Part 29 (2/2)
When the Swedish Chancellor uttered his celebrated sarcasm on the governing capacities of Europe, the political _salon_, as a state engine, was not yet in existence. What additional energy might it have given to his remark, had he known that the tea-table was the chapel of ease to the council-room, and gossip a new power in the state. Despotic governments are always curious about public opinion; they dread while affecting to despise it. They, however, make a far greater mistake than this, for they imagine its true exponent to be the society of the highest in rank and station.
It is not necessary to insist upon an error so palpable, and yet it is one of which nearly every capital of Europe affords example; and the same council-chamber that would treat a popular movement with disdain would tremble at the epigram launched by some ”elegant” of society. The theory is, ”that the ma.s.ses _act_, but never _think_; the higher ranks _think_, and set the rest in motion.” Whether well or ill founded, one consequence of the system is to inundate the world with a number of persons who, no matter what their station or pretensions, are no other than spies. If it be observed that, generally speaking, there is nothing worth recording; that society, too much engaged with its own vicissitudes, troubles itself little with those of the state,--let it be remembered that the governments which employ these agencies are in a position to judge of the value of what they receive; and as they persevere in maintaining them, they are, doubtless, in some degree, remunerated.
To hold this high detective employ, a variety of conditions are essential. The individual must have birth and breeding to gain access to the highest circles; conciliating manners and ample means. If a lady, she is usually young and a beauty, or has the fame of having once been such. The strangest part of all is, that her position is thoroughly appreciated. She is recognized everywhere for what she is; and yet her presence never seems to impose a restraint or suggest a caution. She becomes, in reality, less a discoverer than a depositary of secrets.
Many have something to communicate, and are only at a loss as to the channel. They have found out a political puzzle, hit a state blot, or unravelled a cabinet mystery. Others are in possession of some personal knowledge of royalty. They have marked the displeasure of the Queen Dowager, or seen the anger of the Crown Prince. Profitable as such facts are, they are nothing without a market. Thus it is that these characters exercise a wider sphere of influence than might be naturally ascribed to them, and possess besides a terrorizing power over society, the chief members of which are at their mercy.
It is, doubtless, not a little humiliating that such should be the instruments of a government, and that royalty should avail itself of such agencies; but the fact is so, and perhaps an inquiry into the secret working of democratic inst.i.tutions might not make one a whit more proud of Popular Sovereignty.
Amongst the proficients in the great science we speak of, the Princess held the first place. Mysterious stories ran of her acquaintance with affairs the most momentous; there were narratives of her complicity in even darker events. Her name was quoted by Savary in his secret report of the Emperor Paul's death; an allusion to her was made by one of the a.s.sa.s.sins of Murat; and a gloomy record of a celebrated incident in Louis Philippe's life ascribed to her a share in a terrible tragedy.
Whether believed or not, they added to the prestige that attended her, and she was virtually a ”puissance” in European politics.
To all the intriguists in state affairs her arrival was actually a boon. She could and would give them, out of her vast capital, enough to establish them successfully in trade. To the minister of police she brought accurate descriptions of suspected characters,--the _signalements_ of Carbonari that were threatening half the thrones of Europe. To the foreign secretary she brought tidings of the favor in which a great Emperor held him, and a shadowy vision of the grand cross he was one day to have. She had forbidden books for the cardinal confessor, and a case of smuggled cigars for the minister of finance.
The picturesque language of a ”Journal de Modes” could alone convey the rare and curious details of dress which she imported for the benefit of the court ladies. In a word, she had something to secure her a welcome in every quarter,--and all done with a tact and a delicacy that the most susceptible could not have resisted.
If the tone and manner of good society present little suitable to description, they are yet subjects of great interest to him who would study men in their moods of highest subtlety and astuteness. To mere pa.s.sing careless observation, the reception of the Princess was a crowded gathering of a number of well-dressed people, in which the men were in far larger proportion than the other s.e.x. There was abundance of courtesy; not a little of that half-flattering compliment which is the small change of intercourse; some--not much--scandal, and a fair share of small-talk. It was late when Sir Horace Upton entered, and, advancing to where the Princess stood, kissed her gloved hand with all the submissive deference of a courtier. The most lynx-eyed observer could not have detected either in his manner or in hers that any intimacy existed between them, much less friends.h.i.+p; least of all, anything still closer. His bearing was a most studied and respectful homage,--hers a haughty, but condescending, acceptance of it; and yet, with all this, there was that in those around that seemed to say, ”This man is more master here than any of us.” He did not speak long with the Princess, but, respectfully yielding his place to a later arrival, fell back into the crowd, and soon after took a seat beside one of the very few ladies who graced the reception. In all, they were very few, we are bound to acknowledge; for although La Sabloukoff was received at court and all the emba.s.sies, they who felt, or affected to feel, any strictness on the score of morals avoided rather than sought her intimacy.
She covered over what might have seemed this disparagement of her conduct, by always seeking the society of men, as though their hardy and vigorous intellects were more in unison with her own than the graceful attributes of the softer s.e.x; and in this tone did the few lady friends she possessed appear also to concur. It was their pride to discuss matters of state and politics; and whenever they condescended to more trifling themes, they treated them with a degree of candor and in a spirit that allowed men to speak as unreservedly as though no ladies were present.
Let us be forgiven for prolixity, since we are speaking less of individuals than of a school,--a school, too, on the increase, and one whose results will be more widely felt than many are disposed to believe.
As the evening wore on, the guests bartered the news and _bons mots_; sc.r.a.ps of letters from royal hands were read; epigrams from ill.u.s.trious characters repeated; racy bits of courtly scandal were related; and shrewd explanations hazarded as to how this was to turn out, and that was to end. It was a very strange language they talked,--so much seemed left for inference, so much seemed left to surmise. There was a shadowy indistinctness, as it were, over all; and yet their manner showed a perfect and thorough appreciation of whatever went forward. Through all this treatment of great questions, one striking feature pre-eminently displayed itself,--a keen appreciation of how much the individual characters, the pa.s.sions, the prejudices, the very caprices of men in power modified the acts of their governments; and thus you constantly heard such remarks as, ”If the Duke of Wellington disliked the Emperor less; or, so long as Metternich has such an attachment to the Queen Dowager; when we get over Carini's dread of the Archd.u.c.h.ess; or, if we could only reconcile the Prince to a visit from Nesselrode,”--showing that private personal feelings were swaying the minds of those whose contemplation might have seemed raised to a far loftier level. And then what a ma.s.s of very small gossip abounded,--incidents so slight and insignificant that they only were lifted into importance by the actors in them being Kings and Kaisers! By what accidents great events were determined; on what mere trifles vast interests depended,--it were, doubtless, no novelty to record; still, it would startle many to be told that a casual pique, a pa.s.sing word launched at hazard, some petty observance omitted or forgotten, have changed the destinies of whole nations.
It is in such circles as these that incidents of this kind are recounted. Each has some anecdote, trivial and unimportant it may be, but still ill.u.s.trating the life of those who live under the shadow of Royalty. The Princess herself was inexhaustible in these stores of secret biography; there was not a dynastic ambition to be consolidated by a marriage, not a Coburg alliance to patch up a family compact, that she was not well versed in. She detected in the vaguest movements plans and intentions, and could read the signs of a policy in indications that others would have pa.s.sed without remark.
One by one the company retired, and at length Sir Horace found himself the last guest of the evening. Scarcely had the door closed on the last departure, when, drawing his arm-chair to the side of the fire opposite to that where the Princess sat, he took out his cigar-case, and, selecting a cheroot, deliberately lighted and commenced to smoke it.
”I thought they 'd never go,” said she, with a sigh; ”but I know why they remained,--they all thought the Prince of Istria was coming. They saw his carriage stop here this evening, and heard he had sent up to know if I received. I wrote on a card, 'To-morrow at dinner, at eight;'
so be sure you are here to meet him.”
Sir Horace bowed, and smiled his acceptance.
”And your journey, dear Princess,” said he, between the puffs of his smoke, ”was it pleasant?”
”It might have been well enough, but I was obliged to make a great _detour_. The d.u.c.h.ess detained me at Parma for some letters, and then sent me across the mountains of Pontremoli--a frightful road--on a secret mission to Ma.s.sa.”
”To Ma.s.sa! of all earthly places.”
”Even so. They had sent down there, some eight or nine months ago, the young Count Wahnsdorf, the Archd.u.c.h.ess Sophia's son, who, having got into all manner of dissipation at Vienna, and lost largely at play, it was judged expedient to exile him for a season; and as the Duke of Modena offered his aid to their plans, he was named to a troop in a dragoon regiment, and appointed aide-de-camp to his Royal Highness. Are you attending; or has your Excellency lost the clew of my story?”
”I am all ears; only waiting anxiously to hear: who is she?”
”Oh, then, you suspect a woman in the case?”
”I am sure of it, dear Princess. The very accents of your voice prepared me for a bit of romance.”
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