　wrong。〃　　He　did　not；　indeed；　do　one　thing　wrong；　he　did　all　things　wrong！

He　had　in　fact　reached　an　incredible　degree　of　optimism；　he　believed　himself　to　be　more　of　a　king　than　Louis　XIV。　and　more　of　an　emperor　than　Napoleon。　　On　Tuesday　the　22nd　he　was　exuberantly　gay；　and　was　still　occupied　solely　with　his　own　affairs；　and　these　of　the　pettiest　character。　　At　2　o'clock　when　the　first　shots　were　being　fired；　he　was　conferring　with　his　lawyers　and　business　agents；　MM。　de　Gérante；　Scribe　and　Denormandie；　as　to　what　could　best　be　done　about　Madame　Adelaide's　will。　　On　Wednesday；　at　1　o'clock；　when　the　National　Guard　was　declaring　against　the　government；　which　meant　revolution；　the　King　sent　for　M。　Hersent　to　order　of　him　a　picture　of　some　kind。

Charles　X。　was　a　lynx。

Louis　Philippe　in　England；　however；　bears　his　misfortune　worthily。　　The　English　aristocracy　acted　nobly；　eight　or　ten　of　the　wealthiest　peers　wrote　to　Louis　Philippe　to　offer　him　their　chateaux　and　their　purses。　　The　King　replied：　〃I　accept　and　keep　only　your　letters。〃

The　Duchess　d'Orleans　is　also　in　straitened　circumstances。　She　is　on　bad　terms　with　the　d'Orleans　family　and　the　Mecklenburg　family　is　on　bad　terms　with　her。　　On　the　one　hand　she　will　accept　nothing；　and　on　the　other　she　can　expect　nothing。



At　this　time　of　writing　（May；　1848）　the　Tuileries　have　already　been　repaired；　and　M。　Empis　remarked　to　me　this　morning：　〃They　are　going　to　clean　up　and　nothing　of　the　damage　done　will　be　apparent。〃　Neuilly　and　the　Palais…Royal；　however；　have　been　devastated。　　The　picture　gallery　of　the　Palais…Royal；　a　pretty　poor　one　by　the　by；　has　practically　been　destroyed。　　Only　a　single　picture　remains　perfectly　intact；　and　that　is　the　Portrait　of　Philippe　Egalité。　Was　it　purposely　respected　by　the　riot　or　is　its　preservation　an　irony　of　chance？　　The　National　Guards　amused；　and　still　amuse；　themselves　by　cutting　out　of　the　canvases　that　were　not　entirely　destroyed　by　fire　faces　to　which　they　take　a　fancy。




IV。　　KING　JEROME。



There　entered　my　drawing…room　in　the　Place　Royale　one　morning　in　March；　1848；　a　man　of　medium　height；　about　sixty…five　or　sixty…six　years　of　age；　dressed　in　black；　a　red　and　blue　ribbon　in　his　buttonhole；　and　wearing　patent…leather　boots　and　white　gloves。　　He　was　Jerome　Napoleon；　King　of　Westphalia。

He　had　a　very　gentle　voice；　a　charming　though　somewhat　timid　smile；　straight　hair　turning　grey；　and　something　of　the　profile　of　the　Emperor。

He　came　to　thank　me　for　the　permission　that　had　been　accorded　to　him　to　return　to　France；　which　he　attributed　to　me；　and　begged　me　to　get　him　appointed　Governor　of　the　Invalides。　　He　told　me　that　M。　Crémieux；　one　of　the　members　of　the　Provisional　Government；　had　said　to　him　the　previous　day：

〃If　Victor　Hugo　asks　Lamartine　to　do　it；　it　will　be　done。　Formerly　everything　depended　upon　an　interview　between　two　emperors；　now　everything　depends　upon　an　interview　between　two　poets。〃

〃Tell　M。　Crémieux　that　it　is　he　who　is　the　poet；〃　I　replied　to　King　Jerome　with　a　smile。



In　November；　1848；　the　King　of　Westphalia　lived　on　the　first　floor　above　the　entresol　at　No。　3；　Rue　d'Alger。　　It　was　a　small　apartment　with　mahogany　furniture　and　woollen　velvet　upholstering。

The　wall　paper　of　the　drawing…room　was　grey。　　The　room　was　lighted　by　two　lamps　and　ornamented　by　a　heavy　clock　in　the　Empire　style　and　two　not　very　authentic　pictures；　although　the　frame　of　one　bore　the　name：　〃Titiens；〃　and　the　frame　of　the　other　the　name：　〃Rembrandt。〃　On　the　mantelpiece　was　a　bronze　bust　of　Napoleon；　one　of　those　familiar　and　inevitable　busts　that　the　Empire　bequeathed　us。

The　only　vestiges　of　his　royal　existence　that　remained　to　the　prince　were　his　silverware　and　dinner　service；　which　were　ornamented　with　royal　crowns　richly　engraved　and　gilded。

Jerome　at　that　time　was　only　sixty…four　years　old；　and　did　not　look　his　age。　　His　eyes　were　bright；　his　smile　benevolent　and　charming；　and　his　hands　small　and　still　shapely。　　He　was　habitually　attired　in　black　with　a　gold　chain　in　his　buttonhole　from　which　hung　three　crosses；　the　Legion　of　Honour；　the　Iron　Crown；　and　his　Order　of　Westphalia　created　by　him　in　imitation　of　the　Iron　Crown。

Jerome　talked　well；　with　grace　always　and　often　with　wit。　　He　was　full　of　reminiscences　and　spoke　of　the　Emperor　with　a　mingled　respect　and　affection　that　was　touching。　A　little　vanity　was　perceptible；　I　would　have　preferred　pride。

Moreover　he　received　with　bonhomie　all　the　varied　qualifications　which　were　brought　upon　him　by　his　strange　position　of　a　man　who　was　no　longer　king；　no　longer　proscribed；　and　yet　was　not　a　citizen。　　Everybody　addressed　him　as　he　pleased。　　Louis　Philippe　called　him　〃Highness；〃　M。　Boulay　de　la　Meurthe　〃Sire〃　or　〃Your　Majesty；〃　Alexandre　Dumas　〃Monseigneur；〃　I　addressed　him　as　〃Prince；〃　and　my　wife　called　him　〃Monsieur。〃　On　his　card　he　wrote　〃General　Bonaparte。〃　In　his　place　I　would　have　understood　his　position。　　King　or　nothing。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



RELATED　BY　KING　JEROME。

In　the　evening　of　the　day　following　that　on　which　Jerome；　recalled　from　exile；　returned　to　Paris；　he　had　vainly　waited　for　his　secretary；　and　feeling　bored　and　lonely；　went　out。　　It　was　at　the　end　of　summer　（1847）。　He　was　staying　at　the　house　of　his　daughter；　Princess　Demidoff；　which　was　off　the　Champs…Elysées。

He　crossed　the　Place　de　la　Concorde；　looking　about　him　at　the　statues；　obelisk　and　fountains；　which　were　new　to　the　exile　who　had　not　seen　Paris　for　thirty…two　years。　　He　continued　along　the　Quai　des　Tuileries。　　I　know　not　what　reverie　took　possession　of　his　soul。　　Arrived　at　the　Pavillon　de　Flore；　he　entered　the　gate；　turned　to　the　left；　and　began　to　walk　up　a　flight　of　stairs　under　the　arch。　　He　had　gone　up　two　or　three　steps　when　he　felt　himself　seized　by　the　arm。　　It　was　the　gatekeeper　who　had　run　after　him。

〃Hi！　Monsieur；　monsieur；　where　are　you　going？〃

Jerome　gazed　at　him　in　astonishment　and　replied：

〃Why；　to　my　apartments；　of　course！〃

Hardly　had　he　uttered　the　words；　however；　when　he　awoke　from　his　dream。　　The　past　had　bewitched　him　for　a　moment。　　In　recounting　the　incident　to　me　he　said：

〃I　went　away　shamefacedly；　and　apologizing　to　the　porter。〃




V。　　THE　DAYS　OF　JUNE。



MISCELLANEOUS　NOTES。


The　insurrection　of　June　presented　peculiar　features　from　the　outset。*　It　suddenly　manifested　itself　to　terrified　society　in　monstrous　and　unknown　forms。

*　　At　the　end　of　June；　four　months　after　the　proclamation　of　the　Republic；　regular　work　had　come　to　a　standstill　and　the　useless　workshops　known　as　the　〃national　workshops〃　had　been　abolished　by　the　National　Assembly。　　Then　the　widespread　distress　prevailing　caused　the　outbreak　of　one　of　the　most　formidable　insurrections　recorded　in　history。　The　power　at　that　time　was　in　the　hands　of　an　Executive　Committee　of　five　members；　Lamartine；　Arago；　Ledru　Rollin；　Garnier…Pages　and　Marie。　General　Cavaignac　was　Minister　of　War。

The　first　barricade　was　erected　in　the　morning　of　Friday；　the　23rd；　at　the　Porte　Saint　Denis。　　It　was　attacked　the　same　day。　　The　National　Guard　marched　resolutely　against　it。　　The　attacking　force　was　made　up　of　battalions　of　the　First　and　Second　Legions；　which　arrived　by　way　of　the　boulevards。　　When　the　assailants　got　within　range　a　formidable　volley　was　fired　from　the　barricade；　and　littered　the　ground　with　National　Guards。　　The　National　Guard；　more　irritated　than　intimidated；　charged　the　barricade。

At　this　juncture　a　woman　appeared　upon　its　crest；　a　woman　young；　handsome；　dishevelled；　terrible。　　This　woman；　who　was　a　prostitute；　pulled　up　her　clothes　to　her　waist　and　screamed　to　the　guards　i