按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
At this time he intended breaking with Sophie； but when he got back
to Paris in 1815 he found the lady waiting for him。 It took Sophie some
eighteen months to bring his Highness up to scratch again。 During this
time the Duc had another English fancy； a Miss Harris； whose reign in
favour； however； did not withstand the manoeuvring of Sophie。
Sophie as a mistress in England was one thing； but Sophie unattached
as a mistress in France was another。 One wonders why the Duc should
have been squeamish on this point。 Perhaps it was that he thought it
would look vulgar to take up a former mistress after so long。 At all
events； he was ready enough to resume the old relationship with Sophie；
92
… Page 93…
SHE STANDS ACCUSED
provided she could change her name by marriage。 Sophie was nothing
loth。 The idea fell in with her plans。 She let it get about that she was
the natural daughter of the Duc； and soon had in tow one Adrien…Victor de
Feucheres。 He was an officer of the Royal Guard。 Without enlarging
on the all…round tawdriness of this contract it will suffice here to say that
Sophie and Adrien were married in London in August of 1818； the Duc
presenting the bride with a dowry of about L5600 in francs。 Next year de
Feucheres became a baron； and was made aide…de…camp to the Duc。
Incredible as it may seem； de Feucheres took four years to realize what
was the real relationship between his wife and the Prince de Conde。 The
aide…de…camp and his wife had a suite of rooms in the Prince's favourite
chateau at Chantilly； and the ambition which Sophie had foreseen would
be furthered by the marriage was realized。 She was received as La
Baronne de Feucheres at the Court of Louis XVIII。 She was happyup
to a point。 Some unpretty traits in her character began to develop： a
violent temper； a tendency to hysterics if crossed； and； it is said； a leaning
towards avaricious ways。 At the end of four years the Baron de
Feucheres woke up to the fact that Sophie was deceiving him。 It does not
appear； however； that he had seen through her main deception； because it
was Sophie herself； we are told； who informed him he was a foolthat she
was not the Prince's daughter； but his mistress。
Having waked up thus belatedly； or having been woken up by Sophie
in her ungoverned ill…temper； de Feucheres acted with considerable dignity。
He begged to resign his position as aide to the Prince； and returned his
wife's dowry。 The departure of Sophie's hitherto complacent husband
rather embarrassed the Prince。 He needed Sophie but felt he could not
keep her unattached under his roof and he sent her awaybut only for a
few days。 Sophie soon was back again in Chantilly。
The Prince made some attempt to get de Feucheres to return； but
without success。 De Feucheres applied for a post in the Army of Spain；
an application which was granted at once。 It took the poor man seven
years to secure a judicial separation from his wife。
The scandal of this change in the menage of Chantilly it happened in
1822reached the ears of the King； and the Baronne de Feucheres was
93
… Page 94…
SHE STANDS ACCUSED
forbidden to appear at Court。 All Sophie's energies from then on were
concentrated on getting the ban removed。 She explored all possible
avenues of influence to this end； and； incidentally drove her old lover
nearly frantic with her complaints giving him no peace。 Even a rebuff
from the Duchesse de Berry； widow of the son of that prince who was
afterwards Charles X； did not put her off。 She turned up one day at the
Tuileries； to be informed by an usher that she could not be admitted。
This desire to be reinstated in royal favour is at the back of all Sophie's
subsequent actionsthis and her intention of feathering her own nest out
of the estate of her protector。 It explains why she worked so hard to have
the Prince de Conde assume friendly relations with a family whose very
name he hated： that of the Duc d'Orleans。 It is a clue to the mysterious
death； eight years later； of the Prince de Conde； last of the Condes； in
circumstances which were made to pass as suicide； but which in
unhampered inquiry would almost certainly have been found to indicate
murder。
％ III
Louis…Henri…Joseph； Duc de Bourbon and Prince de Conde； seems to
have been rather a simple old man： a useless old sinner； true enough； but
relatively harmless in his sinning； relatively venial in his uselessness。 It
were futile to seek for the morality of a later age in a man of his day and
rank and country； just as it were obtuse to look for greatness in one so
much at the mercy of circumstance。 As far as bravery went he had
shown himself a worthy descendant of ‘‘the Great Conde。'' But；
surrounded by the vapid jealousies of the most useless people who had
ever tried to rule a country； he； no more than his father； had the faintest
chance to show the Conde quality in war。 Adrift as a comparatively
young man； his world about his ears； with no occupation； small wonder
that in idleness he fell into the pursuit of satisfactions for his baser
appetites。 He would have been； there is good reason to believe； a happy
man and a busy one in a camp。 There is this to be said for him： that
alone among the spineless crowd of royalists feebly waiting for the
miracle which would restore their privilege he attempted a blow for the
94
… Page 95…
SHE STANDS ACCUSED
lost cause。 But where in all that bed of disintegrating chalk was the flint
from which he might have evoked a spark？
The great grief of the Prince's life was the loss of his son； the young
Duc d'Enghien； shamefully destroyed by Bonaparte。 It is possible that
much of the Prince's inertia was due to this blow。 He had married； at the
early age of fourteen； Louise…Marie…Therese…Mathilde d'Orleans； daughter
of Louis…Philippe； Duc d'Orleans and the Duchesse de Chartres； the bride
being six years older than her husband。 Such a marriage could not last。
It merely sustained the honeymoon and the birth of that only son。 The
couple were apart in eighteen months； and after ten years they never even
saw each other again。 About the time when Sophie's husband found her
out and departed the Princesse died。 The Prince was advised to marry
again； on the chance that an heir might be born to the large fortune he
possessed。 But Sophie by then had become a habit with the Princea bad
oneand the old man was content to be left to his continual hunting； and
not to bother over