[Illustration: _Lola Montez, Countess of Landsfeld_

 (_From a lithograph by Prosper Guillaume Dartiguenave_)]

 THE

 MAGNIFICENT

 MONTEZ

 _From Courtesan to Convert_

 _By_

 HORACE WYNDHAM

 "When you met Lola Montez, her reputation made you automatically think of bedrooms. "

 --ALDOUS HUXLEY. 

 HILLMAN-CURL, INC. 

 _Publishers_

 NEW YORK

 * * * * *

FOREWORD

Sweep a drag-net across the pages of contemporary drama, and it isunquestionable that in her heyday no name on the list stood out, inrespect of adventure and romance, with greater prominence than didthat of Lola Montez. Everything she did (or was credited with doing)filled columns upon columns in the press of Europe and America; and, from first to last, she was as much "news" as any Hollywood heroine ofour own time. Yet, although she made history in two hemispheres, ithas proved extremely difficult to discover and unravel the real factsof her glamorous career. This is because round few (if any) women hasbeen built up such a honeycomb of fable and fantasy and imagination ashas been built up round this one. 

Even where the basic points are concerned there is disagreement. Thus, according to various chroniclers, the Sultan of Turkey, an "IndianRajah" (unspecified), Lord Byron, the King of the Cannibal Islands, and a "wealthy merchant, " each figure as her father, with a "beautifulCreole, " a "Scotch washerwoman, " and a "Dublin actress" for hermother; and Calcutta, Geneva, Limerick, Montrose, and Seville--and adozen other cities scattered about the world--for her birthplace. Thissort of thing is--to say the least of it--confusing. 

But Lola Montez was something of an anachronism, and had as lofty adisregard for convention as had the ladies thronging the Court ofMerlin. Nor, it must be admitted, was she herself any pronouncedstickler for exactitude. Thus, she lopped half a dozen years off herage, allotted her father (whom she dubbed a "Spanish officer ofdistinction") a couple of brevet steps in rank, and insisted on anancestry to which she was never entitled. 

Still, if Lola Montez deceived the public about herself, others havedeceived the public about Lola Montez. Thus, in one of his books, George Augustus Sala solemnly announced that she was a sister of AdahIsaacs Menken; and a more modern writer, unable to distinguish betweenLudwig I and his grandson Ludwig II, tells us that she was "intimatewith the mad King of Bavaria. " To anybody (and there still are suchpeople) who accepts the printed word as gospel, slips of this sortdestroy faith. 

As a fount of information on the subject, the _Autobiography_(alleged) of Lola Montez, first published in 1859, is worthless. Thebulk of it was written for her by a clerical "ghost" in America, theRev. Chauncey Burr, and merely serves up a tissue of picturesque andeasily disproved falsehoods. A number of these, by the way, togetherwith some additional embroideries, are set out at greater length inother volumes by Ferdinand Bac (who confounds Ludwig I with MaximilianII) and the equally unreliable Eugène de Mirecourt and Auguste Papon. German writers, on the other hand, have, if apt to be long-winded, atleast avoided the more obvious pitfalls. Among the books and pamphlets(many of them anonymous) of Teutonic origin, the following will repayresearch: _Die Gräfin Landsfeld_ (Gustav Bernhard); _Lola Montez, Gräfin von Landsfeld_ (Johann Deschler); _Lola Montez und andereNovellen_ (Rudolf Ziegler); _Lola Montez und die Jesuiten_ (Dr. PaulErdmann); _Die spanische Tänzerin und die deutsche Freiheit_ (J. Beneden); _Die Deutsche Revolution, 1848-1849_ (Hans Blum); _Einvormarzliches Tanzidyll_ (Eduard Fuchs); _Abenteur der beruhmtenTänzerin_; _Anfang und Ende der Lola Montez in Bayern_; _Die MunchenerVergange_; _Unter den vier ersten Königen Bayerns_ (Luise von Kobell);and, in particular, the monumental _Histeriche_ of Heinrich vonTreitschke. But one has to milk a hundred cows to get even a pint ofLola Montez cream. 

With a view to gathering at first hand reliable and hithertounrecorded details, visits have recently been made by myself toBerlin, Brussels, Dresden, Leningrad, Munich, Paris, and Warsaw, etc. , in each of which capitals some portion of colourful drama of LolaMontez was unfolded. In a number of directions, however, the result ofsuch investigations proved disappointing. 

"Lola Montez--h'm--what sort of man was he?" was the response of aprominent actor, recommended to me as a "leading authority on anythingto do with the stage"; and the secretary of a theatrical club, anxiousto be of help, wrote: "Sorry, but none of our members have anypersonal reminiscences of the lady. " As she had then been in her gravefor more than seventy years, it did not occur to me that even thesenior _jeune premier_ among them would have retained any very vividrecollections of her. Still, many of them were quite old enough tohave heard something of her from their predecessors. 

But valuable assistance in eliciting the real facts connected with thecareer of this remarkable woman, and disentangling them from thenetwork of lies and fables in which they have long been enmeshed, hascome from other sources. Among those to whom a special debt must beacknowledged are Edmund d'Auvergne (author of a carefully documentedstudy), _Lola Montez_ (_an Adventuress of the 'Forties_); GertrudeAretz (author of _The Elegant Woman_); Bernard Falk (author of _TheNaked Lady_); Arthur Hornblow (author of _A History of the Theatre inAmerica_); Harry Price (Hon. Sec. University of London Council forPsychical Investigation); Philip Richardson (editor of _The DancingTimes_); and Constance Rourke (author of _Troupers of the GoldCoast_); and further information has been forthcoming from Mrs. Charles Baker (Ruislip), and John Wade (Acton). 

Much help in supplying me with important letters and documents andhitherto unpublished particulars relating to the trail blazed by LolaMontez in America has been furnished by the following: Miss Mabel R. Gillis (State Librarian, Californian State Library, Sacramento); Mrs. Lillian Hall (Curator, Harvard Theatre Collection); Miss Ida M. Mellen(New York); Mrs. Helen Putnam van Sicklen (Library of the Society ofCalifornian Pioneers); Mrs. Annette Tyree (New York); Mr. JohnStapleton Cowley-Brown (New York); Mr. Lewis Chase (Hendersonville);Professor Kenneth L. Daughrity (Delta State Teachers' College, Cleveland); Mr. Frank Fenton (Stanford University, California); Mr. Harold E. Gillingham (Librarian, Historical Society of Pennsylvania);Mr. W. Sprague Holden (Associate-Editor, Argonaut Publishing Company, San Francisco); and Mr. Milton Lord (Director, Public Library, Boston). 

In addition to these experts, I am also indebted to Monsieur PierreTugal (Conservateur, Archives de la Danse, Paris); and to thedirectors and staffs of the Bibliothèque d'Arsenal, Paris, and of theTheatrical Museum, Munich, who have generously placed their records atmy disposal. 

Unlike his American and Continental colleagues, a public librarian inEngland said (on a postcard) that he was "too busy to answerquestions. "

H. W. 

 * * * * *

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

CHAPTER

I. PRELUDE TO ADVENTURE

II. "MARRIED IN HASTE"

III. THE CONSISTORY COURT

IV. FLARE OF THE FOOTLIGHTS

V. A PASSIONATE PILGRIMAGE

VI. AN "AFFAIR OF HONOUR"

VII. "HOOKING A PRINCE"

VIII. LUDWIG THE LOVER

IX. "MAÎTRESSE DU ROI"

X. BURSTING OF THE STORM

XI. A FALLEN STAR

XII. A "LEFT-HANDED" MARRIAGE

XIII. ODYSSEY

XIV. THE "GOLDEN WEST"

XV. "DOWN UNDER"

XVI. FAREWELL TO THE FOOTLIGHTS

XVII. THE CURTAIN FALLS

 APPENDIX I. "ARTS OF BEAUTY"

 APPENDIX II. "LOLA MONTEZ' LECTURES"

 INDEX

 * * * * *

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

LOLA MONTEZ, COUNTESS OF LANDSFELD _Frontispiece_

"JOHN COMPANY" TROOPS ON THE MARCH IN INDIA

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE, HAYMARKET, WHERE LOLA MONTEZ MADE HER DÉBUT

BENJAMIN LUMLEY, LESSEE OF HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE

LOLA MONTEZ, "SPANISH DANCER. " DÉBUT AT HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE

VISCOUNT RANELAGH, WHO ORGANISED A CABAL AGAINST LOLA MONTEZ

ABBÉ LISZT, MUSICIAN AND LOVER

FANNY ELSSLER, PREDECESSOR OF LOLA MONTEZ IN PARIS

PORTE ST. MARTIN THEATRE, PARIS, WHERE LOLA WAS A "FLOP"

SUPPER-PARTY AT LES FRÈRES PROVENÇAUX. FIRST ACT IN A TRAGEDY

RESIDENZ PALACE, MUNICH, IN 1848. RESIDENCE OF LUDWIG I. 

"COMMAND" PORTRAIT. IN THE "GALLERY OF BEAUTIES, " MUNICH

KING OF BAVARIA. "LUDWIG THE LOVER"

LOLA MONTEZ IN CARICATURE. "LOLA ON THE ALLEMANNEN HOUND"

BERRYMEAD PRIORY, ACTON, WHERE LOLA MONTEZ LIVED WITH CORNET HEALD

LOLA MONTEZ IN LONDON. AGED THIRTY

A "BELLE OF THE BOULEVARDS. " LOLA MONTEZ IN PARIS

THE "SPIDER DANCE. " CAUSE OF MUCH CRITICISM

LOLA MONTEZ IN "LOLA IN BAVARIA. " A "PLAY WITH A PURPOSE"

LOLA AS A LECTURER. FROM STAGE TO PLATFORM

LOLA MONTEZ IN MIDDLE LIFE. A CHARACTERISTIC POSE

"LECTURES AND LIFE. " FROM STAGE TO PLATFORM

COUNTESS OF LANDSFELD. A FAVOURITE PORTRAIT

GRAVE OF LOLA MONTEZ, IN GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY, NEW YORK

 * * * * *

THE MAGNIFICENT MONTEZ

CHAPTER I

PRELUDE TO ADVENTURE

I

In a tearful column, headed "Necrology of the Year, " a mid-Victorianobituarist wrote thus of a woman figuring therein:

 This was one who, notwithstanding her evil ways, had a share in some public transactions too remarkable to allow her name to be omitted from the list of celebrated persons deceased in the year 1861. 

 Born of an English or Irish family of respectable rank, at a very early age the unhappy girl was found to be possessed of the fatal gift of beauty. She appeared for a short time on the stage as a dancer (for which degradation her sorrowing relatives put on mourning, and issued undertakers' cards to signify that she was now dead to them) and then blazed forth as the most notorious Paphian in Europe. 

 Were this all, these columns would not have included her name. But she exhibited some very remarkable qualities. The natural powers of her mind were considerable. She had a strong will, and a certain grasp of circumstances. Her disposition was generous, and her sympathies very large. These qualities raised the courtesan to a singular position. She became a political influence; and exercised a fascination over sovereigns and ministers more widely extended than has perhaps been possessed by any other member of the _demi-monde_. She ruled a kingdom; and ruled it, moreover, with dignity and wisdom and ability. The political Hypatia, however, was sacrificed to the rabble. Her power was gone, and she could hope no more from the flattery of statesmen. She became an adventuress of an inferior class. Her intrigues, her duels, and her horse-whippings made her for a time a notoriety in London, Paris, and America. 

 Like other celebrated favourites who, with all her personal charms, but without her glimpses of a better human nature, have sacrificed the dignity of womanhood to a profligate ambition, this one upbraided herself in her last moments on her wasted life; and then, when all her ambition and vanity had turned to ashes, she understood what it was to have been the toy of men and the scorn of women. 

Altogether a somewhat guarded suggestion of disapproval about thesubject of this particular memoir. 

II

Three years after the thunderous echoes of Waterloo had died away, and"Boney, " behind a fringe of British bayonets, was safely interned onthe island of St. Helena, there was born in barracks at Limerick alittle girl. On the same day, in distant Bavaria, a sovereign wascelebrating his thirty-fifth birthday. Twenty-seven years later thetwo were to meet; and from that meeting much history was to bewritten. 

The little girl who first came on the scene at Limerick was thedaughter of one Ensign Edward Gilbert, a young officer of good Irishfamily who had married a Señorita Oliverres de Montalva, "of CastleOliver, Madrid. " At any rate, she claimed to be such, and also thatshe was directly descended from Francisco Montez, a famous toreador ofSeville. There is a strong presumption, however, that here she wasdrawing on her imagination; and, as for the "Castle Oliver" in SunnySpain, well, that country has never lacked "castles. "

The Oliver family, as pointed out by E. B. D'Auvergne in his carefullydocumented _Adventuresses and Adventurous Ladies_, was really of Irishextraction, and had been settled in Limerick since the year 1645. "Thefamily pedigree, " he says, "reveals no trace of Spanish or Moorishblood. " Further, by the beginning of the last century, the main linehad, so far as the union of its members was blessed by the Church, expired, and no legitimate offspring were left. Gilbert's spouse, accordingly, must, if a genuine Oliverres, have come into the worldwith a considerable blot on her 'scutcheon. 

Still, if there were no hidalgos perched on her family tree, Mrs. Gilbert probably had some good blood in her veins. As a matter offact, there is some evidence adduced by a distant relative, Miss D. M. Hodgson, that she was really an illegitimate daughter of an Irishman, Charles Oliver, of Castle Oliver (now Cloghnafoy), Co. Limerick, and apeasant girl on his estate. This is possible enough, for the periodwas one when squires exercised "seigneurial rights, " and when colleenswere complacent. If they were not, they had very short shrift. 

Mrs. Gilbert's wedding had been a hasty one. Still, not a bit toohasty, since the doctor and monthly nurse had to be summoned almostbefore the ink was dry on the register. As a matter of fact, Mrs. Gilbert must have gone to church in the condition of ladies who lovetheir lords, for this "pledge of mutual affection" was born inLimerick barracks while the honeymoon was still in full swing, andwithin a couple of months of the nuptial knot being tied. She waschristened Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna, but was at first called by thesecond of these names. This, however, being a bit of a mouthful for asmall child, she herself soon clipped it to the diminutive Lola. Thename suited her, and it stuck. 

While these facts are supported by documentary evidence, they have notbeen "romantic" enough to fit in with the views of certain foreignbiographers. Accordingly, they have given the child's birthplace asin, among other cities, Madrid, Lucerne, Constantinople, and Calcutta;and one of them has even been sufficiently daring to make her adaughter of Lord Byron. Larousse, too, not to be behindhand, says thatshe was "born in Seville, of a Spanish father"; and, alternatively, "in Scotland, of an English father. " Both accounts, however, areemphatic that her mother was "a young Creole of astonishingloveliness, who had married two officers, a Spaniard and anEnglishman. "

It was to Edward Gilbert's credit that he had not joined the Army withthe King's commission in his pocket, but in a more humble capacity, that of a private soldier. Gallant service in the field had won himadvancement; and in 1817 he was selected for an ensigncy in the 25thFoot, thus exchanging his musket and knapsack for the sword and sashof an officer. From the 25th Foot he was, five years later, transferred to the 44th Foot, commanded by Colonel Morrison. In 1822, its turn coming round for a spell of foreign service, the regimentmoved from Dublin to Chatham and embarked for India. Sailing with hiswife and child, the young officer, after a voyage that lasted the best(or worst) part of six months, landed at Calcutta and went intobarracks at Fort William. On arrival there, "the newcomers, " says anaccount that has been preserved, "were entertained with lavishhospitality and in a fashion to be compared only with the festivitiespictured in the novels of Charles Lever. " But all ranks had strongheads, and were none the worse for it. 

During the ensuing summer the regiment got "the route, " and wasordered up country to Dinapore, a cantonment near Patna, on theGanges, that had been founded by Warren Hastings. It was an unhealthystation, especially for youngsters fresh from England. A burning sunby day; hot stifling nights; and no breath of wind sweeping across theparched ghats. Within a few weeks the dreaded cholera made itsappearance; the melancholy roll of muffled drums was heard everyevening at sunset; and Ensign Gilbert was one of the first victims. 

[Illustration: "John Company" troops on the march in India]

The widow, it is recorded, was "left to the care and protection ofMrs. General Brown, " the wife of the brigadier. But events werealready marching to their appointed end; and, as a result, thischaritable lady was soon relieved of her charge. 

Left a young widow (not yet twenty-five) with a child of five to bringup, and very little money on which to do it (for her husband had onlydrawn 108 rupees a month), the position in which Mrs. Gilbert foundherself was a difficult one. "You can, " wrote Lola, years afterwards, "have but a faint conception of the responsibility. " Warm hearts, however, were at hand to befriend her. The warmest among them was thatof a brother officer of her late husband, Lieutenant Patrick Craigie, of the 38th Native Infantry, then quartered at Dacca. A bachelor andpossessed of considerable private means, he invited her to share hisbungalow. The invitation was accepted. As a result, there was acertain amount of gossip. This, however, was promptly silenced by asecond invitation, also accepted, to share his name; and, in August, 1824, Mrs. Gilbert, renouncing her mourning and her widowhood, blossomed afresh as Mrs. Craigie. It is said that the ceremony wasperformed by Bishop Heber, Metropolitan of Calcutta, who happened tobe visiting Dacca at the time. Very soon afterwards the benedictreceived a staff appointment as deputy-adjutant-general at Simla, combined with that of deputy-postmaster at Headquarters. This sent hima step up the ladder to the rank of captain and brought a welcomeaddition to his pay. In the opinion of the station "gup, " some of itnot too charitable, the widow "had done well for herself. "

Captain Craigie, who appears to have been a somewhat Dobbin-likeindividual, proved an affectionate husband and step-father. Thelittle girl's prettiness and precocity appealed to him strongly. Hecould not do enough for her; and he spoiled her by refusing to checkher wayward disposition and encouraging her mischievous pranks. It wasnot a good upbringing; and, as dress and "society" filled the thoughtsof her mother, the "Miss Baba" was left very much to the care of theswarms of native servants attached to the bungalow. She was petted byall with whom she came into contact, from the gilded staff ofGovernment House down to the humblest sepoy and bearer. Lord Hastings, the Commander-in-Chief--a rigid disciplinarian who had reintroducedthe "cat" when Lord Minto, his predecessor in office, had abolishedit--smiled affably on her. She sat on the laps of be-medalledgenerals, veterans of Assaye and Bhurtpore, and pulled their whiskersunchecked; and she ran wild in the compounds of the civilian big-wigsand mercantile nabobs who, as was the custom in the days of "JohnCompany, " had shaken the pagoda tree to their own considerable profit. After all, as they said, when any protest filtered through toLeadenhall Street, what were the natives for, except to be exploited;and busybodies who took them to task were talking nonsense. Worse, they were "disloyal. "

As, however, there were adequate reasons why children could not stopin the country indefinitely, Lola's step-father, after much anxiousconsideration, decided that, since she was running wild and gettinginto mischief, the best thing to do with her would be to have herbrought up by his relatives in Scotland. A suitable escort having beenfound and a passage engaged, in the autumn of 1826 she was sent toMontrose, where his own father, a "venerable man occupying theposition of provost, and sisters were living. "

From India to Scotland was a considerable change. Not a change for thebetter, in the opinion of the new arrival there. The Montrosehousehold, ruled by Captain Craigie's elderly sisters, was a dour andstrict one, informed by an atmosphere of bleak and chill Calvinism. All enjoyment was frowned upon; pleasure was "worldly" and had to beseverely suppressed. No more petting and spoiling for the little girl. Instead, a regime of porridge and prayers and unending lessons. As aresult the child was so wretched that, convinced her mother wouldprove unsympathetic, she wrote to her step-father, begging to be sentback to him. This, of course, was impossible. Still, when the letter, blotted with tears, reached him in Calcutta, Captain Craigie's heartwas touched. If she was unhappy among his kinsfolk at Montrose, hewould send her somewhere else. But where? That was the question. 

As luck would have it, by the same mail a second letter, offering asolution of the problem, arrived from an Anglo-Indian friend. This wasSir Jasper Nicolls, K. C. B. , a veteran of Assaye and Bhurtpore, who hadsettled down in England and wanted a young girl as companion for, andto be brought up with, his own motherless daughter. The two got intocorrespondence; and, the necessary arrangements having been completed, little Lola Gilbert, beside herself with delight, was in the summer of1830 packed off to Sir Jasper's house at Bath. 

"Are you sorry to leave us?" enquired the eldest Miss Craigie. 

"Not a bit, " was the candid response. 

"Mark my words, Miss, you'll come to a bad ending, " predicted theother sourly. 

III

But if Bath was to be a "bad ending, " it was certainly to be a goodbeginning. There, instead of bleakness and constant reproof, Lolafound herself wrapped in an atmosphere of warmth and friendliness. SirJasper was kindness itself; and his daughter Fanny made the newcomerwelcome. The two girls took to one another from the first, sharingeach other's pleasures as they shared each other's studies. Thus, theyblushed and gushed when required; sewed samplers and copied texts;learned a little French and drawing; grappled with Miss Mangnall's_Questions for the Use of Young People_; practised duets and ballads;touched the strings of the harp; wept over the poems of "L. E. L. "; readByron surreptitiously, and the newly published _Sketches by Boz_openly; admired the "Books of Beauty" and sumptuously bound "KeepsakeAnnuals, " edited by the Countess of Blessington and the Hon. Mrs. Norton; laughed demurely at the antics of that elderly figure-of-fun, "Romeo" Coates, when he took the air in the Quadrant; wondered whythat distinguished veteran, Sir Charles Napier, made a point ofcutting Sir Jasper Nicolls; curtsied to the little Princess Victoria, then staying at the York Hotel, and turned discreetly aside when theDuchess de Berri happened to pass; and (since they were not entirelycloistered) attended, under the watchful eye of a governess, "select"concerts in the Assembly Rooms (with Catalini and Garsia in theprogrammes) and an occasional play at the Theatre Royal, where fromtime to time they had a glimpse of Fanny Kemble and Kean and Macready;and, in short, followed the approved curriculum of young ladies oftheir position in the far off-days when William IV was King. 

Although Sir Jasper had a hearty and John Bullish contempt forforeigners--and especially for the "Froggies" he had helped to drub atWaterloo--he felt that they, none the less, had their points; and thatthey were born on the wrong side of the Channel was their misfortune, rather than their fault. Accordingly, there was an interval in Paris, where the two girls were sent to learn French. There, in addition to aknowledge of the language, Lola acquired a technique that wasafterwards to prove valuable amid other and very differentsurroundings. If de Mirecourt (a far from reliable authority) is to bebelieved, she was also, during this period, presented to King CharlesX by the British Ambassador. On the evidence of dates, however, thiscould not have been the case, for Charles had relinquished his sceptreand fled to England long before Lola arrived in the country. 

After an interval, Sir Jasper felt that he ought to slip across toParis himself, if only to make sure that his daughter and ward were"not getting into mischief, or having their heads filled with ideas. "No sooner said than done and, posting to Dover, he took the packet. Having relieved his mind as to the welfare of the two girls, he turnedhis attention to other matters. As he had anticipated, a number of hisold comrades who had settled in Paris gave him a warm welcome andreadily undertook to "show him round. " He enjoyed the experience. Lifewas pleasant there, and the theatres and cafés were attractive and achange from the austerities of Bath. The ladies, too, whom heencountered when he smoked his cheroot in the Palais Royal gardens, smiled affably on the "English Milord. " Some of them, with very littleencouragement, did more. "No nonsense about waiting forintroductions. "

But, despite its amenities, Paris in the early 'thirties was notaltogether a suitable resort for British visitors. The politicalatmosphere was distinctly ruffled. Revolution was in the air. SirJasper sniffed the coming changes; and was tactician enough to avoidbeing engulfed in the threatened maelstrom by slipping back to Englandwith his young charges in the nick of time. Others of his compatriots, not so fortunate or so discreet, found themselves clapped into Frenchprisons. 

Returning to the tranquillity of Bath, things resumed their normalcourse. Sir Jasper nursed his gout (changing his opinion of Frenchcooking, to which he attributed a fresh attack) and the girls pickedup the threads they had temporarily dropped. 

Always responsive to her environment, Lola expanded quickly in thesympathetic atmosphere of the Nicolls household. Before long, Montrose, with its "blue Scotch Calvinism, " was but a memory. Insteadof being snubbed and scolded, she was petted and encouraged. As aresult, she grew cheerful and vivacious, full of high spirits andlaughter. Perhaps because of her mother's Spanish blood, she maturedearly. At sixteen she was a woman. A remarkably attractive one, too, giving--with her raven tresses, long-lashed violet eyes, and gracefulfigure--promise of the ripe beauty for which she was afterwards to bedistinguished throughout two hemispheres. Of a romantic disposition, she, naturally enough, had her _affaires_. Several of them, as ithappened. One of them was with an usher, who had slipped amorousmissives into her prayer-book. Greatly daring, he followed this up bybearding Sir Jasper in his den and asking permission to "pay hisaddresses" to his ward. The warrior's response was unconciliatory. Still, he could not be angry when, on being challenged, the girllaughed at him. 

"Egad!" he declared. "But, before long, Miss, you'll be setting allthe men by the ears. "

Prophetic words. 

IV

During the interval that elapsed since they last met, Mrs. Craigie hadtroubled herself very little about the child she had sent to England. When, however, she received her portrait from Sir Jasper, togetherwith a glowing description of her attractiveness and charm, thesituation assumed a fresh aspect. Lola, she felt, had become an asset, instead of an anxiety; and, as such, must make a "good" marriage. Bathswarmed with detrimentals, and there was a risk of a pretty girl, bereft of a mother's watchful care, being snapped up by one of them. Possibly, a younger son, without a penny with which to bless himself. A shuddering prospect for an ambitious mother. Obviously, therefore, the thing to do was to get her daughter out to India and marry her offto a rich husband. The richer, the better. 

Mrs. Craigie went to work in business-like fashion, and cast amaternal eye over the "eligibles" she met at Government House. The oneamong them she ultimately selected as a really desirable son-in-lawwas a Calcutta judge, Sir Abraham Lumley. It was true he was more thanold enough to be the girl's father, and was distinctly liverish. Butthis, she felt, was beside the point, since he had accumulated a vastnumber of rupees, and would, before long, retire on a snug pension. 

Sir Abraham was accordingly sounded. Hardened bachelor as he was, asingle glance at Lola's portrait was enough to send his blood-pressureup to fever heat. In positive rapture at the idea of such fresh youngloveliness becoming his, he declared himself ready to change hiscondition, and discussed handsome settlements. 

With everything thus cut and dried, as she considered, Mrs. Craigietook the next step in her programme. This was to leave India forEngland, during the autumn of 1836, and tell Lola of the "good news"in store for her. She was then to bring her back to Calcutta and theexpectant arms of Sir Abraham. 

Honest Captain Craigie looked a little dubious when he was consulted. 

"Perhaps she won't care about him, " he suggested. 

"Fiddlesticks!" retorted his wife. "Any girl would jump at the chanceof being Lady Lumley. Think of the position. "

"I'm thinking of Lola, " he said. 

CHAPTER II

"MARRIED IN HASTE"

I

Among the passengers accompanying Mrs. Craigie on the long voyage toSouthampton was a Lieutenant Thomas James, a debonair young officer ofthe Bengal Infantry, who made himself very agreeable to her and withwhom he exchanged many confidences. He was going home on a year's sickleave; and at the suggestion of his ship-board acquaintance he decidedto spend the first month of it in Bath. 

"It's time I settled down, " he said. "Who knows, but I might pick up awife in Bath and take her back to India with me. "

"Who knows, " agreed Mrs. Craigie, her match-making instincts aroused. "Bath is full of pretty girls. "

The meeting between mother and daughter developed very differentlyfrom the lines on which she had planned it. Contrary to what she hadexpected, Lola did not evince any marked readiness to fall in withthem. Quite undazzled by the prospects of becoming Lady Lumley, andreclining on Sir Abraham's elderly bosom, she even went so far as todub the learned judge a "gouty old rascal, " and declared that nothingwould induce her to marry him. Neither reproaches nor arguments hadany effect. Nor would she exhibit the smallest interest in thetrousseau for which (but without her knowledge) lavish orders had beengiven. 

Poor Mrs. Craigie could scarcely believe her ears. For a daughter torun counter to the wishes of her mother, and to snap her fingers atthe chance of marrying a "title, " was something she had consideredimpossible. What on earth were girls coming to, she wondered. Eitherthe Paris "finishing school" or the Bath air had gone to her head. Thetimes were out of joint, and the theory that daughters did what theywere told was being rudely upset. It was all very disturbing. 

In her astonishment and annoyance, Mrs. Craigie took to her bed. However, she did not stop there long, for prompt measures had to beadopted. As it was useless to tackle Sir Jasper Nicolls (whom she heldresponsible for the upset to her plans) she sought counsel of somebodyelse. This was her military friend, who, as luck would have it, wasstill lingering in Bath, where he had evidently discovered somespecial attraction. After all, he was a "man of the world" and wouldknow what to do. Accordingly, she summoned him to a consultation, andunburdened her mind on the subject of Lola's "oddness. "

"Of course, the girl's mad, " she declared. "Nothing else would accountfor it. Can you imagine any girl in her senses turning up her nose atsuch a match? I never heard such rubbish. I'm sure I don't know whatSir Abraham will say. He expects her to join him in Calcutta by theend of the year. As a matter of fact, I've already booked her passage. The wedding is to be from our house there. Something will have to bedone. The question is, what?"

"Leave it to me, " was the airy response. "I'll talk to her. "

Thomas James did "talk. " He talked to some effect, but not at all inthe fashion Mrs. Craigie had intended. Expressing sympathy with Lola, he declared himself entirely on her side. She was much too young andpretty and attractive, he said, to dream for an instant of marrying aman who was old enough to be her grandfather, and bury herself inIndia. The idea was ridiculous. He had a much better plan to offer. When Lola, smiling through her tears, asked him what it was, he saidthat she must run away with him and they would get married. Thus theproblem of her future would be solved automatically. 

The luxuriant whiskers and dashing air of Lieutenant Thomas James didtheir work. Further, the suggestion was just the sort of thing thathappened to heroines in novels. Lola Gilbert, young and romantic andinexperienced, succumbed. Watching her opportunity, she slipped out ofthe house early the next morning. Her lover had a post-chaise inreadiness, and they set off in it for Bristol. There they took thepacket and crossed over to Ireland, where James had relatives, who, hepromised, would look after her until their marriage should beaccomplished. 

"Elopement in High Life!" A tit-bit of gossip for the tea-tables andfor the bucks at the clubs. No longer a sleepy hollow. Bath was in the"news. "

It was not until they were gone that Mrs. Craigie discovered what hadhappened. Her first reaction was one of furious indignation. This, however, was natural, for not only had her ambitious project goneastray, but she had been deceived by the very man she had trusted. Itwas more than enough to upset anybody, especially as she was alsoconfronted with the unpleasant task of writing to Sir Abraham Lumley, and telling him what had happened. As a result, she announced that shewould "wash her hands" of the pair of them. 

While it was one thing to run away, it was, as Lola soon discovered, another thing to get married. An unexpected difficulty presenteditself, as the parish priest whom they consulted refused to performthe ceremony for so young a girl without being first assured of hermother's consent. Mrs. Craigie, erupting tears and threats, declinedto give it. Thereupon, James's married sister, Mrs. Watson, spranginto the breach and pointed out that "things have gone so far that itis now too late to draw back, if scandal is to be avoided. " Theargument was effective; and, a reluctant consent having been secured, on July 23, 1837, the "position was regularised" by thebridegroom's brother, the Rev. John James, vicar of Rathbiggon, CountyMeath. "Thomas James, bachelor, Lieutenant, 21st Bengal NativeInfantry, and Rose Anna Gilbert, condition, spinster, " was the entryon the certificate. 

[Illustration: _Her Majesty's Theatre, Haymarket, where Lola Montezmade her début_]

After a short honeymoon in Dublin, first at the Shamrock Hotel, andthen in rather squalid lodgings (for cash was not plentiful), Lola wastaken back to her husband's relatives. They lived in a dull Irishvillage on the edge of a peat bog, where the young bride foundexistence very boring. Then, too, when the glamour of the elopementhad dimmed, it was obvious that her action in running away from Bathhad been precipitate. Thomas, for all his luxuriant whiskers and dash, was, she reflected sadly, "nothing but the outside shell of a man, with neither a brain that she could respect nor a heart she couldlove. " A sorry awakening from the dreams in which she had indulged. Asa matter of fact, they had nothing in common. The husband, who wassixteen years his wife's senior, cared for little but hunting anddrinking, and Lola's tastes were mainly for dancing and flirting. 

It was in Dublin, where, much to her satisfaction, her spouse wasordered on temporary duty, that she discovered a ready outlet forthese activities. 

"Dear dirty Dublin" was, to Lola's way of thinking, a vast improvementon Rathbiggon. At any rate, there was "society, " smart young officersand rising politicians, instead of clodhopping squireens and villageboors, to talk to, and shops where the new fashions could be examined, and theatres with real London actors and actresses. If only she hadhad a little money to spend, she would have been perfectly happy. ButTom James had nothing beyond his pay, which scarcely kept him incheroots and car fares. Still, this did not prevent him running updebts. 

The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at that period was the Earl of Mulgrave("the Elegant Mulgrave"), afterwards Marquess of Normanby. A greatadmirer of pretty women, and fond of exercising the Viceregalprivilege of kissing attractive débutantes, the drawing-rooms at theCastle were popular functions under his regime. He showed young Mrs. James much attention. The aides-de-camp, prominent among whom wereBernal Osborne and Francis Sheridan, followed the example thus setthem by their chief; and tickets for balls and concerts anddinner-parties and drums and routs were showered upon her. 

Thinking that these compliments and attentions were being overdone, Lieutenant James took them amiss and elected to become jealous. Hetalked darkly of "calling out" one of his wife's admirers. But beforethere could be any early morning pistol-play in the Phoenix Park, anunexpected solution offered itself. Trouble was suddenly threatened onthe Afghan frontier; and, in the summer of 1837, all officers on leavefrom India were ordered to rejoin their regiments. Welcoming theprospect of thus renewing her acquaintance with a country of which shestill had pleasant memories, Lola set to work to pack her trunks. 

If she had followed the advice of a certain "travellers' handbook, "written by Miss Emma Roberts, that was then very popular, she musthave had a considerable amount of baggage. Thus, according to thisauthority, the "List of Necessaries for a Lady on a Voyage fromEngland to India" included, among other items, the following articles:"72 chemises; 36 nightcaps; 70 pocket-handkerchiefs; 30 pairs ofdrawers (or combinations, at choice); 15 petticoats; 60 pairs ofstockings; 45 pairs of gloves; at least 20 dresses of differenttexture; 12 shawls and parasols; and 3 bonnets and 15 morning caps, together with biscuits and preserves at discretion, and a dozen boxesof aperient pills. " Nothing omitted. Provision for all contingencies. 

Officers were also required to provide themselves with an elaborateoutfit. Thus, the list recommended in the _East India Voyage_ gives, among other necessary items, "72 calico shirts; 60 pairs of stockings;18 pairs of drawers; 24 pairs of gloves; and 20 pairs of trousers";together with uniform, saddlery, and camp equipment; and such oddsand ends as "60 lbs. Of wax candles and several bottles of ink. "Nothing, however, about red-tape. 

A helpful hint furnished by Miss Roberts was that "A lady onship-board, spruced up for the Park or the Opera, would only be anobject of ridicule to her experienced companions. Frippery which wouldbe discarded in England is often useful in India. Members of my sex, "she adds, "who have to study economy, can always secure bargains byacquiring at small cost items of fashion which, while outmoded inLondon, will be new enough by the time they reach Calcutta. "

A lady with such sound views on managing the domestic budget as MissEmma Roberts should not have remained long in single blessedness. 

II

Those were not the days of ocean greyhounds, covering the distancebetween England and India in a couple of weeks. Nor was there then anySuez Canal route to shorten the long miles that had to be traversed. Thus, when Lola and her spouse embarked from England in an EastIndiaman, the voyage took nearly five months to accomplish, with callsat Madeira, St. Helena, and the Cape, before the welcome cry, "LandAhead!" was heard and anchor was dropped at Calcutta. 

Lola's first acquaintance with India's coral strand had been made as achild of five. Now she was returning as a married woman. Yet she wasscarcely eighteen. She did not stop in Calcutta long, for herhusband's regiment was in the Punjaub, and a peremptory message fromthe brigadier required him to rejoin as soon as possible. It was atKurnaul (as it was then spelled) that Lola began her experience ofgarrison life. Among the other officers she met there was a youngsubaltern of the Bengal Artillery, who, in the years to come, was tomake a name for himself as "Lawrence of Lucknow. "

The year 1838 was, for both the Company's troops and the Queen's Army, an eventful one where India was concerned. During the spring LordAuckland, the newly-appointed Governor-General, hatched the foolishand ill-conceived policy which led to the first Afghan war. His idea(so far as he had one) was, with the help of Brown Bess and Britishbayonets, to replace Dost Muhammed, who had sat on the throne therefor twenty years without giving any real trouble, by an incompetentupstart of his own nomination, Shah Shuja. 

Lieutenant James's regiment, the 21st Bengal Native Infantry, wasamong those selected to join the expeditionary force appointed to"uphold the prestige of the British Raj"; and, as was the custom atthat time, Lola, mounted on an elephant (which she shared with thecolonel's better half), and followed by a train of baggage camels anda pack of foxhounds complete, accompanied her husband to the frontier. The other ladies included Mrs. McNaghten and Mrs. Robert Sale and theGovernor-General's two daughters. It is just possible that Macaulayhad a glimpse of Lola, for a contemporary letter says that "he turnedout to wish the party farewell. "

The "Army of the Indus" was given a good send off by a loyal nativeprince, Ranjeet Singh (the "Lion of the Punjaub"), who, on their marchup country, entertained the column in a rest-camp at Lahore with "showypageants and gay doings, " among which were nautch dances, cock-fights, and theatricals. He meant well, no doubt, but he contrived to upset achaplain, who declared himself shocked that a "bevy of dancingprostitutes should appear in the presence of the ladies of the family ofa British Governor-General. " Judging from a luscious account that Lolagives of a big durbar, to which all the officers and their wives werebidden, these strictures were not unjustifiable. Thus, after LordAuckland ("in sky blue inexpressibles") and his host had deliveredpatriotic speeches (with florid allusions to the "British Raj, " the"Sahib Log, " and the "Great White Queen, " and all the rest of it) giftswere distributed among the assembled company. Some of these were of anembarrassing description, since they took the form of "beautifulCircassian slave maidens, covered with very little beyond preciousgems. " To the obvious annoyance, however, of a number of prospectiverecipients, "the Rajah was officially informed that English custom andmilitary regulations alike did not permit Her Majesty's warriors toaccept such tokens of goodwill. "

But, if they could not receive them, the guests had to make presentsin turn, and Ranjeet Singh for his part had no qualms about acceptingthem. With true Oriental politeness, and "without moving a muscle, " heregistered rapture at a "miscellaneous collection of imitation goldand silver trinkets and rusty old pistols offered him on behalf of theHonourable East India Company. "

A correspondent of the _Calcutta Englishman_ was much impressed. "Theparticular gift, " he says, "before which the Maharajah bent with thedevotion of a _preux chevalier_ was a full-length portrait of ourgracious little Queen, from the brush of the Hon. Miss Eden herself. "

In a letter from Lord Auckland's military secretary, the Hon. WilliamOsborne, there is an account of these doings at Lahore:

 Ranjeet has entertained us all most handsomely. No one in the camp is allowed to purchase a single thing; and a list is sent round twice a week in which you put down just what you require, and it is furnished at his expense. It costs him 25, 000 rupees a day. Nothing could exceed his liberality and friendship during the whole of the Governor-General's visit. 

A second durbar, held at Simla, was accompanied by much floridimagery, all of which had to be interpreted for the benefit of LordAuckland. "It took a quarter of an hour, " says his sister, "to satisfyhim about the Maharajah's health, and to ascertain that the roses hadbloomed in the garden of friendship, and the nightingales had sung inthe bowers of affection sweeter than ever since the two Powers hadapproached each other. "

The Afghan campaign, as ill conceived as it was ill carried out, followed its appointed course. That is to say, it was punctuated by"regrettable incidents" and quarrels among the generals (two of whom, Sir Henry Fane and Sir John Keane, were not on speaking terms); and, with the Afghans living to fight another day, a "success for Britisharms" was announced. Thereupon, the column returned to India, bandsplaying, elephants trumpeting a salute, and guns thundering a welcome. "The war, " declared His Excellency (who had received an earldom) in anofficial despatch, "is all over. " Unfortunately, however, it was allover Afghanistan, with the result that there had to be anothercampaign in the following year. This time, not even Lord Auckland'simagination could call it "successful. "

"There will be a great deal of prize money, " was the complacentfashion in which Miss Eden summed up the situation. "Another man hasbeen put on the Khelat throne, so that business is finished. " But itwas not finished. It was only just beginning. "Within six months, "says Edward Thompson, "Khelat was recaptured by a son of the slainKhan, Lord Auckland's puppet ejected, and the English commander of thegarrison murdered. "

Although the expedition that followed was the subject of a highlyeulogistic despatch from the Commander-in-Chief and the big-wigs atheadquarters, a number of "regrettable incidents" were officiallyadmitted. As a result, a regiment of Light Cavalry was disbanded, "asa punishment for poltroonery in the hour of trial and the dastardsstruck off the Army List. "

Later on, when Lord Ellenborough was Governor-General, a bombasticmemorandum, addressed "To all the Princes and Chiefs and People ofIndia, " was issued by him:

"Our victorious army bears the gates of the Temple of Somnauth intriumph from Afghanistan, and the despoiled tomb of Sultan Mahmoodlooks down upon the ruins of Ghuznee. The insult of 800 years is atlast avenged!

"To you I shall commit this glorious trophy of successful war. Youwill yourselves with all honour transmit the gates of sandalwood tothe restored Temple of Somnauth. 

"May that good Providence, which has hitherto so manifestly protectedme, still extend to me its favour, that I may so use the powerentrusted to my hands to advance your prosperity and happiness byplacing the union of our two countries upon foundations that mayrender it eternal. "

There was a good deal more in a similar style, for his lordship lovedcomposing florid despatches. But this one had a bad reception when itwas sent home to England. "At this puerile piece of business, " saysthe plain spoken Stocqueler, "the commonsense of the British communityat large revolted. The ministers of religion protested against it as amost unpardonable homage to an idolatrous temple. Ridiculed by thePress of India and England, and laughed at by the members of his ownparty in Parliament, Lord Ellenborough halted the gates at Agra, andpostponed the completion of the monstrous folly he had more than begunto perpetrate. "

Severe as was this criticism, it was not unmerited. Ellenborough'stheatrical bombast, like that of Napoleon at the Pyramids, recoiledupon him, bringing a hornets' nest about his own ears and leading tohis recall. As a matter of fact, too, the gates which he held in suchreverence were found to be replicas of the pair that the SultanMahmood had pilfered from Somnauth; and were not of sandalwood at all, but of common deal. 

III

While following the drum from camp to camp and from station tostation, Lola spent several months in Bareilly, a town that wasafterwards to play an important part in the Mutiny. Colonel Durand, anofficer who was present when the city was captured in 1858, says thatthe bungalow she occupied there was destroyed. Yet, the mutineers, henoticed, had spared the bath house that had been built for her in thecompound. 

During the hot weather of 1839, young Mrs. James, accompanied by herhusband, went off to Simla for a month on a visit to her mother, who, yielding to pressure, had at last held out the olive-branch. Thewelcome, however--except from Captain Craigie, who still had a warmcorner in his heart for her--was somewhat frigid. 

There is a reference to this visit in _Up the Country_, a once popularbook by Lord Auckland's sister, the Hon. Emily Eden. Following the coyfashion of the period, however, she always refrained from giving aname in full, but would merely allude to people as "Colonel A, " "Mr. B, " "Mrs. C, " and "Miss D, " etc. Still, the identities of "Mrs. J" and"Mrs. C" in this extract are clear enough:

 _September 8, 1839. _

 Simla is much moved just now by the arrival of a Mrs. J, who has been talked of as a great beauty all the year, and that drives every other woman quite distracted.... Mrs. J is the daughter of a Mrs. C, who is still very handsome herself, and whose husband is deputy-adjutant-general, or some military authority of that kind. She sent this only child to be educated at home, and went home herself two years ago to see her. In the same ship was Mr. J, a poor ensign, going home on sick leave. He told her he was engaged to be married, consulted her about his prospects, and in the meantime privately married this child at school. It was enough to provoke any mother; but, as it now cannot be helped, we have all been trying to persuade her for the last year to make it up. She has withstood it till now, but at last has consented to ask them for a month, and they arrived three days ago. 

 The rush on the road was remarkable. But nothing could be more satisfactory than the result, for Mrs. J looked lovely, and Mrs. C has set up for her a very grand jonpaun, with bearers in fine orange and brown liveries; and J is a sort of smart-looking man with bright waistcoats and bright teeth, with a showy horse, and he rode along in an attitude of respectful attention to _ma belle mère_. Altogether, it was an imposing sight, and I cannot see any way out of it but magnanimous admiration. 

During this visit to Simla the couple were duly bidden to dine atAuckland House, on Elysium Hill, where they met His Excellency. 

"We had a dinner yesterday, " wrote their hostess. "Mrs. J isundoubtedly very pretty, and such a merry unaffected girl. She is onlyseventeen now, and does not look so old; and when one thinks that sheis married to a junior lieutenant in the Indian Army, fifteen yearsolder than herself, and that they have 160 rupees a month, and are topass their whole lives in India, I do not wonder at Mrs. C'sresentment at her having run away from school. "

Writing to Lady Teresa Lister in England, Miss Eden gives anentertaining account of Simla at this date:

 Everybody has been pleased and amused, except the two clergymen who are here, and who have begun a course of sermons against what they call a destructive torrent of worldly gaiety. They had much better preach against the destructive torrent of rain which has now set in for the next three months, and not only washes away all gaiety, but all the paths, in the literal sense, which lead to it.... I do not count Simla as any grievance--nice climate, beautiful place, constant fresh air, plenty of fleas, not much society, everything that is desirable. 

In another letter, this indefatigable correspondent remarks:

 Here, society is not much trouble, nor much anything else. We give sundry dinners and occasional balls, and have hit upon one popular device. Our band plays twice a week on one of the hills here, and we send ices and refreshments to the listeners, and it makes a nice little reunion with very little trouble. 

 * * * * *

A further reference to the amenities of Government House at Simladuring the Aucklands' regime is instructive, as showing that it wasnot a case of all work and no play:

There are about ninety-six ladies here whose husbands are gone to thewars, and about twenty-six gentlemen--at least, there will, with goodluck, be about that number. We have a very dancing set ofaides-de-camp just now, and they are utterly desperate at the notionof our having no balls. I suppose we must begin on one in a fortnight;but it will be difficult, and there are several young ladies here withwhom some of our gentlemen are much smitten. As they will have norivals here, I am horribly afraid the flirtations may become serious, and then we shall lose some active aides-de-camp, and they will findthemselves on ensign's pay with a wife to keep. However, they _will_have these balls, so it is not my fault. 

 * * * * *

After she had left Simla and its round of gaieties, Lola was to haveanother meeting with the hospitable Aucklands. This took place in campat Kurnaul, "a great ugly cantonment, all barracks and dust and gunsand soldiers. " Miss Eden, who was accompanying her brother on a tourthrough the district, wrote to her sister in England:

_November 13, 1839. _

 We were at home in the evening, and it was an immense party; but, except that pretty Mrs. J, who was at Simla, and who looked like a star among the others, the women were all plain. 

[Illustration: _Benjamin Lumley. Lessee of Her Majesty's Theatre_]

A couple of days later, she added some further particulars:

 We left Kurnaul yesterday morning. Little Mrs. J was so unhappy at our going that we asked her to come and pass the day here, and brought her with us. She went from tent to tent and chattered all day and visited her friend, Mrs. M, who is with the camp. I gave her a pink silk gown, and it was altogether a very happy day for her evidently. It ended in her going back to Kurnaul on my elephant, with E. N. By her side, and Mr. J sitting behind. She had never been on an elephant before, and thought it delightful. 

 She is very pretty, and a good little thing apparently. But they are very poor, and she is very young and lively, and if she falls into bad hands, she would laugh herself into foolish scrapes. At present the husband and wife are very fond of each other, but a girl who marries at fifteen hardly knows what she likes. 

When she wrote this passage, Miss Eden might have been a Sibyl, forher words were to become abundantly true. 

IV

Except when on active service, officers of the Company's Army were notoverworked. Everything was left to the sergeants and corporals; and, while Thomas Atkins and Jack Sepoy trudged in the dust and sweated anddrilled in their absurd stocks and tight tunics, the commissionedranks, lolling in barracks, killed the long hours as they pleased. 

Following form, Captain James (the Afghan business had brought him astep in rank) did a certain amount of tiger-shooting and pig-sticking, and a good deal of brandy-swilling, combined with card-playing andgambling. As a husband, he was not a conspicuous success. "He slept, "complained Lola, feeling herself neglected, "like a boa-constrictor, "and, during the intervals of wakefulness, "drank too much porter. " Theresult was, there were quarrels, instead of love-making, for they bothhad tempers. 

"Runaway matches, like runaway horses, " Lola had once written, "arealmost sure to end in a smash-up. " In this case there was a"smash-up, " for Tom James was not always sleeping and drinking. He hadother activities. If fond of a glass, he was also fond of a lass. Theone among them for whom he evinced a special fondness was a Mrs. Lomer, the wife of a brother officer, the adjutant of his regiment. His partiality was reciprocated. 

One morning when, without any suspicion of what was in store for them, Mrs. James and Adjutant Lomer sat down to their _chota-hazree_, twomembers of the accustomed breakfast party were missing. Enquirieshaving been set on foot, the fact was elicited that Captain James andMrs. Lomer had gone out for an early ride. It must have been a longone, thought the camp, as they did not appear at dinner that evening. Messengers sent to look for them came back with a disturbing report. This was to the effect that the couple had slipped off to the NilgiriHills and had decided to stop there. 

The next morning a panting native brought a letter from the errantlady addressed to her furious spouse. This missive is (withoutexplaining how he got it) reproduced by an American journalist, T. Everett Harré, in a series of articles, _The Heavenly Sinner_: "Isuggest, " runs an extract, "you come to your senses and give me myfreedom ... I am going with a man of parts who knows how to give awoman the attentions she craves, and is himself glad to shake off ayoung chit of a wife who is too brainless to appreciate him. "

A first-class sensation. The entire cantonment throbbed and buzzedwith excitement. The colonel fumed; the adjutant cursed; and there wastalk of bringing the Don Juan Captain James to a court-martial for"conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. " But Lola, as was hercustom, took it philosophically, doubtless reflecting that she waswell rid of a spouse for whom she no longer cared, and went back toher mother in Calcutta. 

Mrs. Craigie's maternal heart-strings should have been wrung by theunhappy position of her daughter. They were not wrung. The clandestinemarriage, with the upsetting of her own plans, still rankled andremained unforgiven and unforgotten. As a result, when she asked forshelter and sympathy, Lola received a very frigid welcome. Herstep-father, however, took her part, and declared that his bungalowwas open to her until other arrangements could be made for her future. Not being possessed of much imagination, his idea was that she shouldleave India temporarily and stop for a few months in Scotland with hisbrother, Mr. David Craigie, a man of substance and Provost of Perth. After an interval for reflection there, he felt that the differencesof opinion that had arisen between her husband and herself wouldbecome adjusted, and the young couple resume marital relations. Accordingly, he wrote to his brother, asking him to meet her when shearrived in London and escort her to Perth. 

Lola, however, while professing complete agreement, had other views asto her future. She wanted neither a reconciliation with her husbandnor a second experience of life with the Craigie family in Scotland. One such had been more than sufficient, but she was careful not tobreathe a word on the subject. She kept her own counsel, and maturedher own plans. 

CHAPTER III

THE CONSISTORY COURT

I

Sailing from Calcutta for London in an East Indiaman, at the end of1840, Lola was consigned by her step-father to the "special care" of aMrs. Sturgis who was among the passengers. He obviously felt theparting. "Big salt tears, " says Lola, "coursed down his cheeks, " whenhe wished her a last farewell. He also gave her his blessing; and, what was more negotiable, a cheque for £1000. The two never met again. 

But although she had left India's coral strand, a memory of herlingered there for many years. In this connection, Sir Walter Lawrencesays that he once found himself in a cantonment that had been desertedso long that it was swallowed up by the ever advancing jungle. "Awizened villager, " he says, "recalled a high-spirited and beautifulgirl, the young wife of an officer, who would creep up and push himinto the water. 'Ah, ' he said, with a smile of affection, 'she was a_badmash_, but she was always very kind to me. ' She was better knownafterwards as Lola Montez. "

At Madras a number of fresh comers joined the good ship _Larkins_ inwhich Lola was proceeding to England. Among them was a certain CaptainLennox, aide-de-camp to Lord Elphinstone, the Governor. An agreeableyoung man, and very different from the missionaries and civil servantswho formed the bulk of the other male passengers. Lola and himselfwere soon on good terms. "Too good, " was the acid comment of theladies in whose society Captain Lennox exhibited no interest. Thecouple were inseparable. They sat at the same table in the saloon;they paced the deck together, arm in arm, on the long hot nights, preferring dark and unfrequented corners; their chairs adjoined; theircabins adjoined; and, so the shocked whisper ran, they sometimesmistook the one for the other. 

"Anybody can make a mistake in the dark, " said Lola, when Mrs. Sturgis, remembering Captain Craigie's injunctions, and resolved atall costs to fulfil her trust, ventured on a remonstrance. 

Ninety years ago, travellers had to "rough it;" and the conditionsgoverning a voyage from India to England were very different fromthose that now obtain. None of the modern amenities had any place inthe accepted routine. Thus, no deck sports; no jazz band; noswimming-pool; no cocktail bar; not even a sweepstake on the day'srun. 

But time had to be killed; and, as a young grass widow, Mrs. Jamesfelt that flirting was the best way of getting through it. CaptainLennox was the only man on board ship with whom she had anything incommon. He was sympathetic, good-looking, and attentive. Also, heswore that he was "madly in love with her. " The old, old story; but itdid its work. Before the vessel berthed in London docks, Lola had cometo a decision. A momentous decision. She would give David Craigie theslip, and, listening to his blandishments, cast in her lot with GeorgeLennox. 

"I'll look after you, " he said reassuringly. "Trust me for that, mydear. "

Lola did trust him. In fact, she trusted him to such an extent that, on reaching London, she stopped with him at the Imperial Hotel inCovent Garden; and then, when the manageress of that establishmenttook upon herself to make pointed criticisms, at his rooms in PallMall. 

Naturally enough, this sort of thing could not be hushed up for long. Meaning nods and winks greeted the dashing Lennox when he appeared athis club. Tongues wagged briskly. Some of them even wagged in distantCalcutta, where they were heard by Lola's husband. Ignoring his ownamorous dalliance with a brother officer's spouse, he elected to feelinjured. Resolved to assert himself, he got into touch with his Londonsolicitors and instructed them to take the preliminary steps todissolve his marriage. The first of these was to bring an action forwhat was then politely dubbed "crim. Con. " against the man he allegedto have "wronged" him. 

The lawyers would not be hurried; and things moved in leisurelyfashion. Still, they moved to their appointed end; and, the necessaryred tape being unwound, interrogatories administered, and the evidenceof prying chambermaids and hotel servants collected and examined, inMay, 1841, the case of James v. Lennox got into the list and was heardby Lord Denman and a special jury in the Court of Queen's Bench. SirWilliam Follett, the Solicitor-General, was briefed on behalf of theplaintiff, and Frederick Thesiger appeared for Captain Lennox. 

In his opening address, Sir William Follett (who had not been too wellinstructed) told the jury that the petitioner and his wife "had livedvery happily together in India, and that the return of Mrs. James toEngland was due to a fall from her horse at Calcutta. " While on thepassage home, he continued, pulling out his _vox humana_ stop, theship touched at Madras, where the defendant came on board; and, "during the long voyage, an intimacy sprang up between Mrs. James andhimself which developed in a fashion that left the outraged husband nochoice but to institute the present proceedings to recover damages forhaving been wantonly robbed of the affection and society of hisconsort. "

At this point, counsel for Captain Lennox (who, in pusillanimousfashion, had loved and sailed away, rather than stop and help thewoman he had compromised) cut short his learned friend's tearfuleloquence by admitting that he was prepared to accept a verdict, with£1000 damages. As the judge agreed, the case was abruptly terminated. 

This, however, was only the first round. In December of the followingyear, the next step was adopted, and a suit for divorce was commencedin the Consistory Court. As neither Mrs. James nor the Lothario-likeCaptain Lennox put in an appearance, Dr. Lushington, declaring himselfsatisfied that misconduct had been committed, pronounced a decree _amensa et thoro_. All that this amounted to was merely a judicialseparation. 

The report in _The Times_ only ran to a dozen lines. Considering thatthe paper cost fivepence a copy, this was not a very liberalallowance. Still, readers had better value in respect of anotheraction in "high life" that was heard the same day, that of Lord andLady Graves, which had a full column allotted it. 

II

This was all that the public knew of the case. It did not seem much onwhich to blast a young wife's reputation. Dr. Lushington, the judge ofthe Consistory Court, however, knew a good deal more about thebusiness than did the general public. This was because, during thepreliminary hearing, held some months earlier and attended only bycounsel and solicitors, a number of damaging facts had transpired. 

Mrs. James, said learned counsel for the petitioner, had "been guiltyof behaviour at which a crocodile would tremble and blush. " A seriouscharge to bring against a young woman. Still, in answer to the judge, he professed himself equipped with ample evidence to support it. Hisfirst witness was a retired civil servant, a Mr. Browne Roberts, whohad known the respondent's husband, first, as a bachelor in India, andafterwards as a married man in Dublin. At the beginning of 1841, hehad received a call, he said, from a Major McMullen to whom CaptainCraigie had written, asking him to take charge of his step-daughter onher arrival in London and see her off to his relatives in Scotland. When, however, the major offered this hospitality, it was refused. Thereupon, Mr. Roberts had himself called at the Imperial Hotel, Covent Garden, and suggested that she should come and stop with hiswife; and this invitation was also refused. 

Not much in this perhaps, but a good deal in what followed. Mrs. Elizabeth Walters, the manageress of the Imperial Hotel, said that onFebruary 21, 1841, "a lady and gentleman arrived in a hackney cab, with luggage marked G. Lennox and Mrs. James, and booked a doubleroom. " Mrs. Walters had not, she admitted, "actually discovered themundressed, or sharing the bed, " but "she would not have been surprisedto have done so. " Accordingly, when her travelling companion left thenext morning, she taxed Mrs. James with misconduct. After telling herto "mind her own business, " Mrs. James had declared that she andCaptain Lennox were on the point of being married, and had then packedup and left the establishment. 

"What exactly did she say?" enquired the judge. 

"She said, 'what I choose to do is my own affair and nobody else's. '"

On leaving the somewhat arid hospitality of the Covent Garden Hotel, Mrs. James had removed to a lodging-house just off Pall Mall, whereshe stopped for a month. Mrs. Martin, the proprietress, told the courtthat, during this period, Captain Lennox settled the bill, and "calledthere every day, often stopping till all hours of the night. "

The testimony of Mrs. Sarah Watson, the sister of Captain James, wasthat her brother had written to her in the autumn of 1840, saying thathis wife had been thrown from her horse and was coming to England formedical treatment; and that he had written to his aunt, Mrs. Rae, ofEdinburgh, suggesting that his wife should stop with her. Mrs. Watson, having "been told things, " then called on Mrs. James in Covent Garden. "I spoke to her, " she said, "of the shocking rumour that CaptainLennox had passed a night with her there, and pointed out theunutterable ruin that would result from a continuance of suchdeplorable conduct. I begged her to entrust herself to the care ofMrs. Rae. My entreaties were ineffectual. She positively declared, affirming with an oath, that she would do nothing of the kind. "

Among the passengers on board the East Indiaman by which Mrs. Jameshad voyaged to England was Mrs. Ingram, the captain's wife. "Theconduct of Mrs. James, " she said, "was unguarded in the extreme, andher general behaviour was what is sometimes called flirting. " CaptainIngram, who followed, had a still more disturbing story to recount. "On several occasions, " he said, "I heard Mrs. James address thegentleman who joined us at Madras as 'Dear Lennox, ' and she would evenadmit him to the privacy of her cabin while the other passengers wereattending divine service on deck. When I spoke to her about it, sheanswered me in a very cool fashion. "

All this was distinctly damaging. The real sensation, however, wasprovided by Caroline Marden, a stewardess. 

"During the voyage from Madras, " she told the astonished judge, "Imore than once saw Captain Lennox lacing up Mrs. James's stays. "

"Did you see anything else?" faltered counsel. 

"Yes, I also saw her actually putting on her stockings while CaptainLennox was in her cabin!"

There were limits to intimacies between the sexes. This was clearlyamong them. For a man to assist in adjusting a woman's stays, andwatch her changing her stockings, could, in the opinion of the learnedand experienced Dr. Lushington, only lead to one result. The worstresult. Hence, he had no difficulty in pronouncing the decree forwhich the husband was applying. 

III

All James had got for his activities in bringing his action was adivorce _a mensa et thoro_, that is, "from bed and board. " But, whileit was all he got, this measure of relief was probably all he wanted, as he was not contemplating a second experiment in matrimony, eitherwith Mrs. Lomer or anybody else. Where his discarded wife wasconcerned, she would have to shift for herself. She no longer had anylegal claim upon him; nor could she marry again during his lifetime. Her position was a somewhat pathetic one. Thus, she was alone andfriendless; besmirched in reputation; abandoned by her husband; anddeserted by her lover. But she still had her youth and her courage. 

The London of the 1840's, where Lola found herself cast adrift, was acurious microcosm and full of contrasts. A mixture of unabashedblackguardism and cloistered prudery; of double-beds and primness; ofhumbug and frankness; of liberty and restraint; of lust and license;of brutal horse-play passing for "wit, " and of candour marching withcant. The working classes scarcely called their souls their own; womenand children mercilessly exploited by smug profiteers; the "Song ofthe Shirt"; Gradgrind and Boanerges holding high festival; Tom andJerry (on their last legs) and Corinthians wrenching off door knockersand upsetting policemen; and Exeter Hall and the Cider Cellars both infull swing. Altogether, an ill place of sojourn for an unprotectedyoung woman. 

Exactly how this one supported herself during the next few months isnot very clear, for, if she kept a diary, she never published it. According, however, to a Sunday organ, "she entangled the virtuousEarl of Malmesbury in a delicate kind of newspaper correspondence, anassertion having been made in public that she visited that piousnobleman at his own house. " An odd story (of American origin, andquite unfounded) has it that, about this period, she establishedcontact with a certain Jean François Montez, "an individual of immensewealth who lavished a fortune on her"; and Edward Blanchard, a hackdramatist of Drury Lane, contributes the somewhat unhelpful remark, "She became a Bohemian. " Perhaps she did. But she had to discover asecond career that would bring a little more grist to the mill. Such acourse was imperative, since the balance of the £1000 herstep-father had given her would not last indefinitely. Looking round, she felt that, all things considered, the stage offered the bestprospects of earning a livelihood. Not a very novel decision. Nowadays, as an attractive young woman, with a little capital in herpossession, she would have had more choice. Thus, she might haveopened a hat shop, or run tea-rooms, or bred pet dogs, become amannequin, or a dance club hostess, or even "gone on the films. " Butnone of these avenues to feminine employment existed in theeighteen-forties. Hence, it was the footlights or nothing. 

[Illustration: _Lola Montez, "Spanish Dancer. " Début at Her Majesty'sTheatre_]

She had the sense to put herself in the hands of an instructress. Theone she selected was Fanny Kelly ("the only woman to whom Charles Lambhad screwed up sufficient courage to propose marriage"), who conducteda school of acting. Being honest, as well as capable, Miss Kelly tookthe measure of the would-be Ophelia very promptly. 

"You'll never make an actress, " was her decision. "You've no talentfor it. "

But, if the applicant had no talent, the other saw that she hadsomething else. This was a pair of shapely legs, which, as aballet-dancer, could yet twinkle in front of the footlights. 

This opinion being shared by its recipient, she lost no time inadopting it. As a preliminary, she went to Madrid. There, under experttuition, she learned to rattle the castanets, and practised the boleroand the cachucha, as well as the classic arabesques and entrechats andthe technique accompanying them. But she did not advance much beyondthe simplest steps, for the time at her disposal was short, and theart of the ballerina is not to be acquired without years of unceasingstudy. 

According to a French journalist, an "English Milord" made Lola'sacquaintance in Madrid. This was Lord Malmesbury, "who was so dazzledby the purity of her Spanish accent that he adopted her as a_compagnon de voyage_, and shared with her the horrors of bad cookingand the joys of nights in Granada. " This fact, however, if it be afact, is not to be found in the volume of "memoirs" that heafterwards published. 

Still, it seems that Lord Malmesbury did meet Lola. His own account ofthe incident is that, on returning to England from abroad, in thespring of the year 1843, he was asked by the Spanish Consul atSouthampton to escort to London a young woman who had just landedthere. He found her, he says, "a remarkably handsome person, who wasin deep mourning and who appeared to be in great distress. " While theywere alone in the railway carriage, he improved the occasion andextracted from his travelling companion the story of her life. 

"She informed me, " he says, "in bad English that she was the widow ofDon Diego Leon, who had lately been shot by the Carlists after he wastaken prisoner, and that she was going to London to sell some Spanishproperty that she possessed, and give lessons in singing, as she wasvery poor. "

Notwithstanding his diplomatic training, Lord Malmesbury swallowedthis story, as well as much else with which it was embroidered. Onething led to another; and the acquaintance thus fortuitously begun ina railway carriage was continued in London. There he got up a concertfor her benefit at his town house, where, in addition to singingCastilian ballads, his protégée sold veils and fans among theaudience; and he also gave her an introduction to a theatricalmanager, with results that neither of them had foreseen. 

CHAPTER IV

FLARE OF THE FOOTLIGHTS

I

Times change. When Lola returned to London a passage through thedivorce court was not regarded as a necessary qualification for stageaspirants. Also, being well aware that, to ensure a good reception, aforeign-sounding name was desirable, this one decided to adopt that ofLola Montez. This, she felt, would, among other advantages, effectively mask her identity with that of Mrs. Thomas James, anidentity she was anxious to shed. 

Her plans were soon made. On the morning after her arrival, shepresented her letter of introduction to the impressario of HerMajesty's Theatre, in the Haymarket. This position was held by anaffable Hebrew, one Benjamin Lumley, an ex-solicitor, who hadabandoned his parchments and bills of costs and acquired a lease ofHer Majesty's. The house had long been looked upon as something of awhite elephant in the theatrical jungle; but Lumley, being pushful andknowledgeable, soon built up a valuable following and set theestablishment on its legs. 

As luck would have it, Lola's interview with him came at just theright moment, for he was alternating ballet with opera and was in wantof a fresh attraction. Convinced that he recognised it in his caller(or, perhaps, anxious to please Lord Malmesbury), he offered her anengagement there and then to dance a _pas seul_ between the acts of_Il Barbiere di Seviglia_. 

"If you make a hit, " he said, "you shall have a contract for the restof the season. It all depends on yourself. "

Lola, wanting nothing better, left the managerial office, treading onair. 

As was his custom, Lumley cultivated the critics, and would receivethem in his sanctum whenever he had a novel attraction to submit. 

"I have a surprise for you in my next programme, " he said, when thechampagne and cigars had been discussed. "This is that I have securedDonna Lola, a Spanish dancer, direct from Seville. She is, I assureyou, deliciously beautiful and remarkably accomplished. I pledge youmy word, gentlemen, she will create a positive _furore_ here. "

In 1843 dramatic critics had the privilege of attending rehearsals andpenetrating behind the scenes. One of their number, adopting thepseudonym "Q, " has left an account of the manner in which he first metLola Montez. He had called on Lumley for a gossip, and was invited bythat authority to descend to the stage and watch his new acquisitionpractising a dance there. 

"At that period, " he says, "her figure was even more attractive thanher face, lovely as the latter was. Lithe and graceful as a youngfawn, every movement she made was instinct with melody. Her dark eyeswere blazing and flashing with excitement, for she felt that I waswilling to admire her.... As she swept round the stage, her slenderwaist swayed to the music, and her graceful head and neck bent with itlike a flower that bends with the impulse given to its stem by thefitful temper of the wind. "

Lumley was tactful enough to leave the pressman alone with the star. As the latter promised to "give her a good puff in his paper, " Lola, who never missed an opportunity, made herself specially agreeable tohim. Her bright eyes did their work. "When we separated, " says "Q" inhis reminiscences, "I found myself tumbled heels over head into theprofound depths of that which the French call a _grande passion_. "

Lumley's next step was to draw up an announcement of the promisednovelty for inclusion in the programme:

 HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE

 June 3, 1843

 SPECIAL ATTRACTION!

 Mr. Benjamin Lumley begs to announce that, between the acts of the Opera, DONNA LOLA MONTEZ, of the Teatro Real, Seville, will have the honour to make her first appearance in England in the Original Spanish dance El Oleano. 

After the cast list had been set out the rest of the reading matter onthe programme was given up to advertisements. Some of them wouldappear to have been selected rather at haphazard. At any rate, theirspecial appeal to music lovers was a little difficult to follow. Thus, one was of "Jackson's patent enema machines, as patronised by thenobility (either sex) when travelling"; another of "Mrs. Rodd'sanatomical ladies' stays (which ensure the wearer a figure ofastonishing symmetry";) and another of a "Brilliant burlesque ballad, 'Get along, Rosey, ' sung with the most positive triumph every eveningby Madame Vestris. "

With much satisfaction, Manager Lumley, taking a preliminary peep atthe crowded house, saw that a particularly "smart" audience wasassembled on the night of June 3. The list of "fashionables" he handedto the reporters resembled an extract from the pages of Messrs. Burkeand Debrett. Thus, the Royal Box was graced by the Queen Dowager, withthe King of Hanover and Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar for her guests;and, dotted about the pit tier (then the fashionable part of thehouse) were the Duke and Duchess of Wellington, the Marquess andMarchioness of Granby, Lord and Lady Brougham, and the Baroness deRothschild, with the Belgian Minister, Count Esterhazy, and BaronTalleyrand. Even the occupants of the pit had to accept an officialintimation that "only black trousers will be allowed. " Her Majesty'shad a standard, and Lumley insisted on its observance. 

That long familiar feature, "Fops' Alley, " having disappeared from theauditorium, the modish thing for unattached men was to make up a partyand hire an omnibus-box; and from that position to pronounce judgmentupon the legs of the dancers pirouetting in wispy gauze on the stage. Then, when the curtain fell, they would be privileged to go behind thescenes and chat with the coryphées. 

On the evening of Lola's début one of the omnibus-boxes was occupiedby Lord Ranelagh, a raffish mid-Victorian roué, who had brought withhim a select party of "Corinthians" in frilled shirts and floweredwaistcoats. It was observed that he paid but languid attention to theopera. As soon, however, as the promised novelty, _El Oleano_, wasreached, he exhibited a sudden interest and pushed his chair forward. 

"We shall see some fun in a moment, " he whispered. "Mind you fellowskeep quiet until I give the word. "

II

A little ominous, perhaps, that the Haymarket entrepreneur should bearthe same name as the Calcutta judge who had unsuccessfully sought herhand. But Lola experienced no qualms. As she stood at the wings, in ablack satin bodice and much flounced pink silk skirt, waiting for hercue, Lumley passed her with a nod of encouragement. 

"Capital, " he said, rubbing his whiskers. "Most attractive. You'll bea big success, my dear. "

As he moved off, a bell tinkled in the prompt corner. In response, theconductor lifted his baton; the heavy curtains were drawn aside; and, under a cross-fire of opera glasses, Lola bounded on to the stage andexecuted her initial piroutte. There was a sudden hush, as, at thefinish of the number, she stepped up to the footlights and awaited theverdict. Had she made good, or not? In a moment, however, she knewthat all was well, for a storm of applause and clapping of handsfilled the air. Lumley, from his place in the wings, beamed approval. His enterprise was to be rewarded. The débutante was a success. Nodoubt about it. She should have a contract from him before any othermanager should step in and snap her up. 

 We do not believe (scribbled a critic, hurriedly jotting down his impressions, to be expanded when he got back to his office) that Donna Lola smiled once throughout her performance. As she withdrew, numbers of bouquets fell on to the stage. But the proud one of Seville did not deign to return to pick them up, and one of the gentlemen in livery was deputed for that purpose. When, however, her measure was encored, she stepped down from her pinnacle and actually condescended to accept an additional bouquet that had been tossed by a fair one from a box. 

 Her Majesty's Theatre (added a colleague) may now be said to be in its full zenith of grandeur and perfection of beauty and splendour, and variety and fame of the ballet. A new Spanish Donna has been introduced. Although the visitation was unheralded by the customary flourish of trumpeting _on dits_, it was extremely successful. The young lady came and saw and conquered. Many floral offerings were shot at her as a compliment, and the useful M. Coulos--ever at hand in such an emergency--assisted very industriously in picking them up. As for _El Oleano_, this is a sort of cachucha; and it certainly gives Donna Lola Montez an opportunity of introducing herself to the public under a very captivating aspect.... A lovely picture she is to contemplate. There is before you the very perfection of Spanish beauty--the tall handsome figure, the full lustrous eye, the joyous animated countenance, and the dark raven tresses. You gaze upon the Donna with delight and admiration. 

It was just after the third item on her programme and while she stoodbefore the curtain, bowing and smiling her acknowledgments, that therewas an unexpected interruption. An ominous hiss suddenly split theair. The sound came from the occupants of the stage box in which LordRanelagh and his party had ensconced themselves. As at a prearrangedsignal, the occupants of the opposite box took it up and repeated it. The audience gasped in astonishment, and looked to Lord Ranelagh for asolution. He supplied one promptly. "Egad!" he exclaimed in a loudvoice, "that's not Lola Montez at all. It's Betsy James, an Irishgirl. Ladies and gentlemen, we're being properly swindled!"

"Swindled" was an ugly word. The pit and gallery, feeling that theywere in some mysterious fashion being defrauded, followed the cue thusgiven them, and a volume of hisses and cat-calls sprang from thethroats that, a moment earlier, had bellowed vociferous cheers. Thegreat Michael Costa, who was conducting, dropped his baton inastonishment, and, refusing to pick it up again, left his desk. Thereis a theory that it was this untoward incident that led him totransfer himself from the Haymarket to Covent Garden. Quite possible. Musicians are temperamental folk. 

It was left for Lumley to deal with the situation. He did so byringing down the curtain, while Lola, in tears and fury, rushed off toher dressing-room. 

III

Perhaps they left early, but none of the critics saw anything of this_dénouement_. What, however, they did see they described in rapturous, not to say, florid terms:

 We saw, as in a dream (declared one of them), an Elssler or a Taglioni descend from the clouds, under the traits of a new dancer, whose fervent admirers lavished on her all the enthusiasm and applause with which the rare perfection of her predecessors has been rewarded. 

 On Saturday last, between the acts of the opera, Donna Lola Montez was announced to appear on the programme at Her Majesty's. A thousand ardent spectators were in feverish anxiety to see her. Donna Lola enchanted everyone. There was throughout a graceful flowing of the arms--not an angle discernible--an indescribable softness in her attitude and suppleness in her limbs which, developed in a thousand positions (without infringing on the Opera laws), were the most intoxicating and womanly that can be imagined. We never remember seeing the _habitués_--both young and old--taken by more agreeable surprise than the bewitching lady excited. She was rapturously encored, and the stage strewn with bouquets. 

Lord Ranelagh and his friends must have grinned when they read thisgush. 

"I saw Lumley immediately after the fall of the curtain, " says areporter who was admitted behind the scenes. "He was surrounded by theprofessors of morality from the omnibus-box, who said that Donna Lolawas positively not to reappear. They pointed out to him that it wasabsolutely essential to have none but exemplary characters in theballet; but they did not tell him where he would procure females whowould have no objection to exhibiting their legs in pink silkfleshings. As Lumley could not afford to offend his patrons, he wascompelled to accept the _fiat_ of these virtuous scions of a moral andultra-scrupulous aristocracy. Carlotta Grisi might have had a score oflovers; but, then, she had never turned up her charming little nose atmy Lord Ranelagh. "

It was an age when the theatre had to kow-tow to the patron. Unless MyLord approved, Mr. Crummles had no choice but to ring down thecurtain. As the Ranelagh faction very emphatically disapproved, Lumleywas compelled to give the recruit her marching-orders. 

Lola's _première_ had thus become her _dernière_. 

By the way, a Sunday paper, writing some time afterwards, was guiltyof a serious slip in its account of the episode, and mistook LordRanelagh for the Duke of Cambridge. "The newcomer, " says this critic, "was recognised as Mrs. James by a Prince of the Blood and hiscompanions in the omnibus-box. Her beauty could not save her frominsult; and, to avenge themselves on Mr. Lumley, for some pique, thesechivalrous English gentlemen of the upper classes hooted a woman fromthe stage. "

What was behind Lord Ranelagh's cowardly attack on the débutante?There was a simple explanation, and not one that redounded to hiscredit in any way. It was that, during her "Bohemian" period, he hadendeavoured to fill the empty niche left in her affections by thedeparture of that light-o'-love, Captain Lennox, and had been repulsedfor his pains. A bad loser, my Lord nursed resentment. He would teacha mere ballet-dancer to snap her fingers at him. His opportunity camesooner than he imagined. He made the most of it. 

Fond as he was of biting, Lord Ranelagh was, some years afterwards, himself bitten. He took a prominent part in an unsavoury scandal thatfluttered mid-Victorian dovecotes, when a Bond Street "beautyspecialist, " known as Madame Rachel, was clapped into prison forswindling a wealthy and amorous widow. This was a Mrs. Borrodaile, whom "Madame" had gulled by declaring that Lord Ranelagh's one desirewas to share his coronet with her. Although the raffish peer deniedall complicity, he did not come out of the business too well. 

"The peculiar prominence he has attained, " remarked an obituarist, "has not always been of an enviable description. There are probablyfew men who have had so many charges of the most varied anddisagreeable nature made against them. The resultant obloquy to whichhe had thus been exposed is great, nor has it vanished, as it properlyshould have done, with the charges themselves. "

This, however, was looking ahead. The comments of 1843 came first. "Inthe clubs that night, " we read, "the bucks and bloods laughed heartilywhen they discussed the mishap of the proud beauty who had scorned theadvances of my Lord. " Lola Montez, however, did not regard it asanything at which to laugh. She may, as she boasted, have had a dashof Spanish blood in her veins, but she certainly had none of GeorgeWashington's, for she immediately sat down and wrote a circular letterto all the London papers. In this she sought to correct what shedescribed as a "false impression. " Swallowing it as gospel, a numberof them printed it in full:

 _To the Editor_. 

 SIR:

 Since I had the honour of dancing at Her Majesty's Theatre, on Saturday, the 3rd inst. (when I was received by the English public in so kind and flattering a manner) I have been cruelly annoyed by reports that I am not really the person I pretend to be, but that I have long been known in London as a woman of disreputable character. I entreat you, Sir, to allow me, through the medium of your respected journal, to assure you and the public, in the most positive and unqualified manner, that there is not a word of truth in such a statement. 

 I am a native of Seville; and in the year 1833, when ten years old, was sent to a Catholic lady at Bath, where I remained seven months, and was then taken back to my parents in Spain. From that period, until the 14th of April, when I landed in England, _I have never set foot in this country, and I never saw London before in my life_. 

 In apologising for the favour I ask you, I feel sure that you will kindly consider the anxiety of myself and my friends to remove from the public any impression to my disadvantage. My lawyer has received instructions to proceed against all the parties who have calumniated me. 

 Believe me to be your obedient and humble servant, LOLA MONTEZ. 

 _June 13, 1843. _

Ballet-dancers cannot, when making their débuts, be expected toremember everything; and this one had obviously forgotten her sojournin India, just as she had forgotten her marriage to Thomas James (andthe subsequent Consistory Court action), as well as her amorousdalliance with Captain Lennox during the previous year. 

"In spite of the encouraging reception accorded Donna Lola Montez, shehas not danced again, " remarked a critic in the _Examiner_. "What isthe reason?"

Lumley could have supplied the information. He did so, some yearsafterwards, in his book, _Reminiscences of the Opera_:

 It is not my intention to rake up the world-wide stories of this strange and fascinating woman. Perhaps it will be sufficient to say frankly that I was, in this instance, fairly "taken in. " A Noble Lord (afterwards closely connected with the Foreign Office) had introduced the lady to my notice as the daughter of a celebrated _Spanish_ Patriot and martyr, representing her merits as a dancer in so strong a light that her "appearance" was granted. 

 ... But this spurious Spanish lady had no real knowledge of that which she professed. The whole affair was an imposture; and on the very night of her first appearance the truth exploded. On the discovery of the truth, I declined to allow the English adventuress, for such she was, another appearance on my boards. In spite of the expostulations of the "friends" of the lady--in spite of the deprecatory letters in which she earnestly denied her English origin--in spite even of the desire expressed in high places to witness her strange performance--I remained inflexible. 

The "Noble Lord" thus referred to in this pompous disclaimer was LordMalmesbury. 

[Illustration: _Viscount Ranelagh, who organised a cabal against LolaMontez_]

IV

If she had a quick temper, Lola Montez had a good heart, and wasalways ready to lend a helping hand to others. In this connectionEdward Fitzball, a hack dramatist with whom things were not goingwell, has a story of how she volunteered to assist in a benefitperformance that was being got up to set him on his legs. It wasdifficult to secure attractions; and the beneficiare, realising that, as was the custom in such cases, he would have to make good anydeficit himself, was feeling depressed. 

"This benefit, " he says, "which I fully expected would prove to be adecided loss, annoyed me sadly. I was sauntering along Regent Streetwhen I met Stretton, the popular singer, whose own benefit was justcoming off. He said that he had secured every attraction worthy of thepublic, and that there was no hope for me, 'unless, ' he added, 'youcould secure Lola Montez. '

"'Pray, who is that?' I said in my ignorance. 

"'Lola Montez is a lady who appeared the other night at Her Majesty'sTheatre as a dancer, but, due to some aristocratic disturbance, hasleft in disgust. The papers were full of it. I offered her £50 todance for me, and met with a decided refusal. Hence, I see no hope foryou. '"

Fitzball, however, thinking it worth while taking a chance, hurried toLola's lodgings and begged her to contribute to the programme he wasoffering. He had not expected to be successful, since he knew that shewas smarting under a sense of injury. To his surprise and delight, however, she promised her services, and refused to accept anypayment. 

Overjoyed at the success of his embassy, Fitzball rushed off to theprinters and had the hoardings plastered with bills, directing specialattention to the novelty:

 THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN Monday, July 10, 1843. 

 COLOSSAL ATTRACTION! (For the Benefit of Mr. Fitzball)

 EXTRAORDINARY COMBINATION OF TALENT!

 During the evening the celebrated DONNA LOLA MONTEZ (whose recent performance created so pronounced a sensation at Her Majesty's Theatre) will execute, by special request, her remarkable dance, "El Oleano. "

 N. B. --This will positively be the Donna's only appearance in London, as she departs on Thursday next for St. Petersburg. 

"The theatre, " says Fitzball, in his account of the evening, "wascrammed. Lola Montez arrived in a splendid carriage, accompanied byher maid. When she was dressed, she enquired if I thought her costumewould be approved. I have seen sylphs and female forms of the mostdazzling beauty in ballets and fairy dramas, but the most dazzling andperfect form I ever did gaze upon was that of Lola Montez in her whiteand gold attire studded with diamonds. Her bounding before the publicwas the signal for general applause and admiration. On the conclusionof her performance, there was a rapturous and universal call for herreappearance. "

CHAPTER V

A PASSIONATE PILGRIMAGE

I

The "departure for St. Petersburg" was a stretch of Fitzball'simagination. Where Lola did go when she left England was not toRussia, but to Belgium. The visit was not a success, as none of thetheatres in Brussels at which she applied for an engagement exhibitedany interest in ballet-dancers, whether they came from Seville, orelsewhere. A spell of ill luck followed; and, if her own account ofthis period is to be trusted, she was reduced to such a pass that inthe Belgian capital she became familiar with the inside of pawnshopsand had to sing in the streets, to secure a lodging. But this "singingin the streets" business was, if a picturesque one, not an originaltouch. It is still in active use, as a stock portion of theautobiographical equipment of every stage and film heroine who wants"publicity. " Further, if Lola Montez ever did anything of the kind, itwas not for long. A "rich man"--she had a knack of establishingcontact with them--promptly came to the rescue; and, assisted by, itis said, the mysterious Jean Francois Montez, who had followed herfrom London, she shook the inhospitable dust of the Brusselsboulevards off her feet. 

It was in Berlin that, in the autumn of 1843, long delayed Fortunesmiled on her. A novelty being wanted, she secured an engagement todance at a fête organised by Frederick William IV in honour of hisson-in-law, the Czar Nicholas, and a posse of Grand Dukes thenvisiting Potsdam. The autocrat of all the Russias expressed himself ashighly pleased with the newcomer's efforts. The Berliners followedsuit. Lola was "made"; and every night for a month on end she wasbooked up to dance somewhere. 

While in the German capital, she is said to have had an encounter withthe arm of the law. The story is that, mounted on a blood horse, sheattended a review held in honour of the King and the Czar; and hersteed, being somewhat mettlesome, carried her at full tilt across theparade ground and into the midst of the royal party assembled at thesaluting-point. 

When an indignant policeman, bellowing _Verboten!_ at the top of hisvoice, rushed up and clung to the bridle, he received for his pains avigorous cut from her whip. The next morning a summons was deliveredto the daring Amazon, ordering her to appear before a magistrate andanswer a charge of "insulting the uniform. " Thereupon, Lola, feelingthat the general atmosphere was unfavourable, packed her trunks. Shemanaged to get away just in time, as a warrant for her arrest wasactually being made out. But if she did not leave Berlin with all thehonours of war, it is at any rate recorded that "she left this city ofpigs with a high head and a snapping of her fan. "

The Odyssey continued. The next place where she halted was Dresden. There the pilgrim swam into the orbit of Franz Liszt, who happened tobe giving a series of recitals. Born in 1811--the "year of theComet"--he was at the height of his powers when Lola Montez flashedacross his path. During an early visit to England, as a "boy prodigy, "he had gathered considerable laurels. Windsor Castle had smiled uponhim, and he had played to George IV and to Queen Victoria. The chanceencounter with Lola was a fateful one for both of them. But, as ithappened, the virtuoso rather welcomed the prospect of a freshintrigue just then. Wearied of the romanticism of the phalanx offeminine admirers, who clustered about him like bees, he found thisone, with her beauty and vivacious charm, to have a special appeal forhim. He responded to it avidly. The two became inseparable. 

One evening, while _Rienzi_ was being performed, his latest charmeraccompanied Liszt to the Opera House, and, during an interval, joinedhim in the dressing-room of Josef Tichatschek, the tenor. Hearing thathe was there, Wagner was coming to speak to him, "when he saw that hiscompanion was a painted and bejewelled woman with insolent eyes. "Thereupon, if his biographer is to be trusted, "the composer turnedand fled. " Lola had routed "Rienzi. "

Musicians will be musicians; and Liszt was no exception. With his loveaffairs and his long catalogue of "conquests" in half the capitals ofEurope, he was generally regarded as a Don Juan of the keyboard. It issaid by James Huneker that, on leaving Dresden, Lola joined him inConstantinople. In her memoirs she says nothing about wandering alongthe shores of the Bosphorus in his company. Still, she says a gooddeal about Sir Stratford Canning, the British Ambassador, by whom, shedeclares, she was given a letter to the Chief Eunuch, admitting her tothe Sultan's harem. But this, like many of her other statements, mustbe taken with a generous pinch of salt. 

During that memorable summer Liszt was specially invited to Bonn, tounveil the Beethoven monument that had been erected there. Theceremony attracted a distinguished gathering, and was witnessed by theKing and Queen of Russia, together with Queen Victoria and PrinceAlbert. It was also witnessed by Lola Montez, who accompanied Liszt. She was promptly recognised by Ignatz Moscheles; and, when theydiscovered her presence, the reception committee were so upset thatthey had her barred from the hotel in which rooms had been engaged forthe guest of honour. But it took more than this to keep her in thebackground. While the speeches were in full swing, she forced her wayinto the banquet-hall, and won over the prudish burghers by jumping onthe table and dancing to them. 

The Prince Consort was shocked at the "liberty. " Frederick William, however, being more broad-minded, cracked a Teutonic jest. 

"Lola is a Lorelei!" he declared, with an appreciative grin, when theepisode was reported to him. "What will she be up to next?"

An inevitable result of Liszt's dalliance with his new Calypso in thevarious capitals that they visited together during the months thatfollowed was to shatter the relations that had existed for yearsbetween himself and Madame d'Agoult. The virtuoso emerged from thebusiness badly, for the woman he had discarded in summary fashion fora younger and more attractive one had sacrificed her name and herreputation for his sake, and had also presented him with three pledgesof mutual affection. Infuriated at his callousness, she afterwards, as"Daniel Stern, " relieved her outraged feelings in a novel ("written tocalm her agitated soul"), _Nélida_, where Liszt, under a transparentdisguise, figured as "Guermann Regnier. "

But the pace was too hot to last. Still, it was Liszt, and not Lola, who cooled first. "With Lola, as with others, known and unknown, itwas, " observes William Wallace, "_Da capo al Segno_. " The story of thefinal rupture between them, as given by Guy de Pourtales, has in itsomething of the element of farce:

 Liszt allowed her to make love to him, and amused himself with this dangerous sweetheart. But without any conviction, without any real curiosity. She annoyed, she irritated him during his hours of work. Before long he planned to escape, and, having arranged everything with the hotel porter, he departed without leaving any address, but not without having first locked this most wearisome of inamoratas up in her room. For twelve hours Lola raised a fearful uproar, breaking whatever she could lay her hands on. 

Liszt, however, scenting this possibility, had settled the bill inadvance. 

But the incident does not redound to his credit, for the spectacle ofa distinguished artist bribing a lackey to smuggle him out of an hoteland imprison in her bedroom the woman with whom he had been living, isa sorry one. 

II

Having had enough of Germany for the time being, Lola decided to seewhat France had to offer. "The only place for a woman of spirit, " sheonce said, "is Paris. " Accordingly she betook herself there. As soonas she arrived, she secured lodgings in a modest hotel near the PalaisRoyal; and, well aware of her limitations, took some dancing lessonsfrom a ballet-master in the rue Lepelletier. When she had taken whatshe considered enough, she called on Léon Pillet, the director of the_Académie_. 

"You have, of course, already heard of my immense success in London, "she announced with an assured air. 

M. Pillet had not heard of it. But this did not matter. As had beenthe case with Lumley before him, Lola's ravishing smile inflamed hissusceptible heart; and he promptly engaged her to dance in the balletthat was to follow Halévy's _Il Lazzarone_, then in active rehearsal. 

Lola's début as a _première danseuse_ was made on March 30, 1844. Itwas not a successful one. Far from it. The fact was, the Parisians, accustomed to the dreamy and sylph-like pirouettings of Cerito andElssler and Taglioni, and their own Adèle Dumilâtre, could notappreciate the vigorous _cachuchas_ and _boleros_ now offered them. When they voiced their disapproval, Lola lost the one thing she couldnever keep--her temper. She made a _moue_ at the audience; and, if deMirecourt is to be trusted, pulled off her garters (a second authoritysays a more intimate item of attire) and flung them with a gesture ofcontempt among the jeering crowd in the first row of stalls. 

As may be imagined, the Press was unsympathetic towards this"demonstration. "

"We will avoid damaging with our strictures, " remarked _LeConstitutionnel_ in its next issue, "a pretty young woman who, beforemaking her début, has obviously not had time to study ourpreferences. "

A much more devastating criticism was published in _Le Journal desDébats_ by Jules Janin. He went out of his way, indeed, to bepositively offensive. Nor did Théophile Gautier, who in his famouswaistcoat of crimson velvet was present on this eventful evening, think very much of the would-be ballerina's efforts to win Paris. 

 Beyond, he wrote, a pair of magnificent dark eyes, Mademoiselle Lola Montez has nothing suggestively Andalusian in her appearance. She talks poor Spanish, scarcely any French, and only tolerable English. The question is, to what country does she really belong? We can affirm that she has small feet and shapely legs. The extent, however, to which these gifts serve her is quite another story. 

 It must be admitted that the public's curiosity aroused by her altercations with the police of the North and her whip-cracking exploits among the Prussian gendarmes has not been satisfied. We imagine that Mademoiselle Lola would do better on horseback than on the stage. 

An odd account, headed: "Singular Début of Lola Montez in Paris, " wassent to New York by an American journalist:

 "When, a few days ago, it was announced that two foreign dancers, Mlle Cerito and Mlle Lola Montez, had just entered the walls of Paris, the triumphs achieved by the Italian ballerina could not eclipse the horse-whipping exploits of Mlle Lola. 'Let us have Lola Montez!' exclaimed the stalls and pit. 'We want to see if her foot is as light as her hand!' Never did they witness a more astounding _entrée_. After her first leap, she stopped short on the tips of her toes, and, by a movement of prodigious rapidity, detached one of her garters from a lissome limb adjacent to her quivering thigh (innocent of _lingerie_) and flung it to the occupants of the front row of the orchestra.... Notwithstanding the effect produced by this piquant eccentricity, Mile Lola has not met with the reception she anticipated; and it has been deemed proper by the management to dispense with her reappearance. "

But to give Lola her _congé_ by word of mouth was a task which M. Pillet did not care to undertake. "So much was the haughty Amazon'sriding-whip dreaded that a letter of dismissal was prudentlydelivered. As a result, bloodshed was avoided; and Mlle Lola hassolaced herself with the reflection that she has been the victim ofthe Machiavellian cabal of Russia, still angry at her routing ofMuscovite gendarmes in Warsaw. "

With reference to the Warsaw episode, the slipshod de Mirecourt saysthat she was dancing there in 1839. At that date, however, she was nonearer Warsaw than Calcutta. None the less, she did go there, but itwas not until she had left Paris after her failure at the AcadémieRoyale. According to herself, the Czar Nicholas, who remembered her inBerlin, invited her to visit St. Petersburg, and, having a month tospare, she accepted a preliminary engagement in the Polish capital. 

This began well enough, for, if her terpsichorean abilities still leftsomething to be desired, the Warsaw critics, ever susceptible tofeminine charms, went into positive raptures about her personalattractions. One of them, indeed, became almost lyrical on thesubject:

"Her soft silken hair, " was this authority's opinion, "falls inluxuriant wealth down her back, its glistening hue rivalling that ofthe raven's wing; on a slender and delicate neck--the whiteness ofwhich eclipses swansdown--is poised a lovely face.... Where theproportions are concerned, Lola's little feet are somewhere betweenthose of a Chinese maiden and those of the daintiest Parisienneimaginable. As for her bewitching calves, they suggest the steps of aJacob's ladder transporting one up to heaven; and her ravishingfigure resembles the Venus of Cnidus, that immortal masterpiecesculptured by the chisel of Praxiteles in the 104th Olympiad. As forher eyes, her very soul is enshrined in their blue depths. "

There was a lot more--several columns more--in a similar strain. 

As was to be expected, such a tribute attracted the attention ofPrince Ivan Paskievich, the Viceroy of Poland. He had a weakness forpretty women; and, after the long succession of lumpy and heavy-footedballerinas occupying the Warsaw stage, this new arrival soundedpromising. When a trusted emissary reported that the critics "had notsaid half what they might, " he resolved to make her acquaintance. Hisfirst step was to send her, through Madam Steinkeller, the wife of abanker, an invitation to have supper with him at his private house. 

Lola, flattered by the invitation, and less clear-headed than usual, was sufficiently trusting to accept. She soon, however, discoveredthat his Excellency's intentions were strictly dishonourable, for hemade her, she afterwards said, "a most indelicate proposition. " Herresponse was to laugh in his face, and to tell him that "she had nowish to become his toy. " Thereupon, Paskievich, furious at such arepulse (and unaccustomed to being thwarted by anyone, must less by aballet-dancer), dismissed her with threats of reprisals. The first ofthese took the form of a visit from Colonel Abrahamowicz, the officialcharged with "preserving morality in the Warsaw theatres. " Heapparently interpreted his responsible functions in a fashion thatleft something to be desired, for Lola complained that "his conductwas so free that I took serious exception to it. "

Paskievich then dealt his next card. This was to instruct hisunderstrapper to fill the theatre with a rabble and have her hissedoff the stage. Lola, however, was equal to the occasion. Advancing tothe footlights, before the terror-stricken manager could stop her, shepointed to Colonel Abrahamowicz, sitting in a box, and exclaimed:"Ladies and gentlemen, there is the dastard who attempts to revengehimself on a pure woman who has scorned his infamous suggestions! Iask your protection!"

Accompanied by M. Lesniowski, the editor of the _Warsaw Gazette_, shereturned to her lodgings, wondering what would happen next. She wassoon to discover, for the angry Colonel and a squad of police arrivedwith a warrant for her arrest as an "undesirable. " When, however, theyannounced their purpose, she flourished a pistol in their faces anddeclared that she would put a bullet through the first of them whocame near her. Realising that she meant what she said, and not anxiousto qualify for cheap martyrdom, Colonel Abrahamowicz was tacticianenough to withdraw. In the meantime, the public, learning what hadhappened, sided with Lola and raised lusty shouts of "Down with theViceroy! Long live the Montez!"

Paskievich, who had crushed with an iron hand the rebellion of 1831, had a short and sharp way with incipient revolutionaries; and, callingout the troops, cleared the streets at the point of the bayonet. Whilethey were thus occupied, Lola slipped off to the French consul andsuggested that he should grant her his protection as a national. Withcharacteristic gallantry, he met her wishes. None the less, she had toleave Warsaw the next morning, under escort to the frontier. 

There were reprisals for a number of those who had taken her part. Thus the manager of the theatre and the editor of the _Warsaw Gazette_were dismissed; M. Steinkeller was imprisoned; and a dozen studentswere publicly flogged. 

"Tranquillity has been restored, " was the official view of thesituation. 

According to Lola herself (not, by the way, a very sound authority)she went straight from Warsaw and the clutches of the lustfulPaskievich to St. Petersburg. Considering, however, that Poland was atthat period under the domination of the Czar, it is highly improbablethat, after her expulsion, she could have set foot in Russia withouta passport. Had she been sufficiently daring to make the experiment, she would assuredly have been clapped into fetters and packed off toSiberia. 

Lola's motto was "courage, and shuffle the cards. " Undeterred by herprevious failure there, she went back to Paris, to try her luck asecond time. 

Luck came to her very soon, for she had scarcely arrived in thecapital when she encountered a young Englishman, Mr. Francis Leigh, anex-officer of the 10th Hussars. Within a week the two were on suchintimate terms that they set up housekeeping together. But the harmonywas shattered abruptly by Lola, who, in a jealous fit, one day fired apistol at her "protector. " As this was more than he could be expectedto stand, Mr. Leigh, deciding that they could not continue livingunder the same roof, severed the relationship. 

III

In 1845 the Paris of Louis-Philippe was, when Lola resumed heracquaintance with it, a pleasant city in which to live. The star ofBaron Haussmann had not yet arisen; and the capital's vulgarisationunder the Second Empire had not then begun. John Bull still gave it awide berth; nor, except for a few stray specimens, were there anyhordes of tourists to gape at the "Froggies. " Everything was cheap;and most things were nice. Paris really was _La ville lumière_. Dullcare had been given its marching orders. All that was required of aman was that he should be witty, and of a woman that she should beentertaining. The world of the boulevards--with its cafés andrestaurants and theatres--was the accepted rallying point of theauthors and poets, the painters and musicians, and the lightstwinkling in the theatrical and journalistic firmaments, the men invelveteen jackets and peg-top trousers, the women in flounced skirtsand shawls and elastic-sided boots. The mode of the moment. 

[Illustration: _Abbé Liszt: Musician and Lover_]

Lola settled down among them, and was given a warm welcome. Amongothers with whom she was soon on friendly terms was the famous (or, perhaps, it would be better to say, notorious) Alphonsine Plessis. TheLady of the Camelias had a large heart and a wide circle; and Liszt, who was also back in Paris, was to be found among the guests attendingher "receptions" at her house on the Boulevard de la Madeleine. Lola, who never cherished rancour, was prepared to let bygones be bygones, and resumed relations with him. But this time they were short lived, for the maestro was already dangling after another charmer, and, aswas his habit, left for Weimar without saying farewell. Lola took hisdefection philosophically. As a matter of fact, she rather welcomedit, for it solved a situation that was fast threatening to becomeawkward. This was that she herself had now formed an intimacy withsomebody else. 

Her new acquaintance was Charles Dujarier, a young man of five andtwenty, and a journalist of some distinction, being part proprietorand feuilleton editor of _La Presse_. Lola met him in the friendlyatmosphere of a Bohemian café, where formal introductions were notinsisted upon. As was the custom in such an atmosphere, the friendshipripened rapidly. Within a week of their first meeting the two set uphousekeeping together in the rue Lafitte. Before long there was talkof marriage. But it did not get beyond talk, for Lola had put her headin the matrimonial noose once--in her opinion, once too often--and shehad no desire to do so a second time. Apart from this consideration, she was probably well aware that her divorce from the philanderingThomas James had never been completed. 

As Dujarier's acknowledged mistress, Lola was accepted without demuras one of themselves by the literary and artistic "set" thronging thecafés and salons they frequented. Gautier and Sue, with Claudin andMéry and Dumas, were those habitués of whom she saw most; andFerdinand Bac (but nobody else) says that she was on intimate termswith the austere M. Guizot. 

Gustave Claudin declared that he met Lola Montez in Paris in thespring of 1841. That she made an impression on him is evident from apassage in his _Souvenirs_:

 Lola Montez was a charmer. There was something--I do not quite know what--about her appearance that was provocative and voluptuous, and which attracted one. She had a white skin, hair suggestive of the tendrils of honeysuckle, and a mouth that could be compared with a pomegranate. Added to this was a ravishing figure, charming feet, and perfect grace. Unfortunately, as a dancer, she had very little talent. 

 Towards the year 1845 the author of these notes saw much of her. She wanted him to write her memoirs, and gave him some material for them.... She was born in Seville in 1823, with a French officer for a godfather and (as is the custom in Spain) the city of Seville for a godmother. The adventures of her life were written out by her in an exercise-book. She told me that, at a ball in Calcutta, she had once refused to waltz with a wealthy gentleman who was so encrusted with diamonds that he resembled a snuff-box. When he asked her the reason for refusing to dance, she replied: "Sir, I cannot dance with you because you have hurt my foot. " The would-be waltzer was a chiropodist!

Writing, as he did, nearly fifty years after the episode to which hethus refers, Claudin's memory was a little shaky. Thus Lola Montez wasborn in Limerick in 1818, not, as he says, at Seville in 1823; norcould Claudin have met her in Paris in the spring of 1841, as she hadnot then left India. 

Dujarier, according to Lola, was much impressed by her politicalacumen, and employed her on "secret service" for the Government, entrusting her as a preliminary with a "mission to St. Petersburg. "The story is an obvious concoction, if merely because Dujarier, beinglittle beyond a penny-a-liner hack, had no power to employ anybody onsuch a task. Still, Lola always stuck to it. Still, it is justpossible that she may have gone to Russia at this period, for Nicholaswas interested in the art of the ballet, and welcomed foreignexponents of Terpsichore from wherever they came. He was a familiarfigure in the green-rooms of his capital. He patronised Taglioni andElssler, and was always ready to make up any deficit in the box-officereceipts. It only meant grinding more out of his army of serfs. 

If she did go from Paris to Russia, Lola did not waste her time there, for, she says, she "nearly married Prince Schulkoski, " whom she hadalready met in Berlin. This, she adds, was "one of the romances of herlife. " But something went wrong with it, for the princely wooer, "while furiously telegraphing kisses three times a day, " wasdiscovered to be enjoying the companionship of another charmer. Lolacould put up with a great deal. There were, however, limits to hertoleration, and this was one of them. First, Tom James; then, GeorgeLennox; and now Prince Schulkoski. Masculine promises were no moresubstantial than pie-crust. Poor Lola was having a sad awakening. Itis not remarkable that she formed the conclusion that men were"deceivers ever. " After such an experience, nothing else was possible. 

Among other items in her repertoire of alleged happenings in Russia atthis period was one that certainly takes a good deal of swallowing. This was that, while having a "private audience" with the Czar himselfand Count Benkendorf (the Chief of the Secret Police), an importantvisitor was announced. Thereupon, and to avoid her presence beingknown to the newcomer, she was locked up in a cupboard and left therefor several hours. When the Czar came back, he was "full of apologiesand insisted that she should accept from him a gift of a thousandroubles. "

Other details follow:

 "A great magnate conquers her at St. Petersburg; Grand Dukes perform their tricks; and Circassian Princes die for her. But soon she has enough of caviare and vodka. What, she wonders, is the good of becoming fuddled with drunkards and wasting valuable time on half-civilized Asiatics?"

No good at all, was Lola's decision. Accordingly, she bade farewell toRussian hospitality, and, relinquishing all prospects of wearing theMuscovite diadem, returned to Paris and Dujarier. Her lover'sinfluence secured her an engagement in _La Biche au Bois_ at the PorteSt. Martin Theatre; but, as had happened at the Académie Royale, shewas a "flop. " The critics said so with no uncertain voice; and themanager announced that he agreed with them. Clearly, then, the balletwas not her _métier_. 

"Well, dancing isn't everything, " said Lola, who always took a reversein philosophical fashion. 

CHAPTER VI

AN "AFFAIR OF HONOUR"

I

The evening of March 7, 1845, was one pregnant with fate whereDujarier was concerned. He had received, and accepted, an invitationto a supper-party at the Frères-Provençaux restaurant, given by MlleAnais Liévenne, a young actress from the Vaudeville company. Among theother _convives_ gathered round the festive board were a quartet ofattractive damsels, Atala Beauchene, Victorine Capon, Cecile John, andAlice Ozy, with, to keep them company, a trio of typical _flâneurs_ inRosemond de Beauvallon (a swarthy Creole from Guadaloupe, withambitions to be considered a novelist), Roger de Beauvoir (a friend ofAlphonse Karr, and whose other claim to distinction was that he hadonce challenged Balzac), and Saint-Agnan (an individual dubbed byjournalists a "man-about-town"). Altogether, a gathering thoroughlyrepresentative of the theatre, the press, the world, and thehalf-world. 

Lola was invited to join the party; but, at Dujarier's specialrequest, she excused herself. If, however, she had gone with him, thetragedy for which the evening was to be responsible might have beenaverted. Still, nobody can look ahead. 

For some time, all went merrily as the proverbial marriage bell. Theladies were not too strait-laced; dull care was banished. Food anddrink without stint; music and lights and laughter; bright eyes andpretty faces. Champagne corks popped; toasts were offered; jests werecracked; and tongues wagged. 

But it did not last. The clouds were gathering; and presently theharmony was interrupted. Dujarier was to blame. Unable to carry hisliquor well, or else, under the spell of her bright eyes, he went sofar as to remark to his hostess: "My dear Anais, figure to yourself, in six months from now you and I will be sleeping together. " Thedamsel's acknowledged cavalier, de Beauvallon, a stickler forpropriety, took this amiss and declared the assertion to beunwarranted. Words followed. Warm words. Mlle Liévenne, however, beinggood-tempered, merely laughed, and peace was restored. 

But the patched-up truce was only a temporary one. Feeling still ranhigh. A few minutes later, de Beauvallon picked another quarrel withDujarier, this time complaining that he had neglected to publish afeuilleton of his, _Mémoires de M. Montholon_, that had been acceptedby him. As was to be expected, the result of pestering the sub-editorat such a moment was to receive the sharp response that he "must waithis turn, and that, in the meantime, there were more important authorsthan himself to be considered. "

With the idea of calming frayed nerves, somebody suggested that theyshould all adjourn for a flutter at lansquenet, then ousting écarté. The proposal was accepted; and, the revellers having settled down, Saint-Agnan, having the best-lined wallet, took the bank. 

Fortune did not smile on Dujarier. The luck seemed against him; and, when the party broke up in the small hours, he was a couple ofthousand francs to the bad. Worse than this, he was unable to settlehis losses until he had borrowed the necessary billets from the headwaiter. As a result, his temper was soured, his nerves on edge. Accordingly, when de Beauvallon was tactless enough to upset himagain, he "answered somewhat abruptly. "

This, however, was not all. The "wine being in, the wit was out. " Awoman's name cropped up, that of a certain Madame Albert, a youngactress in whose affections Dujarier had, before Lola Montez appearedon the scene, been ousted by de Beauvallon. The recollection rankled, and he made some sneering reference to the subject. With an obviouseffort, the other kept his temper and curtly remarking, "You will hearfrom me to-morrow, Monsieur, " left the restaurant. 

II

"It might have been thought, " is the comment of Larousse, "that, withthe fever of the wine abated, these happenings and the recollection ofthe indecorous words accompanying them would, by the next morning, have been forgotten. "

But they were not forgotten. They were remembered. On the followingafternoon, while Dujarier was in his office, lamenting the fact thathe had made such a fool of himself, and wondering how he was toexplain matters to Lola, two visitors were announced. One of them wasthe Comte de Flers and the other was the Vicomte d'Ecquevillez. Withceremonious bows, they stated the purport of their call. This was thatthey represented de Beauvallon, who "demanded satisfaction for theinsults he had received from M. Dujarier. "

The quarrel, however, was really one between two rival papers, _LaPresse_ and _Le Globe_, which had long been at daggers drawn. Granierde Cassagnac, the editor of _Le Globe_, was the brother-in-law of deBeauvallon, and Emile de Girardin, the proprietor of _La Presse_, hadsystematically held him up to ridicule in his columns. Hence, when thenews of the restaurant fracas leaked out among the café gossipers, theresult was that everybody said: "il n'y eut qu'une voix pour dire'c'est le _Globe_ qui veut se battre avec la _Presse_. '"

Dujarier, who had no stomach for fighting--except with his pen--wouldhave backed out if he could. But he could not. Things had already gonetoo far. Accordingly, he referred the visitors to his friends, ArthurBertrand (a god-son of the Emperor) and Charles de Boignes, and thenhurried off to consult them himself. 

"Pistols for two and coffee for one, " was their decision when theyheard what he had to tell them. There was, they were emphatic, noother way by which he could satisfy his "honour. " The code demandedit. 

Clutching at a straw, Dujarier next sought counsel of Alexandre Dumas. 

"I don't know why I am fighting, " he said. 

If it came to that, Dumas shared his ignorance. Still, he insistedthat a "meeting" was inevitable. 

This was the case. For a Frenchman to refuse to "go out"--no matterwhat his reason--would be to incur social ignominy. He would be lookedupon as a pariah; not a hand would be offered him; and he would havebundles of white feathers showered upon him by his formeracquaintances. 

It was all very ridiculous. Still, it must be remembered that "theperiod was one when journalists aped fine gentlemen, and killedthemselves for nothing. " Ferdinand Bac declares that this practice was"largely the fault of Dumas, who, in his romances, would describelovely women throwing themselves between the combatants to effecttheir reconciliation. "

Since a meeting could be a serious affair, the seconds were naturallyanxious to protect themselves. Accordingly, the four of them, puttingtheir heads together, drew up a document which, in the event ofuntoward consequences occurring, would, they felt, absolve them ofresponsibility:

"We, the undersigned, state that, as the result of a disagreement, M. De Beauvallon has provoked M. Dujarier in a fashion that makes itimpossible for him to refuse an encounter. We ourselves have done allwe can to reconcile these gentlemen; and it is only at M. DeBeauvallon's urgent demand that we are proceeding in the matter. "

As the challenged party, Dujarier had the choice of weapons. Theprivilege, however, was not worth much to him. He had never handledcold steel, while his adversary was an expert fencer, and he was alsosuch a poor marksman that he could not have made sure of hitting ahaystack at twenty yards. Still, he reflected that, although deBeauvallon was unlikely to miss him with a rapier, he might possiblydo so with a bullet. Accordingly, he elected for pistols. 

When Dujarier came back to her that evening, Lola, with womanlyintuition, saw that some trouble had befallen him. Under pressure, headmitted that he was about to fight a duel for which he had nostomach. At the same time, however, he led her to believe that hisadversary was de Beauvoir, and not de Beauvallon. 

Having thus calmed her fears, for she knew that de Beauvoir was nomore a fire-eater than was he himself, he went off to have anotherconsultation with his seconds. 

"I shall not be back until late, " he said, "as I am supping withDumas. You must not stop up for me. "

Instead, however, of returning that night, Dujarier, feeling that hecould not face Lola and tell her the truth, stopped with one of hisseconds. There he wrote and sealed a couple of letters, charging deBoignes to "deliver them if required by circumstances. " The first wasto his mother:

 If this letter reaches you, it will be because I shall be dead or else dangerously wounded. To-morrow morning I am going out to fight with pistols. My position requires it; and, as a man of honour, I accept the challenge. If you, my good mother, should have cause to weep, it is better that you should shed tears for a son worthy of yourself than to shed them for a coward. I go to the combat in the spirit of a man who is calm and sure of himself. Justice is on my side. 

A more difficult, although less flamboyant, letter to write was thesecond one, for its recipient would be the woman who had given him herheart: and was even then anxiously awaiting his return:

 MY EVER DEAREST LOLA:

 I want to explain why it was I slept by myself and did not come to you this morning. It is because I have to fight a duel. All my calmness is required, and seeing you would have upset me. By two o'clock this afternoon everything will be over. 

 A thousand fond farewells to the dear little girl I love so much, and the thoughts of whom will be with me for ever. 

Having written his letters, he proceeded to draw up his will. Thisdocument left, among specific bequests to his mother and sister, certain shares that he held in the Palais Royal to Lola Montez. 

III

The date of the meeting was March 11, and the rendezvous was a retiredspot in the Bois de Boulogne. A bitterly cold morning, with snow onthe ground and heavy clouds in a leaden sky. As the clock struck theappointed hour, Dujarier, accompanied by his seconds, and M. De Guise, a medical man, drove up in a cab. They were the first to arrive. 

After waiting for more than an hour, Dujarier was in such a nervouscondition that his seconds declared he would be justified in leavingthe field, since his adversary had not kept the appointment. Instead, however, of jumping at the chance, he took a swig at a flask ofcognac. The potent spirit gave him some measure of Dutch courage, andhis teeth stopped chattering. 

"I will fight, " he announced grandiloquently. "I am a Frenchman, andmy honour is very dear to me. "

It was to be put to the test, for a few minutes later de Beauvallonand his seconds arrived, with a tardy apology. 

On behalf of their principal, Dujarier's seconds then made a lastappeal for an amicable settlement. It was coldly received; and theywere told that "the insult offered was too serious to be wiped out bywords. " There being nothing else for it, the preliminaries werediscussed, the conditions of the combat being that the adversariesshould stand thirty paces apart, advance six paces, and then fire. 

The pistols were furnished by d'Ecquevillez, and it had been expresslystipulated that his principal should not have handled them until thatmoment. When, however, Bertrand examined the pair, he remarked that, since the barrels were blackened and still warm to the touch, it wasobvious that somebody had already practised with them. As, however, d'Ecquevillez swore that they had not been tried by de Beauvallon, theprotest was withdrawn. 

The distance being measured and the adversaries placed in position, the seconds stepped aside. Then, at a signal, the word was given. Thefirst to fire was Dujarier. He was, however, so agitated that he senta bullet wide of the mark. De Beauvallon, on the other hand, wasperfectly cool and collected. He lifted his weapon and aimed with suchdeliberate care that de Boignes, unable to restrain himself, calledout excitedly: "_Mais, tirez donc, Monsieur!_" With a nod, deBeauvallon pressed the trigger. There was an answering flash and areport; and, as the smoke drifted away, Dujarier reeled and fell, blood gushing from his mouth and nostrils. 

When Dr. De Guise examined him, he looked grave. He saw at once thatthe injury was serious. As a matter of fact, Dujarier was dead beforethey returned to Paris. 

As the cab reached the house in the rue Lafitte, Lola, waiting therein an agony of suspense, heard the rumble of wheels. Rushingdownstairs, she stepped back with a cry of terror, for three men werecarrying a heavy burden into the hall. Instinctively, she realisedthat the worst had happened, that her suspense was at an end. 

"Mademoiselle, we have ill tidings for you, " said de Boignes. 

"I know it, " said Lola. "Dujarier is killed. I felt sure this wouldhappen. You should not have let him fight. "

The funeral of Dujarier, which took place a couple of days later inthe cemetery at Montmartre, was attended by characteristic pomp. Thevelvet pall above his coffin was held by Balzac, Dumas, and JosephMéry, and a flowery "oration" delivered at the graveside by Emile deGirardin:

 "Whether it endure but a single day, or be deep and prolonged, Man's sorrow is always barren and profitless. It cannot restore to a disconsolate mother, bemoaning her untimely loss, the son for whom she weeps, or give him back to his friends.... Let the words written by Dujarier: 'I am about to fight a duel for the most absurd and futile of causes, ' never be effaced from our memory. Farewell, Dujarier! Rest in peace! Let us carry away from the graveside the hope that the recollection of so lamentable an end will last long enough to shield others from a similar one. Let all mothers--still astounded and trembling--derive some measure of confidence from this hope, and pray to God for poor Dujarier with all the fervour of their souls!"

As may be imagined, talk followed. A vast amount of talk, in thenewspapers and elsewhere. "The topic was discussed, " one reads, "atthe royal table itself by the family of Louis-Philippe; and QueenAmelie and Aunt Adelaide stigmatised the conduct of this wicked hussy, Lola Montez, in severe terms. "

IV

After such an experience, Lola felt that she had had enough of Francefor a time. Accordingly, she went back to Germany. There she resumedrelations with Liszt, who took her to a second Beethoven Festival atBonn. While allowance could be made for the artistic temperament, thiswas considered to be straining it, and caustic remarks on the subjectappeared in the press. 

During the absence of Lola from Paris, the relatives of Dujarier hadnot been idle. Unpleasant whispers were heard that the dead man hadnot fallen in a fair fight; and that the fatal bullet had come from aweapon with which his adversary had already practised. As this wascontrary to the conditions of the encounter, the arm of the lawreached out, and de Beauvallon and his seconds were called upon for anexplanation. The one they furnished to them was deemed adequate by theauthorities. Still, if "honour was satisfied, " the friends of deBeauvallon's victim were not. Accordingly, they set to work, and, pulling fresh strings, managed to get the official decision upset. 

[Illustration: _Fanny Elssler. Predecessor of Lola Montez in Paris_]

An article on the subject that appeared in _Le Droit_ took a severetone:

"The grounds alleged to be responsible for this deplorable business, "declared an editorial, "were utterly frivolous. As a result, thepublic prosecutor has instructed an examining-magistrate to enquireinto all the circumstances, and an autopsy will be held. It ispossible that other measures will be adopted. "

Other measures _were_ adopted. 

"All duels, " was the austere comment of the examining-magistrate whoconducted the enquiry, "are marked by folly, and some by deliberatebaseness. " Where this one was concerned, he hinted at somethingsinister, and asked pointed questions about the pistols thatd'Ecquevillez had been obliging enough to furnish. The answer was thatthey belonged to M. De Cassignac, who, for his part, declared that, until the actual day of the meeting, they had been in the custody ofthe gunsmith from whom he had bought them. The gunsmith, however, M. Devismes, said that this was not the case; and another witnessdeclared that he had seen de Beauvallon having a little surreptitiouspractice with them in the garden. 

The next thing that happened was that, before the magisterial enquirywas finished, de Beauvallon and d'Ecquevillez made a hurried departurefrom Paris. During their absence, it was decided to abandon furtherproceedings for want of evidence. Thinking himself safe, de Beauvallonthen returned. But he was not safe. The Supreme Court cancelled thedecision of the inferior one, and announced that he was to stand histrial for murder. 

As public feeling ran high, and it was felt that an impartial jurycould not have been secured in Paris, the trial was held at Rouen. Thedate was March 26, 1846. Attracted by the special circumstances ofthe case, the court was crowded. 

"Nearly all those who were present, " says Claudin, "belonged to theworld of the boulevards. " Albert Vandam was among the spectators; andwith him for a companion was a much more distinguished person, GustaveFlaubert. 

V

All being in readiness, and the stage set for the drama that was aboutto be unfolded, the judges, in the traditional red robes, took theirseats, with M. Letendre de Tourville as president of the Court. M. Salveton, the public prosecutor, and M. Rieff, the advocate-general, represented the Government; and Mâitre Berryer and M. Léon Duvalappeared respectively on behalf of the accused and the dead man'smother and sister. 

As it had been suggested that de Beauvallon had purposely arrived lateon the ground, in order to have some preliminary practice, he was toldto give an account of his movements of the morning of the duel. 

"I got up at seven o'clock, " he said, "and went downstairs with thepistols which had been waiting for me at the concierge's when Ireturned home on the previous evening. "

"The concierge remembers nothing of that, " interrupted M. Duval. "Thisis a fresh fact. We must certainly consider it. What happened next?"

"I went off in a cab to M. D'Ecquevillez, and handed the pistols tohim. At half-past ten I returned home, to wait for my seconds. Wearrived on the ground at half-past eleven. M. De Boignes received uscoldly, with his hands in his pockets, and said: 'You do well to keepus waiting like this for you. Name of God! this isn't a summermorning. We think there is not sufficient motive to fight a duel. ' Ianswered frigidly, but politely, that I did not agree with him, andthat I was in the hands of my seconds. "

"But one of them, M. De Flers, " remarked the President, "thought thequarrel trifling and said so. Another thing. Why did M. D'Ecquevilleztell us that the pistols belonged to him? Remember, he has given usdetails as to where he got them. "

"I ignore details, " was the lofty response. 

"If you do, we don't, " returned the judge. 

A vigorous denial was made by de Beauvallon to the suggestion that hewas familiar with the pistols used in the duel. To convince the jurythat he was not to be believed, the opposing counsel then told themthat he had once pawned a watch belonging to somebody else. When thejudge expressed himself shocked at such depravity, de Beauvallon, saysa report, "hung his head and wept. "

Nor did d'Ecquevillez, the other defendant, cut a very happy figure. His real name was said to be Vincent, and aspersions were cast on hisright to dub himself a "Count. " He swore he had never admitted thatthe pistols belonged to him, and that de Beauvallon had borrowed themfrom the gunsmith, Desvismes. The latter, however, calling on heavenfor support, declared the statement to be a "wicked invention. "

Believing in the efficacy of numbers in getting up their case, forty-six witnesses were assembled by the prosecution. Mlle Lièvenne, the first of them to be examined, brought with her an atmosphere ofthe theatre, "adopting a flashy costume, in deplorably bad taste. ""This, " says a chronicler, "took the form of a blue velvet dress, ascarlet shawl, and a pearl-grey mantle. " Altogether, a strikingcolour-scheme. But it did not help her. To the indignation of theexamining-counsel, she affected to remember nothing, declaring thatshe had been "too busy at the supper-table, looking after thecompany. "

The other young women, described as "more or less actresses, " who hadalso been present, appeared to be suffering from a similar loss ofmemory. Their minds, they protested, were absolutely blank as to whathad happened at the restaurant and very little could be extractedfrom them. When they had given their evidence, they looked for seatsin the body of the court. The Rouen ladies, however, having somewhatrigid standards, would not permit them to sit between the wind andtheir propriety. 

"Things are coming to a pretty pass, " they declared, "whenplay-actresses imagine they can sit beside respectable women likeourselves. "

Thereupon, the discomfited damsels withdrew to the hard benches of thepublic gallery. 

Dumas, subpoenaed as a witness, drove all the way from Paris in afour-horsed carriage, with Méry as a travelling companion. When hetook his place on the stand, M. De Tourville, affecting judicialignorance, enquired his profession. 

"If, " returned the other, striking an attitude, "I did not here happento find myself in the country of the illustrious Corneille, I shouldcall myself a dramatist. "

"Just so, " was the caustic response, "but there are degrees amongdramatists. "

Taking this for encouragement, Dumas launched out into a disquisitionon the history of the duello through the ages that was nearly as longas one of his own serials. In the middle of it, a member of the jury, anxious to be in the limelight, asked him a question. 

"How does it happen, " he enquired, "that Dujarier, who considered thata man of fashion must fight at least one duel, had never preparedhimself by learning to shoot and fence?"

"I cannot tell you, " was the reply. "My son, however, told me that heonce accompanied him to a shooting-gallery. Out of twenty shots, heonly hit the target twice. "

Dumas made an exit as dramatic as his entry. 

"I beg, " he said, "that the honourable Court will permit me to returnto Paris, where I have a new tragedy in five acts being performed thisevening. "

Lola Montez, garbed in heavy mourning, was the next summoned to giveevidence. 

"When, " says one who was there, "she lifted her veil and removed herglove, to take the prescribed oath, a murmur of admiration ran throughthe gathering. " To this an impressed reporter adds: "Her lovely eyesappeared to the judges of a deeper black than her lace ruffles. "

The presiding judge had no qualms about enquiring her age; and she hadnone about lopping five years off it and declaring that she was justtwenty-one. Nor did she advance any objection to being described, withGallic candour, as the "mistress of Dujarier. "

During her evidence, Lola Montez, probably coached by Dumas, did justwhat was expected of her. Thus, she shed abundant tears, struckpathetic attitudes, and several times looked on the point ofcollapsing. But what she had to say amounted to very little. In fact, it was nothing more than an assertion that ill-feeling existed betweenDujarier and de Cassagnac, the brother-in-law of de Beauvallon, andthat the quarrel was connected with an alleged debt. 

Dujarier, she said, had forbidden her to make de Beauvallon'sacquaintance, or to attend the supper at the restaurant. He hadreturned from it in an excited condition at 6 o'clock the next morningand told her that he would have to accept a challenge. 

"I was troubled about it, " she said, "all day long. But for M. Bertrand's assurance that the encounter was to be with M. De Beauvoir, I would have gone to the police. You see, de Beauvoir was ahigh-minded gentleman, and would not have condescended to profit fromthe poor Dujarier's lack of skill. "

"Did you not, " enquired counsel, "say 'I am a woman of courage, and, if the meeting is in order, I will not stop it'?"

"Yes, but that was because I understood it was to be with de Beauvoir, and he would not willingly have harmed Dujarier. When I heard it wasto be with de Beauvallon I exclaimed, 'My God! Dujarier is as good asdead!'"

"I myself, " she added, "could handle a pistol more accurately than thepoor Dujarier; and, if he had wanted satisfaction, I should have beenquite willing to have gone out with M. De Beauvallon myself. "

A murmur of applause met this assurance. Lola's attitude appealed tothe spectators. She was clearly a woman of spirit. 

During the proceedings that followed some sharp things were said aboutM. Granier de Cassagnac, the accused's brother-in-law. Some of themwere so bitter that at last he protested. 

"Monsieur le President, " he exclaimed hotly. "I cannot bear theseabominable attacks on myself any longer. "

"If you can't bear them, you can always leave the court, " was theresponse. 

"This gentleman's indignation does not disturb me in the least, " saidthe public prosecutor. "I have already had experience of it, and Iconsider it to be artificial. "

VI

After all the witnesses had been examined and cross-examined, andbullied and threatened in the approved fashion, Mâitre Duval addressedthe jury on behalf of the dead man's relatives. In the course of thishe delivered a powerful speech, full of passion and invective, drawinga parallel between this _affaire d'honneur_ and the historic onebetween Alceste and Oronte in Molière's drama. According to him, Dujarier was a shining exemplar, while de Beauvallon was anunmitigated scoundrel, with a "past" of the worst descriptionimaginable. Having once, years earlier, pledged a watch that did notbelong to him, he had "no right to challenge anybody, much less adistinguished man of letters, such as the noble Dujarier. " The variouscauses of the quarrel were discussed next. Counsel thought very littleof them. 

De Beauvallon had complained that Dujarier had "cut" him. "Is it anoffence, " enquired M. Duval, "for one man to avoid another? Upon myword, M. De Beauvallon will have to kill a number of people if hewants to kill all those who decline the honour of his companionship. "As for the gambling quarrel, this was not serious. What, however, wasserious was that, on the morning of the encounter, de Beauvallon hadgone to a shooting gallery and had some private practice with the verypistols that were afterwards used. This gave him an unfair advantage. "If, " was the advocate's final effort to win a verdict, "M. DeBeauvallon is acquitted, the result will be not only a victory for animproperly conducted duel, but the very custom of the duel itself willbe dishonoured by such a decision. "

Léon Duval having sat down, the President turned to the defendant'scounsel. 

"The word is with you, M. Berryer, " he said. 

Mâitre Berryer, a master of forensic oratory, began his address bycontending that duelling was not prohibited by the law of France. Insupport he quoted Guizot's dictum: "Where the barbarian murders, theFrenchman seeks honourable combat; legislation on the subject isprofitless; and this must be the case, since the duel is thecomplement of modern civilization. "

The judges were unprepared to accept this view off-hand; and, afterconsulting with the assessors, the President insisted that, whateverM. Berryer might say, duelling was illegal in France. Although he didnot tell him so, it was also quite as illegal in England, where LordCardigan had, a little earlier, only just wriggled out of a convictionfor taking part in one by a combination of false swearing and thesubservience of his brother peers. 

Not in the least upset, M. Berryer advanced another point. As mighthave been expected of so accomplished an advocate, he had littledifficulty in demolishing the elaborate, but specious and unsupported, hypothesis built up by the other side. Hard facts did more with thestolid and unimaginative Rouen jury than did picturesque embroideries. 

"Is the accusation true?" demanded the President. 

"On my honour and on my conscience, before God and before man, "announced the foreman, "the declaration of the jury is that it is nottrue. "

As a result of this finding, de Beauvallon was acquitted of the chargeof murder. But he did not escape without penalty, for he was orderedto pay 20, 000 francs "compensation" to the mother and Dujarier'srelatives. 

"He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. " Convincedthat there had been a miscarriage of justice and a vast amount offalse swearing, the dead man's friends set to work to collect otherevidence. By a stroke of luck, they got into touch with a gardener, who said that he had seen de Beauvallon, in company withd'Ecquevillez, having some surreptitious pistol practice on themorning of the duel. Thereupon, the pair of them were rearrested andtried for perjury. Being convicted, d'Ecquevillez was sentenced to tenyears' imprisonment and de Beauvallon to eight years. But neithercouple stopped in durance very long. The revolution of 1848 opened thedoors of the Conciergerie and they made good their escape, the one ofthem to Spain, and the other to his Creole relatives in Guadeloupe. 

CHAPTER VII

"HOOKING A PRINCE"

I

Immediately after the Rouen trial, Lola left France, returning oncemore to Germany. Perhaps the Irish strain in her blood made her alittle superstitious. At any rate, just before starting, she consulteda clairvoyante. She felt that she had her money's worth, for the Sibyldeclared that she would "exercise much influence on a monarch and thedestiny of a kingdom. " A long shot, and, as it happened, quite a soundone. 

Her intention being, as she had candidly informed Dumas, to "hook aprince, " she studied the _Almanach de Gotha_, and familiarised herselfwith the positions and revenues of the various "notables" accordedniches therein. 

Germany was obviously the best field to exploit, for that country justthen was full of princes. As a matter of fact there were no less thanthirty-six of them waiting to be "hooked. " The first place to whichshe went on this errand was Baden, where, according to Ferdinand Bac, she "bewitched the future Emperor William I. The Prince, however, being warned of her syren spell, presently smiled and passed on. "

Better luck befell the wanderer at her next attempt to establishintimate contact with a member of the _hoch geboren_, Henry LXXII. Hisprincipality, Reuss-Lobenstein-Ebersdorf (afterwards amalgamated withThuringia), had the longest name, but the smallest area, of any in thekingdom, for it was only about the size of a pocket-handkerchief. Butto Lola this was of no great consequence. What, however, was ofconsequence was that he was a millionaire (in thalers) and possessedan inflammable heart. 

A great stickler for etiquette, he once published the following noticein his _Court Gazette_:

"For twenty years it has been my express injunction that everyofficial shall always be alluded to by his correct title. Thisinjunction, however, has not always been obeyed. In future, therefore, I shall impose a fine of one thaler on any member of my staff whoneglects to refer to another by his proper title or description. "

But that the Prince could unbend on occasion is revealed by anothernotification to his subjects:

"His Most Serene Highness and All-Highest Self has graciouslycondescended to approve the conduct of those six members of the Reussmilitia who recently assisted to put out a fire. With his ownAll-Highest hand he is (on production of a satisfactory birthcertificate) even prepared to shake that of the oldest among them. "

Risking a prosecution for _lèse-majesté_, a local laureate describedthe incident in stirring verse. An extract from this effort, translated by Professor J. G. Legge, in his _Rhyme and Revolution inGermany_, is as follows:

 HONOUR TO WHOM HONOUR IS DUE

 Quite recently in Reuss Militia at a fire (I'm sure it will rejoice you) Great credit did acquire. 

 When this, through a memorial, Their gracious Prince by Right Had learned; those territorials He to him did invite. 

 And when the good men shyly Stood up before him, each His Gracious Highness highly Praised in a Gracious speech. 

 A solemn affidavit (With parents' names and date) Each then produced and gave it --His birth certificate. 

 His Highness then demanded The eldest of the band, And clasped that horny-handed With his All-Highest hand. 

 Now, this great deed recorded, Who would not dwell for choice Where heroes are rewarded As in the land of Reuss?

Where Lola was concerned, she very soon put a match to theinflammable, if arrogant, heart of Prince Henry, and, as a result, was"commanded" to accompany him to his miniature court at Ebersdorf. Shedid not, however, stop there very long, for, by her imperious attitudeand contempt of etiquette, she disturbed the petty officials andbourgeois citizens surrounding it to such a degree that they madeformal complaints to his High-and-Mightiness. At first he would nothear a word on the subject. Such was his favourite's position thatcriticism of her actions was perilously near _lèse-majesté_ andincurred reprisals. As soon, however, as the amorous princelingdiscovered that his bank balance was being depleted considerablybeyond the amount for which he had budgeted, he suffered a suddenspasm of virtue and issued marching-orders to the "Fair Impure, " ashis shocked and strait-laced Ebersdorfians dubbed the intruder amongthem. There was also some suggestion, advanced by a gardener, that shehad a habit of taking a short cut across the princely flower-beds whenshe was in a hurry. This was the last straw. 

"Leave my kingdom at once, " exclaimed the furious Henry. "You arenothing but a feminine devil!"

Not in the least discomfited by this change of opinion, Lola ripostedby presenting a lengthy and detailed account for "services rendered";and, when it had been met (and not before), shook the dust ofReuss-Lobenstein-Ebersdorf from her pretty feet. 

"You can keep your Thuringia, " was her parting-shot. "I wouldn't haveit as a gift. "

The next places at which she halted were Homburg and Carlsbad, tworesorts then beginning to become popular and attracting a wealthycrowd seeking a promised "cure" for their various ills. But, findingthe barons apt to be close-fisted, and the smart young lieutenantswithout one _pfennig_ in their pockets to rub against another, Lolawas soon continuing her travels. 

In September, 1846, she found herself in Wurtemburg, where, much toher annoyance, she discovered that a certain Amalia Stubenrauch, aprepossessing damsel, who would now be called a gold-digger, hadconquered the spare affections of King William, on whom Lola herselfhad designs. But that large-hearted monarch had, as it happened, fewaffections to spare for anybody just then, for, when she encounteredhim at Stuttgart, he was on the point of being married to PrincessOlga of Russia. A correspondent of the _Athenæum_, who was there tochronicle the wedding festivities for his paper, registereddisapproval at her presence in the district. "From the capital ofWurtemburg, " he announced sourly, "Lola Montez departed in the_schnellpost_ for Munich, unimpeded by any luggage. " Somebody else, however (perhaps a more careful observer), is emphatic that she "wentoff with three carts full of trunks. " As she always had a considerablewardrobe, this is quite possible. 

II

When, at the suggestion of Baron Maltitz (a Homburg acquaintance whohad suggested that she should "try her luck in Munich"), Lola set offfor Bavaria, that country was ruled by Ludwig I. A god-child ofMarie-Antoinette, and the son of Prince Max Joseph of Zweibrucken andPrincess Augusta of Hesse-Darmstadt, he was born at Salzburg in 1786and had succeeded his father in 1825. As a young man, he had servedwith the Bavarian troops under Napoleon, and detesting the experience, had conceived a hatred of everything military. This hatred was sostrongly developed that he would not permit his sons to wear uniform. Under his regime the military estimates were cut down to the bone. Thearmy, he said, was a "waste of money, " and he grudged every _pfennig_it cost the annual budget. He did his best to abolish conscription, but had to abandon the effort. For all, too, that he was a god-son ofMarie-Antoinette, he had no love for France. 

[Illustration: _Porte St. Martin Theatre, Paris, where Lola was a"flop"_]

Ludwig's sister, Louisa, exchanging her religion for a consort'scrown, was the wife of the Czar Alexander I; and he himself wasmarried to the Princess Theresa of Saxe-Hildburghausen, a ladydescribed as "plain, but exemplary. " Still, so far as personalappearance goes, Ludwig himself was no Adonis. Nestitz, indeed, haspictured him as "having a toothless jaw and an expressionlesscountenance. " But his consort did her duty; and, at approvedintervals, presented him with a quiverful of four sons and threedaughters. Of his sons, one of them, Otto, was, as a lad of sixteen, selected by the Congress of London to be King of Greece, much to thefury of the Czar Nicholas, who held that this was a cunning, ifdiplomatic, attempt to set up a Byzantine empire among the Hellenes. "Were I, " he said in a despatch on the subject, "to give mycountenance to such a step, I should nullify myself in the eyes of myChurch. " Nesselrode, however, was of another opinion. "It isunbecoming, " he was daring enough to inform his master, "for theEmperor of Russia to question a step upon which the Greeks themselvesare not in entire accord. " A remarkable utterance. Politicians hadgone to Siberia for less. Palmerston, too, had his way, and Otto, escorted by a warship, left his fatherland. On arriving in Athens, thejoy-bells rang out and the columns of the Parthenon were flood-lit. But the choice was not to the popular taste; and it was not longbefore Otto was extinguished, as well as the lights. By the irony offate, he returned to Munich on the very day that Ludwig had erected aDoric arch to commemorate the activities of the House of Wittelsbachin securing the Liberation of Greece. 

Despite this untoward happening, Ludwig remained an ardentPhil-Hellene; and, as such, conceived the idea of converting hiscapital into a mixture of Athens and Florence and a metropolis of allthe arts. Under his fostering care, Munich was brought to bed of asuccession of temples and columns, and sprouted pillars and porticoesin every direction. The slums and alleys and huddle of houses in theold enceinte were swept away, and replaced by broad boulevards, fringed with museums and churches and picture galleries. For many ofthe principal public buildings he went to good models. Thus, one ofthem, the Königsbau, was copied from the Pitti Palace; a second fromthe Loggia de' Lanzi; and a third from St. Paul's at Rome. He alsobuilt a Walhalla, at Ratisbon, in which to preserve the effigies ofhis more distinguished countrymen. Yet, although it ran to size, therewas no niche in it for Luther. 

In his patronage of the fine arts, Ludwig followed in the footsteps ofthe Medici. During his regime, he did much to raise the standard oftaste among his subjects. Martin Wagner and von Hallerstein werecommissioned by him to travel in Greece and Italy and secure choicesculpture and pictures for his galleries and museums. The best of themfound a home in the Glyptothek and the Pinakothek, two enormousbuildings in the Doric style, the cost of which he met from his privypurse. Another of his hobbies was to play the Maecenas; and anybudding author or artist who came to him with a manuscript in hispocket or a canvas under his arm was certain of a welcome. 

We all have our little weaknesses. That of Ludwig of Bavaria was thathe was a poet. He was so sure of this that he not only produced yardsof turgid verse, defying every law of construction and metre, but heeven had some of it printed. A volume of selections from his Muse, entitled _Walhalla's Genossen_, was published for him by Baron Cotta, and, like the Indian shawls of Queen Victoria, did regular duty as awedding-gift. One effort was dedicated "To Myself as King, " andanother "To my Sister, the Empress of Austria"; and a number of choiceextracts were translated and appeared in an English guide-book. 

Ignoring the divinity that should have hedged their author, Heine wasvery caustic about this royal assault upon Parnassus. Ludwig ripostedby banishing him from the capital. Still, if he disapproved of thisone, he added to his library the output of other bards, notnecessarily German. But, while Browning was there, Tennyson had noplace on his shelves. One, however, was found for Martin Tupper. 

Ludwig cultivated friendly relations with England, and did all hecould (within limits) to promote an _entente_. Thus, on the occasionof a chance visit to Munich by Lord Combermere, he "sent thedistinguished traveller a message to the effect that a horse andsaddlery, with aide-de-camp complete, were at his service. " Hiscompanion, however, a member of the Foreign Office Staff, who hadforgotten to pack his uniform--or in John Bull fashion had declined todo so--did not fare so well, since his name was struck off the list of"eligibles" to attend the palace functions. Thereupon, says LordCombermere, he "wrote an angry letter to the chamberlain, commentingon the absurdity of the restriction. "

But Ludwig's opinion of diplomatists was also somewhat unflattering, for, of a certain embassy visited by him on his travels, he wrote:

 "A Theatre once--and now an Ambassador's dwelling. Still, thou are what thou wast--the abode of deception. "

A strange mixture of Henry IV and Haroun-al-Raschid, Ludwig of Bavariawas a man of contradictions. At one moment he was lavishly generous;at another, incredibly mean. He could be an autocrat to his fingertips, and insist on the observance of the most minute points ofetiquette; and he could also be as democratic as anybody who everwaved a red flag. Thus, he would often walk through the streets as aprivate citizen, and without an escort. Yet, when he did so, heinsisted on being recognised and having compliments paid him. Thetraffic had to be held up and hats doffed at his approach. 

Nowadays, he would probably have been clapped into a museum as acuriosity. 

Such, then, was the monarch whose path was to be crossed, withhistoric and unexpected consequences to each of them, by Lola Montez. 

III

On arriving in Munich, Lola called on the manager of the Hof Theatre. As this individual already knew of her Paris fiasco, instead of anengagement from him, she met with a rebuff. Quite undisturbed, however, by such an experience, she hurried off to the palace, andcommanded the astonished door-keeper to take her straight to the King. 

The flunkey referred her to Count Rechberg, the aide-de-camp on duty. With him Lola had more success. Boldness conquered where bashfulnesswould have failed. After a single swift glance, Count Rechberg decidedthat the applicant was eligible for admission to the "Presence, " andreported the fact to his master. 

But Ludwig already knew something of the candidate for terpsichoreanhonours. As it happened, that very morning he had received from HerrFrays, the director of the Hof Theatre, a letter, telling him that, onthe advice of his _première-danseuse_, Fräulein Frenzal, he hadrefused to give her an engagement. Count Rechberg's florid descriptionof her charms, however, decided His Majesty to use his own judgment. But he did not give in easily. 

"Is it suggested, " he demanded acidly, "that I should receive allthese would-be ballerinas and put them through their paces? They comehere by the dozen. Why am I troubled with such nonsense?"

"Sire, " returned Rechberg, greatly daring, but with Lola's magnetismstill upon him, "you will not regret it. I assure you this one is anexception. She is delightful. That is the only word for it. Never haveI seen anybody to equal her. Such grace, such charm, such ----"

"Pooh!" interrupted Ludwig, cutting short the threatened rhapsodies, "your swan is probably a goose. Most of them are. Still, now thatshe's here, let her come in. If she isn't any good, I'll soon send herabout her business. "

Brave words, but they availed him nothing. Ludwig shot one glance atthe woman who stood before him, and capitulated utterly. 

A sudden thrill passed through him. His sixty years fell away in aflash. A river of blood surged through his sexagenarian arteries. Hisboast recoiled upon himself. Rechberg had not deceived him. 

"What has happened to me?" he muttered feebly. "I am bewitched. " Then, as the newcomer stood smiling at him in all her warm loveliness, hefound his tongue. 

"Mademoiselle, you say you can dance. Well, let me see what you cando. Count Rechberg, you may leave us. "

"Do I dance here, in this room, Your Majesty?"

"Certainly. "

Lola wanted nothing better. The opportunity for which she had beenplanning and scheming ever since she left Paris had come at last. Well, she would make the most of it. Not in the least perturbed thatthere was no accompaniment, and no audience but His Majesty, sheexecuted a _pas seul_ there and then. It was a "royal performance, "and eminently successful. Her feet tripped lightly across the polishedfloor, and danced their way straight into Ludwig's heart. 

"You shall dance before the public, " he announced. "I will myself giveorders to the director of the Hof Theatre. "

Luise von Kobell, when a schoolgirl, encountered her by chance justafter her arrival, and thus records the impression she received:

 As I was walking in the Briennerstrasse, not far from the Bayersdorf Palace, I saw a veiled lady, wearing a black gown and carrying a fan, coming towards me. Something flashed across my vision, and I suddenly stood still, completely dazzled by the eyes into which I stared, and which shone from a pale countenance that lit up with a laughing expression at my bewilderment. Then she swept past me; and I, forgetting what my governess had said about looking round, stared after her until she disappeared.... "That, " said my father, when I reached home and recounted my adventure, "must have been Lola Montez, the Spanish dancer. "

The next evening little Fräulein von Kobell saw her again at the HofTheatre, where her first appearance before the Munich public was madeon October 10, 1846. 

 Lola Montez assumed the centre of the stage. She was not dressed in the customary tights and short skirts of a ballerina, but in a Spanish costume of silk and lace, in which shone at intervals a diamond. It seemed as if fire darted from her wonderful blue eyes, and she bowed like one of the Graces at the King in the royal box. She danced after the manner of her country, bending on her hips and alternating one posture with another, each rivalling the former one in beauty. 

 While she was dancing she held the attention of all; everybody's eyes followed her sinuous movements, now indicative of glowing passion, now of frolicsomeness. Not until she ceased her rhythmic swayings was the spell interrupted. The audience went mad with rapture, and the entire dance had to be repeated over and over again. 

Ludwig, ensconced in the royal box, could not take his eyes off her. During an _entr'acte_ he scribbled a verse:

 Happy movements, clear and near, Are in thy living grace. Supple and tender, as a deer Art thou, of Andalusian race!

"_Wunderschön!_" declared an admiring aide-de-camp to whom he showedit. 

"_Kolossal!_" echoed a second, not to be outdone in recognisinglaureateship. 

As, however, the cheers were mingled with a few hisses ("due to thereport that the newcomer was an English Freemason, and wanted todestroy the Catholic religion"), the next evening the management tookthe precaution of filling the pit with a leather-lunged andhorny-handed _claque_. This time the bill consisted of a comedy, _DerWeiberseind von Benedix_, followed by a cachucha and a fandango withHerr Opsermann for a dancing-partner. 

Lola's success was assured; and Herr Frays, who had started byrefusing to let her appear, was now full of grovelling apologies. Heoffered her a contract. But Lola, having other ideas as to how hertime should be employed in Munich, would not accept it. 

"Thank you for nothing, " she said. "When I asked you for anengagement, you told me I was not good enough to dance in yourtheatre. Well, I have now proved to both Fräulein Frenzal and yourselfthat I am. That is all I care about, and I shall not dance again, either for you or for anybody else. "

If she had known enough German, she would probably have added: "Putthat in your pipe and smoke it!"

Munich in those days must have proved attractive to people with smallincomes. Thus, Edward Wilberforce, who spent some years there, saysthat meat was fivepence a pound, beer twopence-halfpenny a quart, andservants' wages eight shillings a month. But there were drawbacks. 

"The city, " says an English guide-book of this period, "has thereputation of being a very dissolute capital. " Yet it swarmed withchurches. The police, too, exercised a strict watch upon the hotelregisters; and, as a result of their activities, a "French visitor wasseparated from his feminine companion on grounds of public morality. "

"None of your Parisian looseness for us!" said the City Fathers. 

But Lola appears to have avoided any such rigid censorship. At anyrate, a certain Auguste Papon (a mixture of pimp and _souteneur_), whom she had met in Paris, happened to be in Munich at the same timeas herself. The intimacy was revived; and, as he did not possess theentrée to the Court, for some weeks they lived together at the HotelMaulich. In the spring of 1847 a young Guardsman found himself in thetown, on his way back to England from Kissengen. He records that, notknowing who she was, he sat next Lola Montez at dinner one evening, and gives an instance of her quick temper. "On the floor between us, "he says, "was an ice-pail, with a bottle of champagne. A suddenquarrel occurred with her neighbour, a Bavarian lieutenant; and, applying her foot to the bucket, she sent it flying the length of theroom. "

IV

Lola certainly made the running. Five days after she first met him, Ludwig summoned all the officials of the Court, and astonished (andshocked) them by introducing her with the remark: "Gentlemen, I havethe honour to present to you my best friend. See to it that you accordher every possible respect. " He also compelled his long sufferingspouse to admit her to the Order of the Chanoines of St. Thérèse, adistinction for which--considering her somewhat lurid "past"--this newrecipient was scarcely eligible. 

When he heard that instructions had been issued for paying specialcompliments to her, Mr. _Punch_ registered severe disapproval. 

"It is a good joke, " he remarked, "to call upon others to uphold thedignity of one who is always at some freak or other to lower herself. "

When she first sailed in dramatic fashion into the orbit of Bavaria'ssovereign, Lola Montez was just twenty-seven. In the full noontide ofher beauty and allurement, she was well equipped with what the modernjargon calls sex-appeal. Big-bosomed and with generously swellingcurves, "her form, " says Eduard Fuchs, "was provocation incarnate. "Fuchs, who was an expert on the subject of feminine attractions, knewwhat he was talking about. "Shameless and impudent, " adds Heinrich vonTreitschke, "and as insatiable in her voluptuous desires as Sempronia, she could converse with charm among friends; manage mettlesome horses;sing in thrilling fashion; and recite amorous poems in Spanish. TheKing, an admirer of feminine beauty, yielded to her magic. It was asif she had given him a love philtre. For her he forgot himself; heforgot the world; and he even forgot his royal dignity. "

The fact that Lola always wore a Byronic collar helped the theory, held by many, that she was a daughter of the poet. But her real reasonfor adopting the style was that she had a lovely neck, and this set itoff to the best advantage. She studied the art of dress and gave it animmense amount of care. Where this matter was concerned, no trouble orcare was too much. Her favourite material was velvet, which sheconsidered--and quite justifiably--to exercise an erotic effect on menof a certain age. She was insistent, too, that the contours of herfigure ("her quivering thighs and all the demesnes adjacent thereto")should be clearly revealed, and in a distinctly provocative fashion. This, of course, was not far removed from exhibitionism. As a result, bourgeois opinion was outraged. The wives of the petty officialsshopping in the Marienplatz shuddered, and clutched their ample skirtswhen they saw her; anxious mothers instructed dumpy Fräuleins "not tolook like the foreign woman. " There is no authoritative record thatany of them did so. 

CHAPTER VIII

LUDWIG THE LOVER

I

Lola Montez had done better than "hook a prince. " A lot better. Shehad now "hooked" a sovereign. Her ripe warm beauty sent the thin bloodcoursing afresh through Ludwig's sluggish veins. There it wrought amiracle. He was turned sixty, but he felt sixteen. 

The conversation of Robert Burns is said to have "swept a duchess offher feet. " Perhaps it did. But that of Lola Montez had a similareffect on a monarch. Under the magic of her spell, this one becamerejuvenated. The years were stripped from him; he was once more a boy. With his charmer beside him, he would wander through the NymphenburgWoods and under the elms in the Englischer Garten, telling her of hisdreams and fancies. His passion for Greece was forgotten. Pericles wasnow Romeo. 

 _In dem Suden ist die Liebe, Da ist Licht und da ist Glut!_

that is, In the south there is love, There is light and there is heat, sang Ludwig. 

Yet Lola Montez was not by any means the first who ever burst into theresponsive heart of Ludwig I. She had many predecessors there. One ofthem was an Italian syren. But that Lola soon ousted her is clear froma poetical effort of which the royal troubadour was delivered. Thisbegins:

 _Tropfen der Seligkeit und ein Meer von bitteren Leiden Die Italienerin gab--Seligkeit, Seligkeit nur Lässest Du mich entzündend, begeistert, befändig empfinden, In der Spanierin fand Liebe und Leben ich nur!_

A free rendering of this passionate heart throb would read very muchas follows:

 Drops of bliss and a sea of bitter sorrow The Italian woman gave me. Bliss, only bliss, Thou gav'st my enraptured heart and soul and spirit. In the Spanish woman alone have I found Love and Life!

Ludwig had a prettier name for his inamorata than the "feminine devil"of Henry LXXII of Reuss. He called her the "Lovely Andalusian" and the"Woman of Spain. " She also inspired him to fresh poetic flights. Oneof these ran:

 Thine eyes are blue as heavenly vaults Touched by the balmy air; And like the raven's plumage is Thy dark and glistening hair!

There were several more verses. 

A feature of the Residenz Palace was a collection of old masters. Wanting to add a young mistress, Ludwig allotted a place of honouramong them to a portrait of Lola Montez, from the brush of JosefStieler. The work was well done, for the artist was inspired by hissubject; and he painted her wearing a costume of black velvet, with atouch of colour added by red carnations in her head-dress. 

Ludwig's heart being large, _Die Schönheitengalerie_ (as the "Galleryof Beauties" was called) filled two separate rooms. The onequalification for securing a niche on the walls being a pretty face, the collection included the Princess Alexandra of Bavaria (daughter ofthe King of Greece), the Archduchess Sophie of Austria, and theBaroness de Krüdener (catalogued as the "spiritual sister" of the CzarAlexander I), a popular actress, Charlotte Hagen, a ballet-dancer, Antoinette Wallinger, and the daughters of the Court butcher and themunicipal town-crier. To these were added a quartet of Englishwomen, in Lady Milbanke (the wife of the British Minister), LadyEllenborough, Lady Jane Erskine, and Lady Teresa Spence. It was tothis gallery that Ludwig was accustomed to retire for a couple ofhours every evening, to "meditate" on the charms of its occupants. Being, however, possessed of generous instincts, and always ready(within limits) to share his good things, the public were admitted onSunday afternoons. 

But Ludwig could scratch, as well as purr. On one occasion he chancedto meet a lady who had figured among the occupants of the_Schönheiten_. She was considerably past the first flush of youth, andLudwig, exercising his prerogative, affected not to remember her. 

"But, Sire, " she protested, "I used to be in your gallery. "

"That, madame, " was the response, "must have been a very long timeago. You would certainly not be there now. "

II

From her modest hotel, where, soon tiring of his society, she leftAuguste Papon to stay by himself, Lola took up fresh quarters in asmall villa which the King had placed at her disposal in theTheresienstrasse, a boulevard conveniently near the Hofgarten and thePalace. While comfortable enough, it was held to be merely a temporaryarrangement. There was not enough room in it for Lola to expand herwings. She wanted to establish a _salon_ and to give receptions. Accordingly, she demanded something more suitable. It meant spendingmoney, and Ludwig had already, he reflected, spent a great deal on herwhims and fancies. Still, under pressure, he came round, and, agreeingthat there must be a fitting nest for his love-bird (with a perch init for himself), he summoned his architect, Metzger, and instructedhim to build one in the more fashionable Barerstrasse. 

"No expense is to be spared, " he said. 

None was spared. 

[Illustration: _Supper-Party at Les Frères Provençaux. First act in aTragedy_]

The new dwelling, which adjoined the Karolinen Platz, was really abijou palace, modelled on the Italian style. Everything in it was ofthe best, for Ludwig had cash and Lola had taste. Thus, her toilet-setwas of silver ware; her china and glass came from Dresden: the roomswere filled with costly nicknacks; mirrors and cabinets and vases andbronzes; richly-bound books on the shelves; and valuable tapestriesand pictures on the walls. French elegance, added to Munich art, witha touch of solid English comfort in the shape of easy chairs andcouches. 

To check a playful habit that the Munich mob had of throwing bricksthrough them, when they had drunk more beer than they could carry, thewindows were fitted with iron grilles. As a further precaution, amounted officer always accompanied the Barerstrasse châtelaine whenshe was driving in public, and sentries stood at the door, to keep thecurious at a respectful distance. 

A description of the Barerstrasse nest was sent to London by aprivileged journalist who had inspected it:

"The style of luxury in which Lola Montez lives here passes allbounds. Nothing to equal it has been met with in Munich. It mightalmost be an Aladdin's palace! The walls of her bed-chamber are hungwith guipure and costly satin. The furniture is of Louis XV era, andthe mantelpiece is of valuable Sèvres porcelain. The garden is filledwith rare flowers, and the carriages and horses in the stables are thewonder and envy of the honest burghers. "

"The Queen herself could not be better housed, " said Lola delightedly, when she saw all the luxuries of which she was now the mistress. 

"You are my Queen, " declared Ludwig fondly. 

While Lola, to please her patron, grappled with the intricacies of theGerman tongue, Ludwig, to please his charmer, took lessons from her inSpanish. She still stuck to her Andalusian upbringing, and is said(but the report lacks confirmation) to have introduced him to àKempis. This, however, is probably a misprint for Don Quixote. Nonethe less, her inspiration was such that her pupil could write:

 Thou dost not wound thy lover with heartless tricks; Nor dost thou play with him wantonly. Thou art not for self; thy nature is generous and kind. My beloved! Thou art munificent and unchanging. 

 * * * * *

 "Give me happiness!" I begged with fierce longing. And happiness I received from thee, thou Woman of Spain!

Notwithstanding the suggestion implied by this assurance, Lola alwaysinsisted that her relations with the King were purely platonic. Whilethis view is a little difficult to accept, it is significant thatLudwig's lawful spouse never objected to their "friendship. " HerMajesty, however, was of a placid temperament. Perhaps, too, shethought that the fancy would not endure. If so, she was wrong, for, with the passage of time, the newcomer was obviously consolidating herposition. "Lola Montez, of horse-whipping notoriety, " remarked ajournalist, "appears to be increasing in favour at the Court ofBavaria. The Queen calls her 'My dear, ' and the ladies consider ittheir duty to caress the one who has all the world of Munich at herfeet. "

During the summer, Ludwig, divesting himself of the cares of state, retired to his castle at Bruckenau, picturesquely situated in theFulda Forest; and Lola, attended by a squadron of Cuirassiers, accompanied him to this retreat. There, as in the Nymphenburg Park, Ludwig dreamed dreams, while Lola amused herself with the officers ofthe escort. Halcyon days--and nights. They inspired His Majesty withyet another "poem":

 SONG OF WALHALLA

 Through the holy dome, oh come, Brothers, let us roam along; Let from thousand throats the hum Rise, like rivers, swift and strong!

 When the notes have died away Let us clasp each other's hand; And, to high Heaven, let us pray For our dearest Fatherland!

While she accorded it full value, Lola Montez did not depend on merebeauty for her power. She had a markedly sadistic vein in hercomposition; and, when annoyed, was not above laying about her rightand left with a dog-whip that she always carried. An impudent lackeywould be flogged into submission, or set upon by a fierce mastiff thatshe kept at her heels. High office, too, meant nothing to her. Sheboxed the ears of Baron Pechman; and, because he chanced to upset her, she encouraged her four-coated companion to tear the best trousers ofProfessor Lasaulx, the nephew of Görrez, a Cabinet Minister. 

Her English bulldog (with apparently a strain of Presbyterian blood inhim) had an unerring scent for Jesuits. He seemed to disapprove oftheir principles as much as his mistress did, and would attack them atsight. This animal would also appear to have been something of aprohibitionist. At any rate, he once bit a brewer's carman, deliveringgoods to a _bierkeller_. When the victim expostulated, Lola struck himwith her whip. This infuriated the crowd to such an extent that shehad to take refuge in a shop. There she happened to jostle alieutenant, who, not recognising her, ventured on a protest. The nextmorning he received a challenge from a fire-eating comrade, allegingthat he had "insulted a lady. " Because the challenge was refused, a"court of honour" had him deprived of his commission. 

III

What a distressed commentator has dubbed the "equivocal position" ofLola Montez at Munich also stuck in the gullet of the Cabinet, andheads were shaken. Public affronts were offered her. When she visitedthe Odéon Theatre, the stalls adjoining the one she occupied werepromptly emptied. "Respectable women drew back, exhibiting on theircountenances disgust and terror. " But the masculine members of theaudience were less exclusive, or perhaps made of sterner material, forthey displayed eagerness to fill up the vacant stalls. "A new chivalrywas born, " says a chronicler of town gossip, "and paladins wereanxious to act as a buckler. "

With the passage of time the infatuation of the Wittelsbach Lovelacebecame so marked that it could not be ignored in places beyond Munich. The Countess Bernstorff grew seriously perturbed. "There has long beentalk, " she confided to a friend, "as to whether King Ludwig would sofar presume on the kindness and indulgence of the Queen of Prussia asto bring Lola Montez to Court during Her Majesty's forthcoming stay inMunich. " The problem, however, was solved by the tactful action ofLola herself, who gave the palace a wide berth until the visit hadcome to an end. 

In his _Memoirs of Madam Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt_ shocked horror issimilarly expressed by Canon Scott Holland at the possibility of theSwedish Nightingale, who was arranging to give a concert there, encountering Lola in her audience:

 The time fixed for this visit to Munich was, in one respect, most unpropitious; and, for a young artist, unsupported by powerful moral protection, the visit itself might well have proved extremely unpleasant. It was impossible to sing at Court, for the reigning spirit in the household of King Ludwig I was the notorious Lola Montez, who was then at the climax of her ill-gotten power. To have been brought into contact with such a person would have been intolerable. An invitation to Court would have rendered such contact inevitable. 

But if Jenny Lind adopted a lofty attitude and refused to fulfil anengagement in the Bavarian capital, lest she should have chanced torub shoulders with Ludwig's mistress, other visitors did not sharethese qualms. They arrived in battalions, and evinced nodisinclination to make her acquaintance. "To the shame of thearistocracy and the arts, " says a rigid commentator, "every day therewere to be found at the feet of this Cyprian intruder a throng ofprinces and philosophers, authors and painters, and sculptors andmusicians. "

Fresh tactics to get her out of Munich were then adopted. When, however, somebody remarked that Ludwig was old enough to be hergrandfather, she sent him away with a flea in his ear. 

"It is ridiculous to talk like that, " she said. "My Ludwig's heart isyoung. If you knew the strength of his passion, you would not credithim with being more than twenty!"

As for Ludwig himself he was bombarded with anonymous letters andwarnings, calling Lola by every evil name that occurred to thewriters. She was La Pompadour and the Sempronia of Sallust in one, a"voluptuous woman, " and a "flame of desire. " There were also tearfulprotests from the higher clergy, who, headed by ArchbishopDiepenbrock, were positive that the "dancing woman" was an emissary ofSatan (sometimes they said of Lord Palmerston) sent from England todestroy the Catholic religion in Bavaria. 

Ludwig was curt with His Grace. "You stick to your _stola_, " he said, "and let me stick to my Lola. "

A soft answer, perhaps; but not a very satisfactory one. 

"It is all very well for kings to have mistresses, " was the opinion ofthe more broad-minded, "but they should select them from their owncountrywomen. This one is a foreigner. Why should our hard-earnedmoney be lavished on her?" The grievance was, as it happened, wellfounded, for Lola was drawing 20, 000 marks a year, wrung from thepockets of the tax-payers. 

Baron Pechman, the Chief of Police, had a bad reception when hesuggested that the populace might get out of control. 

"If you can't manage the mob, " said Ludwig, turning on him furiously, "I'll get someone who can. A change of air may do you good. "

The next morning the discomfited Baron Pechman found himself _dégommé_and a successor appointed to his office. 

The intrigue was too openly conducted to be "hushed up. " Word of whatwas happening in Munich soon filtered through to Vienna. QueenCaroline-Augusta, Ludwig's sister, shook her head. "Alas, " she sighed, "my wretched brother is always bringing fresh shame on me. " She wrotehim letters of tearful protest. They were ignored. She protested byword of mouth. Ludwig, in unbrotherly fashion, told her to "mind herown business. " Caroline's next move was to take clerical counsel. "These creatures are always venal, " said the Jesuits. "They only carefor cash. " An emissary was accordingly despatched to the Barerstrassemansion, to convey an offer. Unfortunately, however, he had notadvanced beyond "_Gnädige Frau, erlauben_, " when he himselfcapitulated to Lola's charms, and returned to the Hofburg, his taskunaccomplished. Still, he must have made out some sort of story tosave his face, for the Princess Mélanie wrote: "Our good Senfft hascome back. He was unable to speak to Lola Montez. The poor country ofBavaria is in a sad condition, which gets worse every day. "

The least disturbed individual appeared to be Queen Thérèse. Herattitude was one of placidity itself. But perhaps she was, by thistime, accustomed to the dalliance of her Ludwig along the primrosepath. Also, she probably knew by experience that it was not thesmallest use making a fuss. The milk was spilled. To cry over it nowwould be a wasted effort. 

The King's favourite was good "copy" for the Bavarian press; and theMunich journals were filled with accounts of her activities. Not inthe least upset by their uncomplimentary references to himself, Ludwiginstructed his librarian, Herr Lichenthaler, to collect all thepasquinades, lampoons, squibs, and caricatures (many of them far fromflattering, and others verging on the indecent) that appeared and havethem sumptuously bound. It was not long before enough had beenassembled to fill half a dozen volumes. His idea was "to preserve forposterity all this mountain of mud, as a witness of Bavaria's shame. "That somebody else was responsible for the "shame" did not occur tohim. 

A choice specimen among the collection was one entitled _Lola Montez, oder Des Mench gehört dem Könige_ ("Lola Montez, or the Wench whobelongs to the King"). There was also a scurrilous, and distinctlyblasphemous, broadsheet, purporting to be Lola's private version ofthe Lord's Prayer:

 "Our Father, in whom throughout my life, I have never yet had much belief, all's well with me. Hallowed be thy name--so far as I am concerned. Thy kingdom come, that is, my bags of gold, my polished diamonds, and my unpolished Alemannia. Thy will be done, if thou wilt destroy my enemies. Give me this day champagne and truffles and pheasant, and all else that is delectable, for I have a very good appetite.... Lead me not into temptation to return to this country, for, even if I were bullet-proof, I might be arrested, clapped into a cage, and six francs charged for a peep at me. Amen!"

IV

Those were the days when gentlemen (at any rate, Bavarians) did notnecessarily prefer blondes. Lola's raven locks were much more to theirtaste. If she were not a success in the ballet, she was certainly onein the boudoir. Of a hospitable and gregarious disposition, she keptwhat amounted to open house in her Barerstrasse villa. Every morningshe held an informal levée there, at which any stranger who sent inhis card was welcome to call and pay his respects; and in theevenings, when she was not dancing attendance on Ludwig at the Palace, the Barerstrasse reception would be followed by a soirée. Thesegatherings attracted--in addition to a throng of artists and authorsand musicians--professors and scholars from all over Europe; and, asGertrude Aretz remarks, in her admirable study, _The Elegant Woman_(with considerable reference to this one): "the best intellects of hercentury helped to draw her victorious chariot. " The uncultured mob, however, dubbed her a "Fair Impire" and a "Light o' Love, " and flungeven stronger and still more uncomplimentary epithets. Their subject, however, received them with a laugh. The shopkeepers, with an eye tobusiness, embellished their wares with her portrait; and theUniversity students, headed by Fritz Peissner, serenaded her in frontof her windows. 

 _Lolita schön, wie Salamoni's Weiber. Welch 'suszer Reis flog über dich dahin!_

they sang in rousing chorus. 

Among the students engaged in amassing light and learning at theUniversity of Munich, there were a number of foreigners. One of themwas a young American, Charles Godfrey Leland ("Hans Breitmann"), whohad gone there, he says, to "study æsthetics. " But this did not takeup all his time, for, during the intervals of attending classes, hemanaged to see something of Lola Montez. "I must, " he says, "have hada great moral influence on her, for, so far as I am aware, I am theonly friend she ever had at whom she never threw a plate or a book, orattacked with a dagger, poker, broom, or other deadly weapon.... Ialways had a strange and great respect for her singular talents. Therewere few, indeed, if any there, were, who really knew the depths ofthat wild Irish soul. "

In another passage Leland offers further details: "The great, thetremendous, celebrity at that time in Munich was also an opera dancer, though not on the stage. This was Lola Montez, the King's lastfavourite.... She wished to run the whole kingdom and government, kickout the Jesuits, and kick up the devil, generally speaking. 

"One of her most intimate friends was wont to tell her that she and Ihad many very strange characteristics in common, which we shared withno one else, while we differed utterly in other respects. It was verylike both of us, for Lola, when defending the existence of the soulagainst an atheist, to tumble over a great trunk of books of the mostvaried kind, till she came to an old vellum-bound copy of _Apuleius_, and proceed to establish her views according to his subtleneo-Platonism. But she romanced and embroidered so much inconversation that she did not get credit for what she really knew. "

Well, if it comes to that, Leland for his part was not above"romancing" and "embroidering. " His books are full of these qualities. "Marvels, " says a biographer, "fill his descriptions of student lifeat Munich. Interesting people figure in his reminiscences.... Prominent among them was Lola Montez, the King's favourite of the day, cordially hated by all Munich for an interference in public affairs, hardly to be expected from the 'very small, pale, and thin or _frèle_little person with beautiful blue eyes and curly black hair' who flitsacross the pages of the Memoirs. "

If this were Leland's real opinion of Lola's appearance, he must haveformed it after drinking too much of the Munich beer of which he wasso fond. He seems to have drunk a good deal at times, as he admits inone passage: "after the dinner and wine, I drank twelve _schoppens_. "A dozen imperial pints would take some swallowing, and not leave thememory unclouded as to subsequent events. 

V

Despite the alleged Spanish blood in her veins, Lola (with, perhaps, some dim stirring of memory for the far-off Montrose chapter) declaredherself a staunch Protestant, and, like her pet bull dog, disavowedthe Jesuits and all their works. Hence, she supported the LiberalGovernment; and, as an earnest of her intentions, started operationsby attempting to establish contact with von Abel, the head of theUltramontane Ministry. He, however, affecting to be hurt at the baresuggestion, would have nothing to do with the "Scarlet Woman, " as hedid not scruple to call her. Following his example, the clerical pressredoubled their attacks. As a result, Lola decided to form anopposition and to have a party of her own. For this purpose sheturned to some of the younger students, among whom she had aparticular admirer in one Fritz Peissner. In response to her smiles, he, together with Count Hirschberg and a number of his friends, embodied themselves in a special corps, pledged to act as herbodyguard. Its members elected to be known as the Alemannia, andinvited her to accept the position of _Ehren-Schwester_ ("honorarysister"). Lola was quite agreeable, and reciprocated by setting aparta room in her villa where the swash-bucklers could meet. Not to beoutdone in paying compliments, the Alemannia planted a tree in hergarden on Christmas Day. Their distinguishing badge (which would nowprobably be a black shirt) was a red cap. As was inevitable, they werevery soon at daggers drawn with the representatives of the otherUniversity Corps, who, having long-established traditions, looked uponthe newcomers as upstarts, and fights between them were constantlyoccurring when they met in public. Altogether, Ludwig had reason toregret his action in transferring the University from its originalsetting at Landshut. On the other hand, Councillor Berks, a thick andthin champion of Lola (and not above taking her lap-dogs for an airingin the Hofgarten), supported the Alemannia, declaring them to be "anexample to corrupt youth. " Prince Leiningen retaliated by referring tohim as "that wretched substitute for a minister, commonly held bypublic opinion in the deepest contempt. "

The origin of the Alemannia was a little curious. Two members of thePalatia Corps happened one afternoon, while peering through thewindows of the Barerstrasse mansion, to see Lola entertaining a coupleof their fellow-members. This they held to be "an affront to thehonour of the Palatia, " and the offenders, glorying in their conduct, were expelled by the committee. Thereupon, they joined with FritzPeissner when he was thinking of establishing a fresh corps. 

In her new position, Lola did not forget her old friends. Feeling hersituation with Ludwig secure, she wrote to Liszt, offering him "thehighest order that Bavaria could grant. " He declined the suggestion, and sent word of her doings to Madame d'Agoult:

 Apropos of this too celebrated Anglo-Spanish woman, have you heard that King Louis of Bavaria has demanded the sacrifice of her theatrical career? and that he is keeping her at Munich (where he has bought her a house) in the quality of a favourite Sultanah?

Later on, he returned to the subject:

 I have been specially pleased with a couple of allusions to Lola and this poor Mariette; but, to be perfectly candid--and being afraid that you would find the subject a little indecorous--I began to reproach myself for having mentioned it to you in my last letter from Czernowitz. 

 In speaking of Lola, you tell me that you defend her (which I do also, but not for the same reasons) because she stands for progress. Then, a page further on, in resuming the subject at Vienna, you find me very young to still believe in justice, not realising that, in this little circle of ideas and things, I represent in Europe a progressive and intelligent movement. "Alas! Who represents anything in Europe to-day?" you enquire with Bossuet. 

 Well, then, Lola stands for the nineteenth century, and Daniel Stern stands for the woman of the ninth century; and, were it not for having contributed to the representation of others, I too shall finish by representing something else, by means of the 25, 000 francs of income it will be necessary for me to end up by securing. 

CHAPTER IX

"MAÎTRESSE DU ROI"

I

The role for which Lola cast herself was that of La Pompadour to theLouis XV of Ludwig I. She had been a coryphée. Now she was acourtesan. History was repeating itself. Like an Agnes Sorel or a JaneShore before her, she held in Munich the semi-official and quiteopenly acknowledged position of the King's mistress. It is said of herthat she was so proud of the title and all it implied, that she wouldadd "Maîtresse du Roi" to her signature when communicating withunderstrappers at the palace. Ludwig, however, thought this going toofar, and peremptorily forbade the practice. Lola gave way. Perhaps theonly time on record. In return, however, she advanced a somewhatembarrassing demand. 

"My position as a king's favourite, " she said, "entitles me to theservices of a confessor and a private chapel. "

Ludwig was quite agreeable, and instructed Count Reisach, theUltramontane Archbishop of Munich, to select a priest for thisresponsible office. His Grace, however, reported that all the clergyin a body had protested to him that, "fearing for their virtue, theycould not conscientiously accept the post. "

Disappointed at the rebuff, Lola herself then applied to Dr. Windischmann, the Vicar-General, telling him that if he wouldundertake the office she would reciprocate by securing him abishopric. This dignitary, however, was not to be tempted. "Madame, "he said, "my confessional is in the Church of Notre-Dame; and you canalways go there when you want to accuse yourself of any of thenumerous sins you have committed. "

Nor would His Eminence, the Primate of Poland, give any help. All hewould do was to get into his carriage and set off to expostulate withthe King. But it was a wasted effort, for Ludwig insisted that hisrelations with the conscience-stricken postulant were "nothing morethan platonic. " Thereupon, "the superior clergy announced that thedesigns of Providence were indeed inscrutable to mere mortals, butthey trusted that His Majesty would at any rate change his mistress. "Ludwig, however, brooking no interference with his amours, refused todo anything of the kind. 

"What are you thinking about?" he stormed. "How dare you hint that Iam the man to roll myself in the mud of the gutter? My feelings forthis lady are of the most lofty and high-minded description. If youdrive me to extremes, heaven alone knows what will happen!"

His Eminence met the outburst by whispering in the ear of the Bishopof Augsburg that the King was "possessed. " As for the Bishop ofAugsburg, he "wept every day. " A leaky prelate. 

"It is a paradox, " was the expert opinion of Archbishop Diepenbrock, "that the more shameful she is, the more beautiful is a courtesan. " A"Day of Humiliation, " with a special prayer composed by himself, washis suggestion for mending matters; and Madame von Krüdener, not to beoutdone in coming to the rescue, preached the necessity of "publicpenance. " Thus taken to task, Ludwig solemnly declared in writing thathe had "never exacted the last favours" from Lola Montez, andfurnished the entire episcopal bench with a copy of this declaration. 

"That only makes his folly the greater, " was the caustic comment ofCanitz, who was not to be deluded by eye-wash of this description. 

With the passage of time, Lola's influence at the Palace grewstronger. Before long, it became abundantly clear to the Ministry thatshe was the real channel of approach to the King and, in fact, hispolitical Egeria. "During that period, " says T. Everett Harré, "whenshe was known throughout the world as the 'Uncrowned Queen ofBavaria, ' Lola Montez wielded a power perhaps enjoyed by no womansince the Empress Theodora, the circus mime and courtesan, was raisedto imperial estate by the Emperor Justinian. " Well aware of this fact, and much as they objected to it, the Cabinet, headed by von Abel, began by attempting to win her to their side. When they failed, theyput their thick heads together, and, announcing that she was anemissary of Palmerston--just as La Paiva was credited with being inBismarck's employ--they hinted that her room was preferable to hercompany. The hints having no effect, other measures were adopted. Thus, Ludwig's sister offered her a handsome sum (for the second time)to leave the country, and Metternich improved on it; the Bishop ofAugsburg, drying his tears, composed another and longer specialprayer; the Cabinet threatened to resign; and caricatures andscurrilous paragraphs once more appeared in Munich journals. But allto no purpose. Lola refused to budge. Nothing could shake her resolve, _J'y suis, j'y reste_, might well have been her motto. 

"I will leave Bavaria, " she said, "when it suits me, and not before. "

II

For ten years Ludwig had been under the thumb of the Ultramontanes andthe clerical ministry of Carl von Abel. He was getting more than alittle tired of the combination. The advance of Lola Montez widenedthe breach. To get rid of him, accordingly, he offered von Abel theappointment of Bavarian Minister at Brussels. The offer, however, wasnot accepted. Asked for his reason, von Abel said that he "wanted tostop where he was and keep an eye on things. "

[Illustration: _Residenz Palace, Munich, in 1848. Residence of LudwigI_]

At this date Bavaria was Catholic to a man--and a woman--and theUltramontanes held the reins of government. While one would havebeen enough, they professed to have two grievances. One was the"political poison" of the Liberal opposition; and the other was the"moral perversion" of the King. In March matters came to a crisis. Anumber of University professors, headed by the rigid Lasaulx, held anindignation meeting in support of the Ultramontane Cabinet and "theirefforts to espouse the cause of good morals. " This activity on thepart of a secular body was resented by the clergy, who considered thatthey, and not the University, were the official custodians of thepublic's "morals. " But if it upset the clergy, it upset Ludwig stillmore; and, to mark his displeasure, he summarily dismissed four of thelecturers he himself had appointed. As the general body of studentssided with them, they "demonstrated" in front of the house of LolaMontez, whom they held responsible. 

What began as a very ordinary disturbance soon developed intosomething serious. Tempers ran high; brickbats were thrown, andwindows smashed; there were collisions with the police, whoendeavoured to arrest the ringleaders; and finally the Karolinen Platzhad to be cleared by a squadron of Cuirassiers. The Alemannia, joiningarms, forced a passage through which Lola managed to slip to safetyand reach the gates of the Residenz. But it was, as she said, "a nearthing. "

The crowd relieved their feelings by breaking a few more windows; anda couple of Alemannia, detached from their comrades, were ducked inthe Isar. 

"_Vivat, Lola!_" bellowed one contingent. 

"_Pereat, Lola!_" bellowed the opposition. 

Accounts of the disturbance filtered through to England. There theyattracted much attention and acid criticism. 

"A lady, " remarked the _Examiner_, "has overthrown the Holy Allianceof Southern Germany. Lola Montez, whose affecting testimony during thetrial of those who killed Dujarier in a duel cannot but be remembered, was driven by that catastrophe to seek her fortunes in other realms. Chance brought her to Munich, the Sovereign of which capital hasdivided his time between poetry and the arts, gallantry and devotion. "

"What Paphian cestus, " was another sour comment, "does Lola wind roundthe blade of her poniard? We all remember how much the respectableJuno was indebted to the bewitching girdle of a less regular fair one, but the properties of that talisman are still undescribed. "

The _Thunderer_, in its capacity as a European watch-dog, had its eyeon Ludwig and his dalliance along the primrose path. Disapproval wasregistered. "The King of Bavaria, " solemnly announced a leadingarticle, "has entirely forgotten the duties and dignities of hisposition. "

Freiherr zu Canitz, however, who had succeeded von Bülow as Ministerfor Foreign Affairs, looked upon Ludwig's lapse with more indulgence. "It is not, " he wrote from the Wilhelmstrasse, "the first time by anymeans that kings have chosen to live with dancers. While such conductis not, perhaps, strictly laudable, we can disregard it if it beaccompanied by a certain measure of decorum. Still, a combination ofruler-ship and dalliance with a vagrant charmer is a phenomenon thatis as much out of place as is an attempt to govern a country bywriting sonnets. "

Availing herself of what was then, as now, looked upon as a naturalsafety-valve, Lola herself wrote to the _Times_, giving her ownversion of these happenings:

 I left Paris in June last on a professional trip; and, among other arrangements, decided upon visiting Munich where, for the first time, I had the honour of appearing before His Majesty and receiving from him marks of appreciation, which is not a very unusual thing for a professional person to receive at a foreign Court. 

 I had not been here a week before I discovered that there was a plot existing in the town to get me out of it, and that the party was the Jesuit Party.... When they saw that I was not likely to leave them, they tried what bribery would do; and actually offered me 50, 000 fcs. A year if I would quit Bavaria and promise never to return. This, as you may imagine, opened my eyes; and, as I indignantly refused their offer, they have since not left a stone unturned to get rid of me.... Within this last week a Jesuit professor of philosophy at the university here, named Lasaulx, was removed. Thereupon, the party paid and hired a mob to insult me and break the windows of my house. 

 ... Knowing that your columns are always open to protect anyone unjustly accused, and more especially when that one is an unprotected female, makes me rely upon you for the insertion of this; and I have the honour to subscribe myself, your obliged servant, LOLA MONTEZ. 

A couple of weeks later Printing House Square was favoured with asecond epistle:

 _To the Editor of "The Times. "_

 MUNICH, _March 31. _

 SIR:--In consequence of the numerous reports circulated in various papers regarding myself and family, I beg of you, through the medium of your widely circulated journal, to insert the following:

 I was born at Seville in the year 1833; my father was a Spanish officer in the service of Don Carlos; my mother, a lady of Irish extraction, born at the Havannah, and married to an Irish gentleman, which, I suppose, is the cause of my being called sometimes Irish and sometimes English, and "Betsy Watson, " and "Mrs. James, " etc. 

 I beg leave to say that my name is Maria Dolores Porres Montez, and I have never changed that name. 

 As for my theatrical qualifications, I never had the presumption to think I had any. Circumstances obliged me to adopt the stage as a profession, which profession I have now renounced for ever, having become a naturalised Bavarian, and intending in future making Munich my residence. 

 Trusting that you will give this insertion, I have the honour to remain, Sir, Your obedient servant, LOLA MONTEZ. 

The assumption that she had ever been known as "Betsy Watson" was dueto the fact that she was said at one period to have lived under thisname in Dublin, "protected there by an Irishman of rank and fortune. "With regard to the rest of the letter, this was much the same as theone she had circulated after her London fiasco. It was very far frombeing well founded. Still, she had repeated this story so often thatshe had probably come to believe in it herself. 

As _The Times_ at that period was not read in Munich to any greatextent, Lola, wanting a larger public, sent a letter to the_Allegemeine Zeitung_. This, she thought, would secure her a measureof sympathy not accorded her elsewhere:

"I object to being made a target for countless maliciousattacks--public and private, written and printed--some whispered insecret, and others uttered to the world. I therefore now stigmatise asa wicked liar and perverter of the truth any individual who shall, without proving it, disseminate any report to my detriment. "

The letter was duly published. The attacks, however, did not end. Onthe contrary, they redoubled in virulence. All sorts of fresh chargeswere brought against her. Many of them were quite unfounded, anddeliberately ignored much that might have been put to her credit. Lolahad not done nearly as much harm as some of Ludwig's lights o' love. Her predecessors, however, had made themselves subservient to theJesuits and clericals. When her friends sent protests to the editor, refuge was taken in the stereotyped reply: "pressure on our spacedoes not permit us to continue this correspondence. "

By those who wished her ill, any stick was good enough with which tobeat Lola Montez. Thus, when a dignitary died--no matter what themedical diagnosis--it was announced in the gutter press that he diedof "grief, caused by the national shame. " The alleged last words of acertain politician were declared to be: "I die because I cannotcontinue living under the orders of a strumpet who rules our dearBavaria as if she were a princess. " Ludwig took it calmly. "The realtrouble with this poor fellow, " he said, "is that he never experiencedthe revivifying effects of the love of a beautiful woman. " A popularprescription. The local doctors, however, were coy about recommendingit to their patients. 

That the Munich disturbances had an aftermath is clear from a newsitem that appeared in the _Cologne Gazette_ of July, 3, 1847. Lola, wanting a change of air and scene, had gone on a tour, travelling_incognita_ and without any escort. Still, as she was to discover, itwas impossible for her to move without being recognised:

 According to letters from Bavaria, it is obvious that the animosities excited against Lola Montez earlier in the year are far from having subsided. On passing through Nuremberg, she was received with coldness, but decency. At Bamberg, however, it was very different. At the railway station she was hissed and hooted, and, stones being thrown at her carriage, she presented her pistols and threatened to punish her assailants. The upper classes were thoroughly ashamed of such excesses; and the chief magistrate has been instructed to appoint a deputation of the leading citizens to apologise to Mademoiselle. 

In a letter to his brother, dated July 7, 1847, a University studentsays: "Lola Montez was near being assassinated three days ago, " but hegives no particulars. Hence, it was probably gossip picked up in abeer hall. 

III

A grievance felt by Lola was that she was not accorded recognitionamong the aristocracy. But there was an obvious remedy. This was togrant her a coronet. After all, historic examples were to hand by thedozen. In modern times the mistress of Frederick William III had beenmade a duchess. Hence, Lola felt that she should be at least acountess. 

"What special services have you rendered Bavaria?" bluntly demandedthe minister to whom she first advanced the suggestion. 

"If nothing else, I have given the King many happy days, " was Lola'sresponse. 

Curiosity was then exhibited as to whether she was sufficiently_hoch-geboren_, or not. The applicant herself had no doubts on thesubject. Her father, Ensign Gilbert, she said, had the blood ofCoeur-de-Lion in his veins, and her mother's ancestors were amongthe Council of the Inquisition. 

When the matter was referred to him, Ludwig was sympathetic andreadily promised his help. But as she was a foreigner, she would, hepointed out, have to start by becoming naturalised as a Bavariansubject; and, under the constitution, the necessary indigenatecertificate must bear the signature of a Cabinet Minister. For thispurpose, and never thinking that the slightest difficulty would beadvanced, he had one drawn up and sent to Count Otto von Steinberg. Much to his annoyance and surprise, however, that individual, "suddenly developing conscientious objections, " excused himself. Thereupon, von Abel, as head of the Government, was instructed tosecure another signature. 

"Do not worry. It will be settled to-morrow, " announced Ludwig, whenLola enquired the reason of the hitch. 

He was, however, speaking without his book. The Ministry, Ultramontaneto a man, could swallow a good deal, in order to retain theirportfolios (and salaries), but this, they felt, was asking too muchof them. In unctuous terms, and taking refuge in offended virtue, theydeclared they would resign, rather than countenance the grant ofBavarian nationality for "the foreign woman. " Neither pressure northreats would shake them. Ludwig could do what he pleased; and theywould do what they pleased. 

The manifesto in which the Cabinet's decision was delivered is littleshort of an historic document:

 MUNICH. 

 _February 11, 1847. _

 Sir: Public life has its moments when those entrusted by their Sovereign with the proper conduct of public affairs have to make their choice between renouncing the duties to which they are pledged by loyalty and devotion, and, by discharging those duties in conscientious fashion, incurring the displeasure of their beloved Sovereign. We, the faithful servants of Your Majesty, have now found ourselves in this situation owing to the decision to grant Bavarian nationality to Senora Lola Montez. As we cannot forget the duties that our oath compels us to observe, we cannot flinch in our resolve.... 

 It is abundantly clear that reverence for the Throne is becoming weakened in the minds of your subjects; and little is now heard in all directions but blame and disapproval. National sentiment is wounded, because the country considers itself to be under the dominion of a foreign woman of evil reputation. The obvious facts are such that it is impossible to adopt any other view.... The public journals print the most shocking anecdotes, together with the most degrading attacks on your Royal Majesty. As a sample of this, we append a copy of No. 5 of the _Ulner Chronic_. The vigilance of the police is powerless to check the circulation of these journals, and they are read everywhere.... Not only is the Government being jeopardised, but also the very existence of the Crown. Hence, the delight of such as wish ill to the Throne, and the anguish of such as are loyal to Your Majesty. The fidelity of the army, too, is threatened. Ere long, the forces of the Crown will become a prey to profound disaffection; and where could we look for help, should this occur and this last bulwark totter?

 The hearts of the undersigned loyal and obedient servants are torn with grief. This statement they submit to you is not one of visionaries. It is the melancholy result of observations made by them during the exercise of their functions for several months past. Each of the undersigned is ready and willing to surrender everything to his Sovereign. They have given you repeated proofs of their fidelity; and it is now nothing less than their sacred duty to direct the attention of your Majesty to the dangers confronting him. Our humble prayer, to which we beg you to listen, is not governed by any desire to run counter to your Royal will. It is put forward solely with a view to ending a condition of affairs which is inimical to the well-being and happiness of a beloved monarch. Should, however, your Majesty not think fit to grant their petition, we, your Ministers, will then have no alternative but to tender the resignation of the portfolios with which you have entrusted them. 

The signatories to this precious "manifesto" were von Abel, vonGumpenberg (Minister of War), von Schrenk, and von Seinsheim(Councillors of State). Much to their hurt astonishment, theirresignations were accepted. Nor was there any lack of candidates forthe vacant portfolios. Ludwig, prompted by Lola, filled up the gaps atonce. Georg von Maurer (who reciprocated by signing her certificate ofnaturalisation) was appointed Minister of Justice and Foreign Affairs, and Freiherr Friederich zu Rhein was the new Minister of PublicWorship and Finance. 

The students, not prepared to let slip a chance of assertingthemselves, paraded the streets with a fresh song:

 _Da kam Senorra Lolala, Sturzt Abel und Consorten; Ach war sie doch jetz wieder da, Und jagte fort den----_

Despite the fact that he was indebted for his appointment to her, Maurer attempted to snub Lola and refused to speak to her the nexttime they met. For his pains, he found himself, in December, 1847, dismissed from office. There was, however, joy in the ranks of theclerical party, for, to their horror, he happened to be a Protestant. 

"I have now a new ministry, and there are no more Jesuits in Bavaria, "announced Ludwig with much complacence. As was his custom when anational crisis occurred, he was also delivered of a sonnet, commencing:

 You who have wished to hold me in thrall, tremble! Greatly do I esteem the important affair Which has ever on divested you of your power!

But the fallen ministers had the sympathy of Vienna. Count Senfft, theAustrian envoy at Munich, gave a banquet in their honour. Lolareported this to Ludwig, and Ludwig gave Senfft his _congé_. 

What had annoyed the Wittelsbach Lovelace more than anything elseabout the business was that the memorandum in which von Abel and hiscolleagues had expressed their candid opinion of Lola Montez found itsway into the _Augsburger Zeitung_ and a number of Paris journals. Thiswas regarded by him as a breach of confidence. Enquiries revealed thefact that von Abel's sister had been surreptitiously shown a copy ofthe document, and, not prepared to keep such a tit-bit of gossip toherself, had disclosed its contents to a reporter. After this, thefat, so to speak, was in the fire; and nothing that Ludwig could docould prevent the affair becoming public property. As a result, itformed the basis of innumerable articles in the press of Europe, andthe worst possible construction was put on it. 

The erudite Dr. Döllinger, between whom and Lola Montez no love waslost, was much upset by the situation and wrote a long letter on thesubject:

 The existing ministry were fully awake to the encroachments of the notorious Lola Montez; and in view of the destruction which menaced both the throne and the country, they secretly resolved to address a petition to Ludwig I, humbly praying him to dismiss his favourite, and setting forth the grounds on which they based their request. 

 Rumours of this business soon got afloat. People began to whisper; and one fine day a sister of one of the ministers, goaded by curiosity, discovered the petition. She imparted the news in the strictest confidence to her most intimate friends; and they, in their turn, secretly read the memorial, with the result that, some time after the important document had been safely restored to its hiding-place, its contents appeared, nobody knew how, in the newspapers. 

 The panic of the ministers was great; the King's displeasure was still greater. He suspected treachery, and considered the publication of such a petition treasonable. Remonstrances were of no avail; the ministers were dismissed, and their adherents fled in every direction. I, who had been nominated a member of the Chamber by the University, but against my will, had to resign office at the bidding of the King. His Majesty was greatly incensed, and meanwhile the excited populace were assembling in crowds before the house of Lola Montez. 

Döllinger was a difficult man to cross. He had doubts--seriousdoubts--concerning a number of matters. Among them was one of theinfallibility of the Pope. What was more, he was daring enough toexpress these doubts. The wrath of the Vatican could only be appeasedby ex-communicating him from the Church. He, however, added to hiscontumacy by surviving until his ninety-second year. 

IV

Appreciating on which side its bread was buttered, the new ministryhad no qualms as to the eligibility of Lola Montez for the honour of acoronet in the Bavarian peerage. This having been granted her, thenext step was to select a suitable territorial title. 

Ludwig ran an exploring finger down the columns of a gazetteer. Therehe saw two names, Landshut and Feldberg, that struck him assuggestive. Combined, they made up Landsfeld. Nothing could be better. 

"I have it, " he said. "Countess of Landsfeld, I salute you!"

Thereupon the Court archivist was instructed to prepare the necessarydocument:

 "We, Ludwig, King of Bavaria, etc. , hereby make public to all concerned that We have resolved to raise Maria von Porres and Montez, of noble Spanish descent, to the dignity of Countess of Landsfeld of this Our kingdom. Whilst we impart to her the dignity of a Countess, with all the rights, honours and prerogatives connected therewith, it is Our desire that she have and enjoy the following escutcheon on a German four-quartered shield: In the first field, red, an upright white sword with golden handle; in the second, blue, a golden-crowned lion rampant; the third, blue, a silver dolphin; and in the fourth, white, a pale red rose. This shield shall be surmounted by the coronet of a Countess. 

 "Be this notified to all the authorities and to Our subjects in general, with a view to not only recognising the said Maria as Countess of Landsfeld, but also to supporting her in that dignity; and it is Our will that whoever shall act contrary to these provisions shall be summoned by Our Attorney-General and there and then be condemned to make public and private atonement. 

 "For Our confirmation of the above we have affixed Our royal name to this document and placed on it the seal of Our kingdom. 

 "Given at Aschaffensberg, this 14th of August, in the 1847th year after the birth of Christ, our Lord, and in the 22nd year of Our Government. "

This did not miss the eagle eye of _Punch_, in whose columns appeareda caustic reference:

 "The armorial bearings of the new COUNTESS OF LANDSFELD, the ex-_coryphée_ of Her Majesty's Theatre, have been designed, but we think they are hardly so appropriate as they might have been. We have therefore made some slight modifications of the original, which we hope will prove satisfactory. "

The suggested "modifications" were to substitute a parasol for thesword, a bulldog for the lion, and a pot of rouge for the rose. Weresuch an adjunct of the toilet table then in existence, a lipstickwould probably have been added. 

V

With her title and heraldic honours complete, plus a generousallowance on which to support them, and a palace in which to live, Lola Montez cut a very considerable dash in Munich. Two sentriesmarched up and down in front of her gate, and two mounted orderlies(instead of one, as had previously been the case) accompanied herwhenever she left the house in the Barerstrasse. 

While by far the most important of them, Ludwig was not by any meansthe only competitor for Lola's favours. Men of wealth andposition--the bearers of high-sounding titles--with politicians andplace-hunters, fluttered round her. It is to her credit that she sentthem about their business. 

[Illustration: _"Command" Portrait. In the "Gallery of Beauties, "Munich_]

"The peculiar relations existing between the King of Bavaria and theCountess of Landsfeld, " remarked an apologist, "are not of a coarse orvulgar character. His Majesty has a highly developed poetic mind, andthus sees his favourite through his imagination, and regards her withaffectionate respect. "

This found a responsive echo in another quarter, and some sharp rapson the knuckles were administered to the Bavarian moralists by a Parisjournal:

 "Why do you interfere with the amours of your good Ludwig? We don't say he should not have observed rather more discretion or have avoided compromising his dignity. Still, a monarch, like a simple citizen, is surely free to love where he pleases. In selecting Lola Montez, the amorous Ludwig proves that he loves equality and, as a true democrat, can identify himself with the public. Let him espouse his servant girl, if he wants to. Personally, we would rather see the Bavarians excite themselves about their constitution than about the banishment of a royal favourite. The King of Bavaria turns his mistress into a Countess; his subjects refuse to recognise her; and a section of the students clamour for her head. Happy days of Montespan, of Pompadour, of Dubarry, of Potemkin, of Orloff, where have you gone?"

In the summer of 1847 the Paris Courts were occupied with a longoutstanding claim against Lola Montez. This was to the effect that, when she was appearing at the Porte St. Martin, she had run up a billfor certain intimate undergarments and had neglected to settle theaccount. The result was, she received a solicitor's letter in Munich. She answered it in the following terms:

 MUNICH, _September 25, 1847. _

 MONSIEUR BLOQUE, As I have never given any orders to Messrs. Hamon and Company, tailors, rue de Helder, they have no claim on me; and I am positively compelled to repudiate the bill for 1371 francs which you have the effrontery to demand in the name of this firm. 

 Last spring Monsieur Leigh made me a present of a riding-habit and certain other articles which he ordered for me, and I consider that it is to him you should now address yourself. 

 Accept, Monsieur, etc. , COUNTESS DE LANDSFELD. 

Not being prepared to accept this view, the Paris firm's next step wasto bring an action for the recovery of the alleged debt. Once more, Lola repudiated liability, this time on the grounds that the creditorshad kept back some dress material belonging to herself. The defence tothis charge was that, "on being informed by their representative thatreal ladies could not wear such common stuff, she had said she did notwant it back. " The court, however, held that the debt had beenincurred; and, "as she considered it beneath her dignity to appear, either in person or by counsel, " judgment for 2, 500 francs was givenagainst her. 

Count Bernstorff, a not particularly brilliant diplomatist, had anidea (shared, by the way, with a good many others) that FrederickWilliam IV, King of Prussia, was at one time under Lola's spell. Hewas allowed to think so by reason of a letter that the King had senthim from Sans Souci in the autumn of 1847:

 "I am charging you, my dear Count, with a commission, the performance of which demands a certain degree of that measure of delicacy which I recognise you to possess. The commission is somewhat beyond the accepted limits of what is purely diplomatic in character.... It is a matter of handing a certain trinket to a certain lady. The trinket is of little value, but, from causes you will be able to appreciate, the lady's favour is of very high value to myself. All depends on the manner in which the gift is presented. This should be sufficiently flattering to increase the value of the offering and to cause its unworthiness to be overlooked. My acquaintance with the lady, and my respect for her, should be adroitly described and made the most of, as must also be my desire to be remembered at her hands. 

 "You will, of course, immediately perceive that I am alluding to Donna Maria de Dolores de los Montez, Countess of Landsfeld. "

It was not until he turned over the page that the horror-struckBernstorff saw that the King was playing a characteristic jest on him;and he realised that the intended recipient of the gift was his wife, the Countess von Bernstorff, "as a souvenir of my gratitude for themany agreeable hours passed under your hospitable roof last month. "

CHAPTER X

BURSTING OF THE STORM

I

The beauty of Lola Montez was a lever. As such, it disturbed theequilibrium of the Cabinet; for the time being, it even checked thedominion of Rome. But the odds were against her. The Jesuits werestill a power, and would not brook any interference. 

Metternich's wife, the Princess Mélanie, who had the family _flair_for politics, marked the course of events. 

"Lola Montes, " she wrote, "has actually been created Countess ofLandsfeld. She is really a member of the Radical Party.... Rechberg, who has just arrived from Brazil, was alarmed on his journey at Munichby the events of which this town is the theatre. The shocking conductof Lola Montes will finish by plunging the country into revolution. "

This was looking ahead. Still, not very far ahead. The correspondentof a London paper in the Bavarian capital did not mince his words. "The indignation, " he wrote, "against the King on account of hisscandalous conduct, has been roused to the highest pitch.... KingLudwig, who possesses many good qualities, is, unfortunately, a verylicentious old man.... Neither the tears of the Queen, nor theentreaties of his sons, nor the public's indignation, could influencethe old monarch, who has become the slave of his silly passion and ofthe caprices of a Spanish dancer and Parisian lorette. "

Once more, Ludwig "dropped into verse, " and relieved his feelingsabout his enemies. This time, however, the verse was blank:

 You have driven me from my Paradise, You have closed it for ever with iron grilles. You have turned my days into bitterness. You would even like to make me hate you Because I have loved too much to please your withered spirits. 

 The perfume of my spring-time is dissipated, But my courage still remains. Youth, always bounding in my dreams, rests there, Embracing my heart with fresh force!

 You who would like to see me covered with shame, Tremble! You have committed sins against me and vomited injuries. Your wicked acts have judged you. There has never been anything to equal them!

 Already the clouds disappear; The storm passes; The sky lights up; I bless the dawn. Ungrateful worms, creep back to your darkness!

There were repercussions across the Atlantic, where the role played byLola Montez in Bavarian circles was arousing considerable interest. American women saw in it a message of encouragement for theaspirations they themselves were cherishing. "The moral indignationwhich her political opponents exhibited, " said a leading jurist, "wasunfortunately a mere sham. They had not only tolerated, but hadactually patronised, a female who formerly held the equivocal positionwhich the Countess of Landsfeld recently held, because the former madeherself subservient to the then dominant party. "

But, just as Lola had staunch friends in Munich, so had she pronouncedenemies. Conspicuous among them was Johann Görres, a leadingUltramontane who held the position of professor of history at theUniversity. He could not say anything strong enough against the King'smistress, and did all he could to upset her influence with him. As hehad a "following, " some measure of success attended his efforts. Itwas on his death, in January 1848, that matters came to a head. Therival factions dividing the various students' corps made his funeralthe occasion of a free fight among themselves. The mob joined in, andclamoured for the dismissal of the "Andalusian Woman. " A hotheadsuggested that she should be driven from the town. The cry was takenup, and a rush set in towards her house in the Barerstrasse. As therewas an agreeable prospect of loot, half the scum of the city swelledthe mob. Bricks were hurled through the windows; and, until the policearrived, things began to look ugly. 

Lola, as cool as a cucumber, appeared on the balcony, a glass ofchampagne in one hand, and a box of chocolates in the other. 

"I drink to your good healths, " she said contemptuously, as shedrained her glass and tossed bon-bons among the crowd. 

Not appreciating this gesture, or regarding it as an impertinence, thetemper of the rabble grew threatening. They shouted vulgar insults;and there was talk of battering in the doors and setting the house onfire. This might have happened, had not Ludwig himself, who neverlacked personal courage, plunged into the throng and, offering Lolahis arm, escorted her to the Residenz. 

The disturbances continued, for tempers had reached fever pitch. Troops hastily summoned from the nearest barracks patrolled thestreets. A furious crowd assembled in front of the Rathaus; theburgomaster, fearing for his position, talked of reading the Riot Act;a number of arrests were made; and it was not until the next afternoonthat the coast was sufficiently clear for Lola to return to theBarerstrasse, triumphantly escorted by some members of the Alemannia. When, however, they left her there, they were set upon by detachmentsof the Palatia Corps, who still cherished a grudge against them. 

Lola's own account of these happenings, and written as if by adetached onlooker, is picturesque, if somewhat imaginative:

 "They came with cannons and guns and swords, with the voices of ten thousand devils, and surrounded her little castle. Against the entreaties of her friends, she presented herself before the infuriated mob which demanded her life.... A thousand guns were pointed at her, and a hundred fat and apoplectic voices fiercely demanded that she should cause the repeal of what she had done. In language of great mildness--for it was no time to scold--she answered that it was impossible for her to accede to such a request; and that what had been done by her had been done for the good of the people and the honour of Bavaria. "

After this "demonstration, " there was a calm. But not for long. On theevening of February 10, a rabble assembled in front of the Palace, raising cries of: "Down with Lola Montez!" "Down with the King'sstrumpet!" As the protestors consisted largely of students (whomThiersch, the rector, being no disciplinarian, could not keep incheck), Ludwig's response was drastic. He ordered the University to beshut, and all its members who did not live in Munich to leave the townwithin twenty-four hours. This was a tactical blunder, and was ingreat measure responsible for the more serious repercussions of thefollowing month. Apart, too, from other considerations, the edict hitthe pockets of the local tradesmen, since the absence of a couple ofthousand hungry and thirsty customers had an adverse effect on theconsumption of sauerkraut and beer. 

As she was still "news" in Paris, a gossiping columnist suggested herreturn there:

 Lola Montez laments the Notre-Dame de Lorette district, the joyous little supper-parties at the Café Anglais, and the theatrical first nights viewed from stage boxes. "Ah, " she must reflect, as she looks upon her coronet trodden underfoot and hears the sinister murmurs of the Munich mob, "how delightful Paris would be this evening! What a grand success I would be in the new ballet at the Opera or at a ball at the Winter Garden!" Alas, my poor Lola, your whip is broken; your prestige is gone; you have lost your talisman. Do not battle against the jealous Bavarians. Come back to Paris, instead. If the Porte St. Martin won't have you, you can always rejoin the corps de ballet at the Opera. 

Lola, however, did not accept the invitation. She was virtually aprisoner in her own house, where, the next afternoon, a furiousgathering assembled, threatening to wreak vengeance on her. Neverlacking a high measure of courage, she appeared on the balcony andtold them to do their worst. They did it and attempted to effect anentrance by breaking down the door. But for the action of theAlemannia, rallying to her help, she might have been severely handled. 

One of her bodyguard managed to make his way to the nearest barracksand summon assistance. Thereupon, the bugles rang out the alarm; thedrums beat a warning call. In response, a squadron of Cuirassiersclattered up the Barerstrasse; sabres rattled; and the rioters fledprecipitously. 

Prince Wallerstein, who combined the office of Minister of PublicWorship with that of Treasurer of the Royal Household, leaping intothe breach, harangued the mob; and Prince Vrede, a strong adherent tothe "whiff of grapeshot" remedy for a disturbance, suggested firing onthe ringleaders. Although the suggestion was not accepted, hundreds ofarrests were made before some semblance of order was restored. But therioting was only checked temporarily. A couple of days later itstarted afresh. The temper of the troops being upset, Captain Bauer (ayoung officer whom Lola had patronised) took it upon himself to givethem the word to charge. Sabres flashed, and there were many brokenheads and a good deal of bloodshed. 

The Alemannia, thinking discretion the better part of valour, barricaded themselves in the restaurant of one Herr Rothmanner, wherethey fortified themselves with vast quantities of beer. Becomingquarrelsome, their leader, Count Hirschberg, drew his sword and wasthreatened with arrest by a schutzmannschaft. Thereupon, his comradessent word to Lola. She answered the call, and rushed to the house. Itwas a characteristic, but mad, gesture, for she was promptlyrecognised and pursued by a furious mob. Nobody would give hersanctuary; and the Swiss Guards on duty there shut the doors of theAustrian Legation in her face. Thereupon, she fled to the TheatinerChurch, where she took refuge. But she did not stop there long; and, for her own safety, a military escort arrived to conduct her to themain guard-room. As soon as the coast was comparatively clear, she wassmuggled out by a back entrance and making her way on foot to theBarerstrasse, hid in the garden. 

In the meantime fresh attempts were being made to storm her house. Suddenly, a figure, dishevelled and bare-headed, appeared on thethreshold and confronted the rioters. 

"You are behaving like a pack of vulgar blackguards, " he exclaimed, "and not like true Bavarians at all. I give you my word, the house isempty. Leave it in peace. "

A gallant gesture, and a last act of homage to the building that hadsheltered the woman he loved. The mob, recognising the speaker, uncovered instinctively. _Heil, unserm König, Heil!_ they shouted. Achorus swelled; the troops presented arms. 

"It is an orgy of ingratitude, " said Ludwig, as he watched the rabbledancing with glee before the house. "The Jesuits are responsible. Ifmy Lola had been called Loyala, she could still have stopped here. "

To Dr. Stahl, Bishop of Wurzburg, who had criticised his conduct, headdressed himself more strongly. "Should a single hair of one I holddear to me be injured, " he informed that prelate, "I shall exhibit nomercy. "

Palmerston, who stood no nonsense from anybody, wrote a very snappyletter to Sir John Milbanke, British Minister at Munich:

 "Pray tell Prince Wallerstein that, if he wishes the British and Bavarian Governments to be on good terms, he will abstain from any attempt to interfere with our diplomatic arrangements, as such attempts on his part are as offensive as they will be fruitless. "

II

As Ludwig had said, the Barerstrasse nest was empty, for its occupanthad managed to slip out of it and reach Lindeau. From there, onFebruary 23, she wrote a long letter to a friend in England, giving asomewhat highly coloured (and not altogether accurate) version ofthese happenings:

 In the morning, the nobles, with Count A. --V--[Arco Valley] and a number of officers, were mixed up with the commonest people. The Countess P [Preysing] I saw myself, with other women--I cannot call them _ladies_--actually at their head. Hearing that the entire city--with nobles, officers, and countesses--were making for my residence, I looked upon myself as already out of the land of the living. I had all my windows shuttered, and hid all my jewels; and then, having a clear conscience and a firm trust in God, calmly awaited my fate. The ruffians, egged on by a countess and a baroness, had stones, sticks, axes, and firearms, all to frighten and kill one poor inoffensive woman! They positively clamoured for my blood. 

 I must tell you that all my faithful and devoted servants, with some others of my real friends, were in the house with me. I begged them to leave by the garden, but they said, poor fellows, they would die for me. 

 ... Seeing the eminent danger of my friends, and not thinking of myself, I ordered my carriage while the blackguards were endeavouring to break down the gates. My good George, the coachman, helped me to rush through the door and we set off at a furious gallop. Many pistol shots were fired at me, but I was in God's care and avoided the bullets. 

 My escape was most miraculous. At a distance of two hours from Munich I left my carriage and in Bluthenberg sought the protection of a brave honest man, by whom I was given shelter. Presently, some officers galloped up and demanded me. My benefactor declared I was not there, and his daughters said my carriage had passed. When they were gone, his good wife helped me to dress as a peasant girl, and I rushed out of the house, across fields, ditches, and forests. Being so well disguised, I resolved to return to Munich. It was a dreadful spectacle. The Palace blockaded; buildings plundered; and anarchy in all directions. Seeing nothing but death if I stopped there, I left for Lindeau, from whence I am writing to you. 

 ... Count Arco Valley has been distributing money like dirt to all classes, and the priests have stirred up the mob. Nobody is safe in Munich. The good, noble King has told everyone he will never leave me. Of that he is quite determined. The game is not up. I shall, till death, stick to the King; but God knows what will happen next. 

 I forgot to tell you that my enemies have announced in the German papers that the students are my _lovers_! They could not credit them with the loyal devotion they have ever had for the King and myself. 

 MARIE DE LANDSFELD. 

Writing in his diary on March 14, 1848, Frederick Cavendish, a buddingdiplomatist, whom Palmerston had appointed as attaché at Vienna, remarks:

 "There has been the devil of a disturbance in Munich; and the King's mistress, Lola Montez, has been forced to fly for her life. She has been the curse of Bavaria, yet the King is still infatuated with her. "

Scarcely diplomatic language. Still, not far from the truth. 

A rigorous press censorship was exercised. The Munich papers had toprint what they were told, and nothing else. As a result, an inspiredarticle appeared in the _Allegemeine Zeitung_, of Augsburg, declaringthat the Ultramontanes were responsible for the _émeute_. "Herr vonAbel, " in the opinion of a colleague, Heinrich von Treitsche, "tookadvantage of the opportunity to espouse a sudden championship ofmorals, and made _les convenances_ an excuse for resigning what hadlong been to him a dangerous office. "

Döllinger himself always declared that he became an Ultramontaneagainst his will, and that he only joined the Ministry at the earnestrequest of von Abel. This was probably true enough, for he was muchhappier among his books than among the politicians. With his nosedecidedly out of joint, he relieved his feelings in a lengthy epistleto his friend, Madame Rio. Years afterwards this letter came into thehands of Dom Gougaud, O. S. B. , who published it in the _IrishEcclesiastical Record_. Among the more important passages were thefollowing:

 Since you left M[unich] the impudence of L[ola] M[ontez] and the infatuation of her admirers have been constantly increasing. Our Members of Parliament, which have been convocated to an extraordinary session on account of a railway loan, did not dare, or did not deem it expedient, to interfere. The only thing that was done, but without producing any effect in high quarters, was that the Chamber of Deputies unanimously voted a protestation against the deposition of the professors. Then came the change of Ministers. Prince Wallerstein, who is a sort of Bavarian Thiers, selfish and unprincipled, only bent upon maintaining himself in the possession of the _portefeuille_, which is the glorious end that in his estimation sanctifies the means--this man of unscrupulous memory came in again, together with an obscure individual, a mere creature of L[ola] M[ontez], M. Berks. 

[Illustration: _King of Bavaria. "Ludwig the Lover"_]

 ... Meanwhile the crisis was brought about by the students of the University. L[ola] M[ontez] had succeeded in seducing a few of these, who, finding themselves immediately shunned and rejected by their fellow-students, formed a separate society or club, calling itself _Alemannia_, which from its beginning was publicly understood to be distinguished by the King's special favour and protection. In the course of two or three months they rose to the number of nineteen or twenty, easily recognised by the red caps and ribbons they wore. For L[ola] M[ontez] they formed a sort of male harem, and the particulars which have since transpired, and which, of course, I must not pollute your ears with, leave no doubt that she is a second Messalina. 

 The indignation of the students, who felt all this as a degradation of the University and an affront cast upon their character, was general. The _Alemanni_ were treated as outcasts, whose very presence was pollution. 

 ... L[ola] M[ontez] had already been heard threatening that if the students continued to show themselves hostile to her favourites she would have the University closed. At last, on the 10th February, a royal mandate came forth, declaring the University to be suspended for the entire year. 

 Next morning it was evident that a decisive crisis was coming on; the students paraded in procession through the streets, when, suddenly, the _gendarmerie_, commanded by one of L. M. 's favourites, made an attack upon them and wounded two of them. This, of course, served only to kindle the flames of general indignation. The citizens threatened to appear in arms, and the people made preparations for storming the house of L[ola] M[ontez]. 

 Towards 8 o'clock in the morning of the 11th, the appalling intelligence was communicated to the K[ing] that L. M. 's life was in imminent danger. Meanwhile several members of the royal family had tried to make an impression on the K. 's mind. When his own tools, who, up to that moment, had been pushing him on, told him that L. 's life was in jeopardy, and that the regiments refused to fight, he began to yield. But even then his behaviour left no doubt that the personal safety of L[ola] M[ontez] was his paramount motive. He himself ran to her house, which the mob had begun to pluck down; regardless of all royal dignity, he exposed his person to all the humiliation which the intercourse with an infuriated mob might subject him to.... Certainly, that day was the most disgraceful royalty has yet had in Bavaria. 

 ... You will find it natural that the first announcement of L. M. 's forced departure begot universal exultation. In the streets one met only smiling countenances; new hopes were kindled. People wished, and therefore believed, that the K[ing] having at last become aware of the true state of the nation's mind, had made a noble sacrifice. A few days were sufficient to undeceive them. The K. 's mind was in a sort of fearful excitement, alternating between fits of depression and thoughts of vengeance.... It is impossible to foresee what things will lead to, and where the persecution is to stop. The opinion gains credit that his intention is to bring L[ola] M[ontez] back. Evidently he is acting, not only from a thirst for vengeance, but also under the fatal influence of an irresistible and sinister passion for that woman. 

A few days later, Ludwig, to test public opinion, went to the Opera. 

"I have lost my taste for spectacles, " he said to his companion, "butI wish to see if I am still King in the hearts of the people I haveserved. "

He was not long in doubt, for the moment he entered his box theaudience stood up and cheered him vigorously. This was enough; and, without waiting for the curtain to rise, he returned to the Palace. 

"After all, my subjects still trust me, " he said. "I was sure ofthem. "

III

There was another display of loyalty elsewhere. The Munich garrison, under Ludwig's second son, Prince Luitpold, took a fresh oath _enmasse_, swearing fidelity to the new constitution. It was, however, alittle late in the day. Things had gone too far; and Lola, who hadmerely gone a few leagues from the capital, had not gone far enough. That was the trouble. She was still able to pull strings, and to makeher influence felt in various directions. Nor would she show the whitefeather or succumb to the threats of rowdies. 

It was from Lindeau that, disguised as a boy (then a somewhat moredifficult job than now), Lola, greatly daring, ventured back to thearms of Ludwig. But she only stopped with him a couple of hours, forshe had been followed, and was still being hunted by the rabble of thetown. Before, however, resuming her journey, she endeavoured to getinto touch with her faithful _Alemannia_. "I beg you, " she wrote tothe proprietor of the café they frequented, "to tell me where HerrPeissner has gone. " The landlord, fearing reprisals, withheld theknowledge. If he had given it, he would probably have had his premiseswrecked. Safety first!

In this juncture, Ludwig, acting like a mental deficient, announcedthat there was only one adequate explanation for Lola's conduct. Thiswas that she was "possessed of an evil spirit" which had to beexorcised before things should get worse. Lending a ready ear to everyquack in Bavaria, he sent her under escort to Weinsberg, to the clinicof a Dr. Justinus Kerner, who had established himself there as amesmerist. 

"You are to drive the devil out of her, " were the instructions givenhim. 

Fearing that his spells and incantations might, after all, not proveeffective, and thus convict him for a charlatan, the man of sciencefelt uneasy. Still, an order was an order, especially when it camefrom a King, and he promised to do his best. On the day that hispatient arrived, he wrote to his married daughter, Emma Niendorf. Afree translation of this letter, which is given in full by Dr. Von TimKlein (in his _Der Vorkamfdeutscher Einheit und Freiheit_), wouldread:

 Yesterday there arrived here Lola Montez; and, until further instructions come from Munich, I am detaining her in my tower, where guard is being kept by three of the _Alemannia_. That the King should have selected me of all people to send her to is most annoying. But he was assured that she was possessed of a devil, and that the devil in her could be driven out by me at Weinsberg. Still, the case is one of interest. 

 As a preliminary to my magneto-magic treatment, I am beginning by subjecting her to a fasting-cure. This means that every day all she is to have is a quarter of a wafer and thirteen drops of raspberry juice. 

"_Sage es aber niemanden! Verbrenne diesen Brief!_" ("But don't tellanybody about it; burn this letter") was the exorcist's finalinjunction. 

To live up to his reputation for wonder-working, the mystic had anÆolian harp in each of the windows of his house, so arranged thatAriel-like voices would float through the summer breezes. 

"It is magic, " said the peasants, crossing themselves devoutly whenthey heard the sound. 

But the harp-obligato proved no more effective than the reduceddieting and early attempt to popularise slimming. After a couple ofdays, accordingly, the regime was varied by the substitution of asses'milk for the raspberry juice. Much to his annoyance, however, thespecialist had to report to another correspondent, Sophie Schwab, thathis patient was not deriving any real benefit, and that thetroublesome "devil" had not been dislodged. 

As was to be expected, Lola, having a healthy appetite and objectingto short rations, gave the mesmerist the slip and hurried back to herLudwig. After a few words with him, she left for Stahrenberg. 

Ludwig sat down and wrote another "poem. " Appropriately enough, thiswas entitled "Lamentation. "

CHAPTER XI

A FALLEN STAR

I

Even with Lola Montez out of the way and the University doorsre-opened, it was not a case of all quiet on the Munich front. Farfrom it. Berks, the new Minister of the Interior, who had alwayssupported her, still remained in office; and Lola herself continuedfrom a distance to pull strings. Some of them were effective. 

But Lola Montez, or no Lola Montez, there was in the eyes of hisexasperated subjects more than enough to make them thoroughlydissatisfied with the Wittelsbach regime, as carried out by Ludwig. The Cabinet had become very nearly inarticulate; public funds had beensquandered on all sorts of grandiose and unnecessary schemes; and theclerical element had long been allowed to ride roughshod over theconstitution. Altogether, the "Ministry of Dawn, " brought intoexistence with such a flourish of trumpets after the dismissal of vonAbel and his colleagues, had not proved the anticipated success. Instead of getting better, things had got worse; and, although it hadnot actually been suggested, the idea of substituting the monarchy bya republic was being discussed in many quarters. 

The editor of the _Annual Register_, abandoning his customary attitudeof an impartial historian, dealt out a sharp rap on the knuckles tothe Royal Troubadour:

"The discreditable conduct of the doting old King of Bavaria, in hisopen _liaison_ with a wandering actress who had assumed the name ofLola Montez (but who was in reality the eloped wife of an Englishman, and whom he had created a Bavarian Countess by the title of Gräfin deLandsfeld), had thoroughly alienated the hearts of his subjects. "

As the result of a solemn conclave at the Rathaus, an ultimatum wasdelivered by the Cabinet; and Ludwig was informed, without any beatingabout the bush, that unless he wanted to plunge the country intorevolution, Lola Montez must leave the kingdom. Ludwig yielded; andforgetful of, or else deliberately ignoring, the fact that he had oncewritten a passionate threnody, in which he declared:

 "And though thou be forsaken by all the world, Yet, never wilt thou be abandoned by me!"

he could find it in his heart to issue a decree expelling her from hisrealms. 

To this end, on March 17, he signed two separate Orders in Council. 

 1

 "We, Ludwig, by the Grace of God, King of Bavaria, etc. , think it necessary to give notice that the Countess of Landsfeld has ceased to possess the rights of naturalisation. "

 2

 "Since the Countess of Landsfeld does not give up her design of disturbing the peace of the capital and country, all the judicial authorities of the kingdom are hereby ordered to arrest the said Countess wherever she may be discovered. They are to carry her to the nearest fortress, where she is to be kept in custody. "

Events moved rapidly. A few days later Lola was arrested by PrinceWallerstein (whom she herself had put into power when his stock hadfallen) and deported, as an "undesirable alien, " to Switzerland. 

Woman-like, she had the last word. 

"I am leaving Bavaria, " she said, "but, before very long, your Kingwill also leave. "

Everybody had something to say about the business. Most people had alot to say. The wires hummed; and the foreign correspondents in Munichfilled columns with long accounts of the recent disturbances in Munichand their origin. No two accounts were similar. 

"The people insisted, " says Edward Cayley, in his _EuropeanRevolutions of_ 1848, "on the dismissal of the King's mistress. Shewas sent away, but, trusting to the King's dotage, she came back, police or no police.... This was a climax to which the people wereunprepared to submit, not that they were any more virtuous than theirSovereign. " Another publicist, Edward Maurice, puts it a littledifferently: "In Bavaria the power exercised by Lola Montez overLudwig had long been distasteful to the sterner reformers. " This wastrue enough; but the Müncheners disliked the Jesuits still more, asserting that it was with them that Lola shared the conscience of theKing. The Liberals were ready for action, and welcomed the opportunityof asserting themselves. 

As soon as Lola was really out of the country, her Barerstrassemansion was searched from attic to cellar by the Munich police. Since, in order to justify the search, they had to discover somethingcompromising, they announced that they had discovered "proofs" thatLord Palmerston and Mazzini were in active correspondence with theKing's ex-mistress; and that the go-between for the British ForeignOffice was a Jew called Loeb. This individual was an artist who hadbeen employed to decorate the house. Seized with pangs of remorse, heis said to have gone to Ludwig and confessed having intercepted Lola'scorrespondence with Mazzini and engineered the rioting. He furtherdeclared that large sums of money had been sent her from abroad. Historians, however, have no knowledge of this; nor was the nature ofthe "proofs" ever revealed. 

Lola's villa in the Barerstrasse afterwards became the new home of theBritish Legation. It was demolished in 1914; and not even a wallplaque now marks her one-time occupancy. As for the Residenz Palacewhere she dallied with Ludwig, this building is now a museum, and assuch echoes to the tramp of tourists and the snapping of cameras. _Sictransit_, etc. 

II

When Lola, hunted from pillar to post, eventually left Munich forSwitzerland, it was in the company of Auguste Papon, who, on thegrounds of "moral turpitude, " had already been given hismarching-orders. He described himself as a "courier. " His passport, however, bore the less exalted description of "cook. " It was probablythe more correct one. The faithful Fritz Peissner, anxious to be ofservice to the woman he loved, and for whom he had already risked hislife, joined her at Constance, together with two other members of the_Alemannia_, Count Hirschberg and Lieutenant Nussbaum. But they onlystopped a few days. 

Anxious to get into touch with them, Lola wrote to the landlord attheir last address:

 _2 March, 1848. _

 SIR, In case the students of the Alemannia Society have left your hotel, I beg you to inform my servant, the bearer of this letter, where Monsieur Peissner, for whom he has a parcel to deliver, has gone. 

 Receive in advance my distinguished sentiments. 

 COUNTESS OF LANDSFELD. 

Lola's first halt in Switzerland (a country she described as "thatlittle Republic which, like a majestic eagle, lies in the midst of thevultures and cormorants of Europe") was at Geneva. An error ofjudgment, for the austere citizens of Calvin's town, setting asomewhat lofty standard among visitors, were impervious to herblandishments. "They were, " she complained, "as chilly as their ownicicles. " At Berne, however, to which she went next, she had betterluck. This was because she met there an impressionable young Chargéd'affaires attached to the British Legation, whom she found "somewhatyounger than Ludwig, but more than twice as silly. " An _entente_ wassoon established. "Sometimes riding, and sometimes driving she wouldappear in public, accompanied by her youthful adorer. "

The official was Robert Peel, a son of the distinguished statesman, and was afterwards to become third baronet. In a curious little work, typical of the period, _The Black Book of the British Aristocracy_, there is an acid allusion to the matter: "This bright youth has justtaken under his protection the notorious Lola Montez, and was latelyto be observed walking with her, in true diplomatic style, in thestreets of a Swiss town. "

It was about this period that it occurred to a theatrical manager inLondon, looking for a novelty, that there was material for a stirringdrama written round the career of Lola Montez. No sooner said thandone; and a hack dramatist, who was kept on the premises, wascommissioned to set to work. Locked up in his garret with a bottle ofbrandy, at the end of a week he delivered the script. This beingapproved by the management, it was put into rehearsal, and thehoardings plastered with bills:

+---------------------------------------------------------------+| THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET || || (Under the Patronage of Her Gracious Majesty The Queen, || His Royal Highness Prince Albert, and the Élite of Rank and || Fashion. ) On Wednesday, April 26, 1848, will be produced a || New and Original and Apropos Sketch entitled: || || "LOLA MONTEZ, or THE COUNTESS FOR AN HOUR. " |+---------------------------------------------------------------+

"An hour. " This was about as long as it lasted, for the reception bythe critics was distinctly chilly. "We cannot, " announced one of them, "applaud the motives that governed the production of a farceintroducing a mock sovereign and his mistress. In our opinion thepiece is extremely objectionable. "

The Lord Chamberlain apparently shared this view, for he had the playwithdrawn after the second performance. 

"_Es gibt kein Zurück_" ("There is to be no coming back") had beenLudwig's last words to her. But Lola did not take the injunctionseriously. According to a letter in the _Deutsche Zeitung_, she wasback in Munich within a week, travelling under the "protection" ofBaron Möller, a Russian diplomatist. Entering the Palacesurreptitiously, she extracted a cheque for 50, 000 florins fromLudwig. As it was drawn on Rothschild's bank at Frankfort, she hurriedoff there, and returned to Switzerland the same evening, "with abagful of notes. "

To convince his readers that he was well behind the scenes, Papongives a letter which he asserts was written by Ludwig to acorrespondent some months later:

 I wish to know from you if my dear Countess would like her annuity assured by having it paid into a private bank, or if she would rather I deposited a million francs with the Bank of England.... I am already being blamed for giving her too much. As the revolutionaries seize upon any pretext to assert themselves, it is important to avoid directing attention to her just now. Still, I want my dearly loved Countess to be satisfied. I repeat that the whole world cannot part me from her. 

While he was with her in Switzerland, Papon strung together apamphlet: _Lola Montez, Mémoires accompagnés de lettres intimes deS. M. Le Roi de Bavière et de Lola Montez, ornés des portraits, suroriginaux donnés par eux à l'auteur_, purporting to be written bytheir subject. "I owe my readers, " he makes her say smugly, "the exacttruth. They must judge between my enemies and myself. " But, in hischaracter of a Peeping Tom, very little truth was expended by Papon. Thus, he declares that, during her sojourn in the land of themountains and William Tell, she had a series of _affaires_ with a"baron, " a "muscular artisan, " and an "intrepid sailor. " He also has astory to the effect that "two pure-blooded English ladies, the bearersof illustrious names, " called on her uninvited; and that thiscircumstance annoyed her so much that she made her pet monkey attackthem. 

But Auguste Papon cannot be considered a very reliable authority. Adecidedly odd fish, he claimed to be an ex-officer and also dubbedhimself a marquis. For all his pretensions, however, he was merely a_chevalier d'industrie_, living on his wits; and, masquerading as apriest, he was afterwards convicted of swindling and sent to prison. 

III

A doughty, but anonymous, champion jumped into the breach and issued acounterblast to Papon's effort in the shape of a second pamphlet, headed "A Reply. " But this was not any more remarkable for itsaccuracy than the original. Thus, it declares, "She [Lola] lived withthe King of Bavaria, a man of eighty-seven. The nature of thatintimacy can best be surmised by reading the second and third versesof the First Book of Kings, Chapter i. It is evident to any reflectingmind that it was a sort of King David arrangement. " As for the rest ofthe pamphlet, it was chiefly taken up with an elaborate argument that, all said and done, its subject was no worse than other ladies, andmuch better than many of them. 

Among extracts from this well intentioned effort, the following arethe more important:

 A certain Marquis Auguste Papon, a quondam panderer to the natural desires and affections which are common to the whole human race, published and circulated throughout Europe a volume which stamps his own infamy (as we shall have occasion to show in the course of this reply) in far more ineffaceable characters than that of those whom, in his vindictiveness, he gloatingly sought to destroy. 

 But, before we proceed to dissect his book, it may be permitted us to ask the impartial reader what there is so very remarkable in the conduct of the King of Bavaria and Lola Montez as to distinguish them unfavourably from the monarchs and women celebrated for their talent, originality, and beauty who have gone before. Where are Henry IV of France, Henry V, Louis XIV, and Louis XV, with their respective mistresses? Who of their people ever presumed to interfere on the score of morality with the favours and honours conferred on those distinguished women? Nay, to come down to a later period, has the Marquis Auguste Papon ever heard of the loves of Louis XVIII and Madame de Cuyla, and that after the monarch's restoration in 1814? Is he ignorant of those of Napoleon himself and Mademoiselle Georges? Have not almost all the royal family of England--even those of the House of Hanover--been notorious for their connection with celebrated women? Has he never heard of Mrs. Walkinshaw, ostensible mistress of Charles Edward the Pretender, of Lucy Barlow, mistress of Charles II, mother of the Duke of Monmouth? Of Arabella Churchill and Katherine Sedley, mistresses of James II? Of the Countess of Kendal, mistress of George II, who was received everywhere in English society? Or of George IV and the Marchioness of C----? Of the Duke of York and Mary Anne Clark? Of the Duke of Clarence and the amiable and respected Mrs. J----? And last, not least, of the present King of Hanover and late Duke of Cumberland, who labours even unto this hour under suspicion of having murdered his valet Sellis, to conceal his adultery with his wife? In what differs the King of Bavaria from these?

[Illustration: _Lola Montez in caricature. "Lola on the AllemannenHound"_]

 But even to descend lower into the social scale of those who have occupied the attention of the world without incurring its marked and impertinent censure, has the Marquis Auguste Papon ever heard of the beautiful Miss Foote, who, first the favourite of the celebrated Colonel Berkeley (a natural brother of the Duke of Devonshire) and secondly of a personal friend of the writer of this reply--the celebrated Pea Green Hayne--became finally the charming and amiable Countess of Harrington, one of the sweetest women that ever were placed at the head of the Stanhope family or graced a peerage?

 Who, that ever once enjoyed the pleasure of knowing this fairest flower in the parterre of England's aristocracy of beauty, would, in a spirit of revenge and disappointed avarice, have had the grossness to insult _her_ as the Marquis of Papon--the depository of all her secrets--has insulted the Countess of Landsfeld with the loathsome name of "courtesan, " because, yielding to the confidence of her woman's heart, she had been the adored of two previous lovers? Never did Lord Petersham, afterwards the Earl of Harrington, take a more sensible course than when he elevated in a holy and irreproachable love--a love that strangled scandal in its bloated fullness--the fascinating Maria Foote to the position she was made to adorn, being twin sister in beauty as well as in law to the charming Miss Green, whose ripe red lips and long dark-lashed blue and laughing eyes were, before her marriage with Colonel Stanhope, the admiration and subject of homage of all London. Should her eye ever rest on this page, she will perceive that we have not forgotten its power and expression. 

 To descend still lower in the scale of social life, has the Marquis Auguste Papon ever heard of the celebrated Madame Vestris, now Mrs. Mathews? Is he ignorant that her theatre--the Olympic--was ever a resort of the most fashionable and aristocratic people of London? Did her moral life in any way detract from her popularity as a woman of talent and of beauty, and an artiste of exceeding fascination and merit? And yet she had more lovers than the Marquis Auguste Papon can, with all his ingenuity, raise up in evidence against the remarkable woman he, in his not very creditable spirit of vengeance, has sworn to destroy. 

 Let us enumerate those we know to have been the lovers of Madame Vestris, who, after having passed her youth in all the variety of enjoyment, at length became the wife of a man, not without talent himself, and whose father stood first among the names celebrated in the comic art. 

 First was a personal friend of the writer of this reply to the unmanly attack of the Marquis Auguste Papon. And we have reason to remember it, for the connection of Henry Cole with the most fascinating woman of her day led to a duel in Hyde Park, of which that lady was the immediate cause, between the writer and a British officer who was so ungallant as to seek to check the enthusiasm created by her scarcely paralleled acting. To him succeeded Sir John Anstruther, and after Sir John the celebrated Horace Claggett. In what order their successors came we do not recollect, but of those who knew Madame Vestris in all the intimacy of the most tender friendship were Handsome Jack, Captain Best, Lord Edward Thynne, and Lord Castlereagh. These things were no secrets to the thousands who, fascinated by her beauty and the perfection of her acting, nevertheless thronged the theatre she was admitted to have conducted with the most amiable propriety and skill. On the contrary, they were as much matters of general knowledge among people of the first rank and fashion as the sun at noon-day. And yet what gentleman ever presumed to affix to the name of this gifted woman, whose very disregard of the opinion of those who hypocritically and _sub rosa_ pursued in nearly ninety-nine cases out of a hundred the same course--what gentleman, we ask, ever dared to commit himself so far as to term her a "courtesan"?

There was a good deal more of it, for the "Reply" ran to seventy-sixpages. 

The title-page of this counterblast ran:

LOLA MONTEZ

or

A REPLY TO THE"PRIVATE HISTORY AND MEMOIRS"

of

THAT CELEBRATED LADY

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

By

THE MARQUIS PAPON

FORMERLY SECRETARY TOTHE KING OF BAVARIAAND FOR A PERIODTHE PROFESSED FRIEND AND ATTENDANTofTHE COUNTESS OF LANDSFELD

_Stet Nomnis Umbra_--Junius

NEW YORK

1851

IV

Bavaria was the key position in the sphere of European politics justthen. Ludwig, however, had dallied with the situation too long. Nothing that he could do now would save him. Unrest was in the air. All over Europe the tide of democracy was rising, and fast threateningto engulf the entrenched positions of the autocrats. Metternich, reading the portents, was planning to leave a mob-ridden Vienna forthe more tranquil atmosphere of Brighton; Louis Philippe, setting himan example, had already fled from Paris; and Prince William ofPrussia, shaving off his moustache (and travelling on a falsepassport), was hurrying to England while the going was still good. With these examples to guide them, the Bavarians, tired of softpromises and smooth words, were clamouring for a fresh hand at thehelm. Realising that the choice lay between this and a republic, Ludwig bowed to the inevitable; and, with crocodile tears andhypocritical protestations of good faith, surrendered his sceptre. Togive the decision full effect, he issued a Proclamation:

 "Bavarians! A new condition has arisen. This differs substantially from the one under which I have governed you for twenty-three years. Accordingly, I lay down my sceptre in favour of my beloved son, Prince Maximilian. I have always governed you with full regard for your welfare. Had I been a mere clerk, I could not have worked more strenuously; had I been a Minister of Finance, I could not have devoted more attention to the requirements of my country. I thank God that I can look the whole world fearlessly in the face and there confront the most scrutinising eye. Although I now relinquish my crown, I can assure you that my heart still beats as warmly as ever for Bavaria. 

 "MUNICH, _March 21, 1848_. "

Ludwig's signature to this mixture of rigmarole and bombast wasfollowed by those of his sons, the Princes Maximilian Luitpold, Adalbert, and Carl. As for Maximilian, the new sovereign, he, ratherthan risk being thrown out of the saddle, was prepared to make a cleansweep of a number of existing grievances. As an earnest of hisintentions, he promised, in the course of a frothy oration, to grantan amnesty to political prisoners, liberty of the press, the abolitionof certain taxes, the institution of trial by jury, and a long delayedreform of the franchise. 

With the idea, no doubt, of filling the vacancy in his affectionscaused by the abrupt departure of Lola Montez, Fräulein Schroder, ayoung actress at the Hof Theatre, endeavoured to comfort Ludwig in hisretirement. He, however, was beyond forming any fresh contacts. 

"My happiness is gone from me, " he murmured sadly. "I cannot stop in acapital to which I have long given a father's loving care. "

Firm in this resolve, he left Munich for the Riviera and took a villaamong the olives and oranges of Nice. There he turned over a freshleaf. But he did not stop writing poetry. Nor did he stop writing tothe woman who was still in his thoughts. One ardent epistle thatfollowed her into exile ran in this fashion:

 Oh, my Lolita! A ray of sunshine at the break of day! A stream of light in an obscured sky! Hope ever causes chords long forgotten to resound, and existence becomes once again pleasant as of yore. Such were the feelings which animated me during that night of happiness when, thanks to you alone, everything was sheer joy. Thy spirit lifted up mine out of sadness; never did an intoxication equal the one I then felt!

 Thou hast lost thy gaiety; persecution has stripped you of it; and has robbed you of your health. The happiness of your life is already disturbed. But now, and more solidly than ever, are you attached to me. Nobody will ever be able to separate us. You have suffered because you love me. 

When accounts of what was happening in Bavaria reached England a wellpickled rod was applied to Lola's back:

"The sanguinary and destructive conduct of the Munich mob, " began afurious leading article, "was caused by the supposed return ofBavaria's famous strumpet, Lola Montez. This heroine was once familiarto the eyes of all Paris, and notorious as a courtesan. When she wasinvested with a title, the Bavarians shuddered at their degradation. It was nothing less than an outrage on the part of royalty, never tobe forgotten or forgiven. "

The columns of _Maga_ also wielded the rod in vigorous fashion:

 "The late King, one of the most accomplished of dilettanti, worst of poets, and silliest of men, had latterly put the coping-stone to a life of folly by engaging in a most bare-faced intrigue with the notorious Lola Montez. The indecency and infatuation of this last _liaison_--far more openly conducted than any of his former numerous amours--had given intense umbrage to the nobility whom he had insulted by elevating the ci-devant opera-dancer to their ranks. "

Yet, with all his faults heavy upon him, Ludwig, none the less, hadhis points. Thus, in addition to converting Munich from a second-ratetown to a really important capital, he did much to encourage thedevelopment of art and letters and science and education throughouthis kingdom. Ignaz Döllinger, the theologian, Joseph Görres, thehistorian, Jean Paul Richter, the poet, Franz Schwanthaler, thesculptor, and Wilhelm Thirsch, the philosopher, with Richard Wagnerand a host of others basked in his patronage. When he died, twentyyears later, these facts were remembered and his little slipsforgotten. The Müncheners gave him burial in the Basilica; and anequestrian statue, bearing the inscription, "Just and Persevering, "was set up in the Odeon-Platz. 

It is the fashion among certain historians to charge Lola Montez withresponsibility for the revolution in Bavaria. But this charge is notjustified. The fact is, the kingdom was ripe for revolution; and theequilibrium of the government was so unstable that Ludwig would havelost his crown, whether she was in the country or not. 

It is just as well to remember this. 

V

After a few months among them, Lola, tiring of the Swiss cantons, thought she might as well discover if England, which she had notvisited for six years, could offer any fresh attractions. Accordingly, resolved to make the experiment, on December 30, 1848, she arrived inLondon. 

The _Satirist_, hearing the news, suggested that the managers of DruryLane and Covent Garden should engage her as a "draw. " But she did notstop in England very long, as she returned to the Continent almost atonce. 

In the following spring, she made a second journey to London, andsailed from Rotterdam. Unknown to her, the passenger list was to haveincluded another fallen star. This was Metternich, who, with theriff-raff of Vienna thundering at the doors of his palace, waspreparing to seek sanctuary in England. Thinking, however, that thetimes were not altogether propitious, he decided to postpone theexpedition. 

"If, " he wrote, "the Chartist troubles had not prevented me embarkingyesterday at Rotterdam, I should have reached London this morning inthe company of the Countess of Landsfeld. She sailed by the steamer inwhich I was to have travelled. I thank heaven for having preserved mefrom such contact!"

All things considered, it is perhaps just as well that the tworefugees did not cross the Channel together. Had they done so, it isprobable that one of them would have found a watery grave. 

Metternich had worsted Napoleon, but he found himself worsted by LolaMontez. On April 9, he wrote from The Hague:

 "I have put off my departure for England, because I wished to know first what was happening in that country as a result of the Chartists' disturbance. I consider that, for me who must have absolute rest, it would have been ridiculous to have arrived in the middle of the agitation. "

Louis Napoleon, however, was made of sterner stuff; and it is to hiscredit that, as a return for the hospitality extended him, he wassworn in as a special constable. 

CHAPTER XII

A "LEFT-HANDED" MARRIAGE

I

On arriving in London, and (thanks to the bounty of Ludwig) being wellprovided with funds, Lola took a house in Half Moon Street, Piccadilly. There she established something of a _salon_, where shegave a series of evening receptions. They were not, perhaps, up to theold Barerstrasse standard; still, they brought together a number ofthe less important "lions, " all of whom were only too pleased toaccept invitations. 

Among the hangers-on was Frederick Leveson-Gower, a son of EarlGranville. He had met the great Rachel in Paris and was ecstatic abouther. "Not long after, " he says, "I got to know another much lessgifted individual, but who having captivated a King, upset twoMinistries, and brought about a revolution in Bavaria, was entitled tobe looked upon as celebrated. This was Lola Montez. "

In his character of what is still oddly dubbed a "man-about-town, "Serjeant Ballantine was also among those who attended these Half MoonStreet gatherings. "His hostess, " he says, "had certain claims tocelebrity. She was, I believe, of Spanish origin, and certainlypossessed that country's style of beauty, with much dash of manner andan extremely _outré_ fashion of dress. " Another occasional visitor wasGeorge Augustus Sala, a mid-Victorian journalist who was responsiblefor printing more slipshod inaccuracies than any two members of hiscraft put together. He says that he once contemplated writing Lola'smemoirs. He did not, however, get beyond "contemplating. " This, perhaps, was just as well, since he was so ill-equipped for the taskthat he imagined she was a sister of Adah Isaacs Menken. 

"About this time, " he says, "I made the acquaintance, at a littlecigar shop under the pillars in Norreys Street, Regent Street, of anextremely handsome lady, originally the wife of a solicitor, but whohad been known in London and Paris as a ballet-dancer under the nameof Lola Montez. When I knew her, she had just escaped from Munich, where she had been too notorious as Countess of Landsfeld. She hadobtained for a time complete mastery over old King Ludwig of Bavaria;and something like a revolution had been necessary to induce her toquit the Bavarian capital. "

A ridiculous story spread that Lord Brougham (who had witnessed herill-starred début in 1843) wanted to marry her. The fact that therewas already a Lady Brougham in existence did not curb the tongues ofthe gossipers. "She refused the honourable Lord, " says a Frenchjournalist, "in a manner that redounded to her credit. "

Journalists, anxious for "copy, " haunted Half Moon Street all daylong. They were never off her doorstep. "Town gossip, " declared one ofthem, "is in full swing; and the general public are all agog to catcha glimpse of the latest 'lioness. ' Lola Montez is on every lip and ineverybody's eye. She is causing an even bigger sensation than thatinspired by the Swedish Nightingale, Madame Jenny Lind. "

Notwithstanding the ill-success of a former attempt to exploit herpersonality behind the footlights, Mrs. Keeley produced a sketch atthe Haymarket written "round" Lola Montez. This, slung together byStirling Coyne, was called: _Pas de Fascination_. The scene was laidin "Neverask-_where_"; and among the characters were "PrinceDunbrownski, " "Count Muffenuff, " and "General von Bolte. "

It scarcely sounds rib-rending. 

Mrs. Charles Kean, who attended the first performance, described _Pasde Fascination_ as "the most daring play I ever witnessed. " LolaMontez herself took it in good part. She sat in a box, "and, when thecurtain fell, threw a magnificent bouquet at the principal actress. "Coals of fire. 

Not to be behindhand in offering tit-bits of "news, " an Americancorrespondent informed his readers that: "During the early part of1849, Lola Montez, arrayed in the Royal Bavarian jewels, crashed intoone of the Court balls at Buckingham Palace. Needless to remark, " headded, "the audacity has not been repeated. " From this, it wouldappear that the Lord Chamberlain had been aroused from his temporaryslumbers. 

The _Satirist_ had assured his readers "the public will soon behearing more of Madame Montez. " They did. What they heard wassomething quite unexpected. This was that she had made a secondexperiment in matrimony, and that her choice had fallen on a Mr. George Heald, a callow lad of twenty, for whom a commission as Cornetin the Life Guards had been purchased by his family. 

II

The precise reasons actuating Lola in adopting this step were notdivulged. Several, however, suggested themselves. Perhaps she wasattracted by the Cornet's glittering cuirass and plumed helmet;perhaps by his substantial income; and perhaps she tired of being ahomeless wanderer, and felt that here at last was a prospect ofsettling down and experimenting with domesticity. 

When the announcement appeared in print there was much flutteringamong the Mayfair dovecotes. As the bridegroom had an income ofapproximately £10, 000 a year, the débutantes--chagrined to discoverthat such an "eligible" had been snatched from their grasp--feltinclined to call an indignation meeting. 

"Preposterous, " they said, "that such a woman should have snapped himup! Something ought to be done about it. "

But, for the moment, nothing was "done about it, " and the knot wastied on July 14. Lola saw that the knot should be a double one; andthe ceremony took place, first, at the French Catholic Chapel in KingStreet, and afterwards at St. George's, Hanover Square. 

[Illustration: _Berrymead Priory, Acton, where Lola Montez lived withCornet Heald_]

A press representative, happening to be among the congregation, rushedoff to Grub Street. There he was rewarded with a welcome fiveshillings by his editor, who, in high glee at securing such a piece ofnews before any other journal, had a characteristic paragraph on thesubject:

 Lola Montez, Countess of Landsfeld, the ex-danseuse and ex-favourite of the imbecile old King of Bavaria, is, we are able to inform our readers, at last married legitimately. _On dit_ that her young husband, Mr. George Trafford Heald, has been dragged into the match somewhat hurriedly. It will be curious to mark the progress of the Countess in this novel position. A sudden change from a career of furious excitement to one in which prudence and a regard for the rules of good society are the very opposite to those observed by loose foreigners must prove a trial to her. Whipping commissaries of police, and setting ferocious dogs at inoffensive civilians, may do very well for Munich. In England, however, we are scarcely prepared for these activities, even if they be deemed the privilege of a countess. 

Disraeli, who had a hearty appetite for all the tit-bits of gossipdiscussed in Mayfair drawing-rooms, heard of the match and mentionedit in a letter to his sister, Sarah:

 _July, 1849. _

 The Lola Montez marriage makes a sensation. I believe he [Heald] has only £3, 000 per annum, not £13, 000. It was an affair of a few days. She sent to ask the refusal of his dog, which she understood was for sale--of course it wasn't, being very beautiful. But he sent it as a present. She rejoined; he called; and they were married in a week. He is only twenty-one, and wished to be distinguished. Their dinner invitations are already out, I am told. She quite convinced him previously that she was not Mrs. James; and, as for the King of Bavaria, who, by the by, allows her £1500 a year, and to whom she writes every day--that was only a _malheureuse_ passion. 

Apropos of this union, a popular riddle went the round of the clubs:"Why does a certain young officer of the Life Guards resemble a muchmended pair of shoes?" The answer was, "Because he has been heeled[Heald] and soled [sold]. "

The honeymoon was spent at Berrymead Priory, a house that thebridegroom owned at Acton. This was a substantial Gothic building, with several acres of well timbered ground and gardens. Some distance, perhaps, from the Cornet's barracks. Still, one imagines he did nottake his military duties very seriously; and leave of absence "onurgent private affairs" was, no doubt, granted in liberal fashion. Also, he possessed a phæton, in which, with a spanking chestnutbetween the shafts, the miles would soon be covered. 

The Priory had a history stretching back to the far off days of HenryIII, when it belonged to the Chapter of St. Paul's Cathedral. HenryVII, in high-handed fashion, presented it to the Earl of Bedford; anda subsequent occupant was the notorious Elizabeth Chudleigh, thebigamous spouse of the Duke of Kingston. Another light lady, NancyDawson, is also said to have lived there as its châtelaine, under the"protection" of the Duke of Newcastle. 

At the beginning of the last century the property was acquired by aColonel Clutton. He was followed by Edward Bulwer, afterwards LordLytton, who lived there on and off (chiefly off) with his wife, untiltheir separation in 1836. On one occasion he gave a dinner-party, among the guests being John Forster, "to meet Miss Landon, Fontblanque, and Hayward. " To the invitation was added the warning, "We dine at half-past five, to allow time for return, and regret muchhaving no spare beds as yet. " A spare bed, however, was available forLord Beaconsfield, when he dined there in the following year. 

On the departure of Bulwer, the house had a succession of tenants; andfor a short period it even sheltered a bevy of Nuns of the SacredHeart. It was when they left that the estate was purchased by Mr. George Heald, a barrister with a flourishing practice. He left it tohis booby son, the Cornet: and it was thus that Lola Montezestablished her connection with Berrymead Priory. 

While the original house still stands, the garden in which it stoodhas gone; and the building itself now serves as the premises of theActon Constitutional Club. But the committee have been careful topreserve some evidence of Cornet Heald's occupancy. Thus, his crestand family motto, _Nemo sibi Nascitur_, are let into the mosaicflooring of the hall, and the drawing-room ceiling is embellished withhis initials picked out in gold. 

III

Prejudice, perhaps, but unions between the sons of Mars and thedaughters of Terpsichore were in those days frowned upon by themilitary big-wigs at the Horse Guards. Hence, it was not long beforean inspired note on the subject of this one appeared in the_Standard_:

 We learn from undoubted authority that, immediately on the marriage of Lieutenant Heald with the Countess of Landsfeld, the Marquess of Londonderry, Colonel of the 2nd Life Guards, took the most decisive steps to recommend to Her Majesty that this officer's resignation of his commission should be insisted on; and that he should at once leave the regiment, which this unfortunate and extraordinary act might possibly prejudice. 

Her Majesty, having consulted the Prince Consort and the Duke ofWellington, shared this view. Instead, however, of being summarily"gazetted out, " the love-sick young warrior was permitted to "send inhis papers. "

Thinking that he had acted precipitately in resigning, Cornet Heald(egged on, doubtless, by Lola) endeavoured to get his resignationcancelled. The authorities, however, were adamant. "Much curiosity, "says a journalistic comment, "has been aroused among the HouseholdTroops by the efforts of this officer to regain his commission afterhaving voluntarily relinquished it. Notwithstanding his youth and thefact that he had given way to a sudden impulse, Lord Londonderry waspositively inflexible. Yet the influence and eloquence of a certainex-Chancellor, well known to the bride, was brought to bear on him. "

The "certain ex-Chancellor" was none other than Lord Brougham. 

Much criticism followed in other circles. Everybody had an opinion toadvance. Most of them were far from complimentary, and there wereallusions by the dozen to "licentious soldiery" and "gildedpopinjays. " The rigid editor of _The Black Book of the BritishAristocracy_ was particularly indignant. "The Army, " he declared, in afierce outburst, "is the especial favourite of the aristocraticsection. Any brainless young puppy with a commission is free to loungeaway his time in dandyism and embryo moustaches at the publicexpense. "

The _Satirist_, living up to its name, also had its customary sting:

 Of course, the gallant Colonel of the Household Troops could not do less. That distinguished corps is immaculate; and no breath of wind must come between it and its propriety. There is but one black sheep in the 2nd Life Guards, and that, in the eyes of the coal black colonel (him of the collieries), is the soft, enchanted, and enchained Mr. Heald. Poor Heald! Indignant Londonderry! How subservient, in truth, must be the lean subaltern to his fat colonel. 

A Sunday organ followed suit. "What, " it demanded, "may be the precisearticle of the military code against which Mr. Heald is thought tohave offended? One could scarcely have supposed that officers in HerMajesty's service were living under such a despotism that they shouldbe compelled to solicit permission to get married, or their colonel'sapprobation of their choice. "

In addition to thus disapproving of marriages between his officers andladies of the stage, Lord Londonderry (a veteran of fifty-five years'service) disapproved with equal vigour of tobacco. "What, " he oncewrote to Lord Combermere, "are the Gold Sticks to do with that sink ofsmoking, the Horse Guards' guard and mess-rooms? Whenever I havevisited them, I have found them _worse_ than any pot-house, and thisactually opposite the Adjutant-General's and under his Grace's verynose!"

The example set by Cornet Heald seems to have been catching. "Anotheryoung officer of this regiment, " announced the _Globe_, "has just runoff with a frail lady belonging to the Theatre and actually marriedher at Brighton. " He, too, was required to "send in his papers. "

Besides losing his commission, Cornet Heald had, in his marriage, allunwittingly laid up a peck of fresh trouble for himself. This wasbrought to a head by the action of his spinster aunt, Miss SusannahHeald, who, until he came of age, had been his guardian. SuspectingLola of a "past, " she set herself to pry into it. Gathering that hernephew's inamorata had already been married, she employed enquiryagents to look into this previous union and discover just how and whenit had been dissolved. They did their work well, and reported that thedivorce decree of seven years earlier had not been made absolute, andthat Lola's first husband, Captain James, was still alive. Armed withthis knowledge, Miss Heald hurried off to the authorities, and, having"laid an information, " had Lola Montez arrested for bigamy. 

The case was heard at Marlborough Street police court, with Mr. Bingham sitting as Magistrate. Mr. Clarkson conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Bodkin appeared for the defence. 

"The proceedings of a London police court, " declared _John Bull_, "have seldom presented a case more fruitful of matter for publicgossip than was exhibited in the investigation at Marlborough Street, where the mediated wife of a British officer (and one invested withthe distinction of Royal favouritism) answered a charge of imputedbigamy.... It will readily be inferred that we allude to thatextraordinary personage known as Lola Montez, _alias_ the Countess ofLandsfeld. "

Lola had, as the theatrical world would put it, dressed for the part. She had probably rehearsed it, too. She wore, we learn, "a black silkcostume, under a velvet jacket, and a plain white straw bonnet trimmedwith blue ribbons. " As became a countess, she was not required to sitin the dock, but was given a chair in front of it. "There, " said areporter, "she appeared quite unembarrassed, and smiled frequently asshe made a remark to her husband. She was described on the chargesheet as being twenty-four years of age, but in our opinion she hasthe look of a woman of at least thirty. "

"In figure, " added a second occupant of the press box, "madam israther plump, and of middle height, with pale complexion, unusuallylarge blue eyes and long black lashes. Her reputed husband, Mr. Heald, is a tall young man of boyish aspect, fair hair and small brownmoustachios and whiskers. During the whole of the proceedings he satwith the Countess's hand clasped in his, occasionally giving it afervent squeeze, and murmuring fondly in her ear. "

All being ready, Mr. Clarkson opened the case for the prosecution. 

 "The offence imputed to the lady at the bar, " he said, "is that, well knowing her husband, Captain Thomas James, was still alive, she contracted another marriage with this young gentleman, Mr. George Trafford Heald. If this be established, serious consequences must follow, as I shall prove that the Ecclesiastical Court merely granted a decree _a mensa et thoro_. " He then put in a copy of this document, and pointed out that, by its provisions, neither party was free to re-marry during the lifetime of the other. Counsel also submitted an extract from the register of the Hanover Square church, showing that, on July 19, the defendant had, under the name of "Maria Torres de Landsfeld, " gone through a ceremony of marriage with Cornet Heald. 

Police-sergeant Gray, who had executed the warrant, described thearrest. 

"When I told her she must come along with me, the lady up and said:'This is all rubbish. I was properly divorced from Captain James byAct of Parliament. Lord Brougham was present when the divorce wasgranted. I don't know if Captain James is still alive or not, and Idon't care a little bit. I was married to him in the wrong name, andthat made the whole thing illegal. '"

"Did she say anything else?" enquired the magistrate. 

"Yes, Your Worship, " returned the sergeant, consulting his note-book. "She said: 'What on earth will the Royal Family say when they hear ofthis? There's bound to be the devil of a fuss. '"

"Laughter in Court!" chronicled the pressmen. 

"And what did you say to that?" enquired Mr. Bingham. 

"I said that anything she said would be taken down by myself and usedin evidence against her, " was the glib response. 

The execution of the warrant would appear to have been carried out indramatic fashion. 

Having evidently got wind of what was awaiting her, Lola and theCornet had packed their luggage and arranged to leave England. Just asthey were stepping into their carriage, Miss Susannah Heald and hersolicitor, accompanied by a couple of police officers, drove up in acab to Half Moon Street. When the latter announced that they had awarrant for her arrest, there was something of a scene. "TheCountess, " declared an imaginative reporter (who must have beenhovering on the doorstep), "exhibited all the appearance of excessivepassion. She used very strong language, pushed the elderly Miss Healdaside, and bustled her husband in vigorous fashion. However, she sooncooled down, and, on being escorted to Vine Street police station, where the charge of bigamy was booked, she graciously apologised forany trouble she had given the representatives of the law. She thenbegged permission to light a cigar, and suggested that the constableson duty there should join her in a social whiff. "

Miss Susannah Heald, described as "an aged lady, " deposed that she wasCornet Heald's aunt, and that she had been appointed his guardianduring his minority, which had only just expired. She was bringing theaction, she insisted, "from a sense of duty. "

Another witness was Captain Charles Ingram, a mariner in the serviceof the East India Company. He identified the accused as the Mrs. Jameswho had sailed in a ship under his command from Calcutta to London inthe year 1842. 

While an official return, prepared by the military authorities, showedCaptain James to have been alive on June 13, there was none to showthat he was still in the land of the living on July 19, the date ofthe alleged bigamous marriage. The prosecution affected to considerthis point unimportant. The magistrate, however (on whom Lola's brighteyes had done their work), did not agree. 

"The point, " he said, "is, to my mind, very important. During theinterval that elapsed between these two dates many things may havehappened which would render this second marriage quite legal. It ispossible, for instance, that Captain James may have been snatched fromthis world to another one by any of those numerous casualties--such aswounds in action or cholera--that are apt to befall members of themilitary profession serving in a tropical climate. What do you say tothat, Mr. Clarkson?"

Mr. Clarkson had nothing to say. Mr. Bodkin, however, when it came tohis turn, had a good deal to say. The charge against his client was, he declared, "in all his professional experience, absolutelyunparalleled. " Neither the first nor the second husband, he pointedout, had advanced any complaint; and the offence, if any, had beencommitted under circumstances that fully justified it. He did not wishto hint at improper motives on the part of Miss Heald, but it wasclear, he protested, that her attitude was governed by private, andnot by public, ends. None the less, he concluded, "I am willing toadmit that enough has been put before the Court to justify furtherenquiry. "

Such an admission was a slip which even the very rawest of counselshould have avoided. It forced the hand of the magistrate. 

"I am asked, " he said, "to act on a presumption of guilt. As proof ofguilt is wanting, I am reluctant to act on such presumption, even tothe extent of granting a remand, unless the prosecution can assure methat more evidence will be offered at another hearing. Since, however, the defendant's own advocate has voluntarily admitted that there isground for further enquiry, I am compelled to order a remand. But theaccused will be released from custody on providing two sureties of£500 each, and herself in one of £1000. "

The adjourned proceedings began a week later, and were heard byanother magistrate, Mr. Hardwick. This time, however, there was nodefendant, for, on her name being called by the usher, Mr. Bodkinpulled a long face and announced that his client had left England. "Icannot, " he said, "offer any reason for her absence. " Still, he had asuggestion. "It is possible, " he said, "that she has gone abroad forthe benefit of her health. " The question of estreating therecognizances then arose. While not prepared to abandon themaltogether, counsel for the prosecution was sufficiently generous tosay that so far as he was concerned no objection would be offered toextending them. 

When, after two more adjournments, the defendant still failed tosurrender to her bail, the magistrate and counsel for the prosecutionaltered their tone. 

"Your Worship, " said Mr. Clarkson, "it has come to my knowledge thatthe person whose real name is Mrs. James, and who is charged with thefelonious crime of bigamy, is now some hundreds of miles beyond yourjurisdiction, and does not mean to appear. Accordingly, on behalf ofthe highly respectable Miss Heald, I now ask that the recognizances beforfeited. My client has been actuated all through by none but thepurest motives, her one object being to remove the only son of abeloved brother from a marriage that was as illegal as it wasdisgraceful. If we secure evidence from India that Captain James isstill alive, we shall then adopt the necessary steps to remove thisdeluded lad from the fangs of this scheming woman. "

"Let the recognizances be estreated, " was the magisterial comment. 

"Sensation!" scribbled the reporters. 

Serjeant Ballantine, who liked to have a hand in all _causescélèbres_, declares that he was consulted by Lola's solicitors, with aview to undertaking her defence. If so, he would seem to have read hisinstructions very casually, since he adds: "I forget whether theprosecution was ultimately dropped, or whether she left England beforeany result was arrived at. My impression is that the charge could nothave been substantiated. "

Ignoring the fact that the case was still _sub judice_, the _Observer_offered its readers some severe comments:

 "The Helen of the age is most assuredly Lola Montez, _alias_ Betsy James, _alias_ the Gräfin von Lansfelt, _alias_ Mrs. Heald. As far as can be gathered from her dark history, her first public act was alleged adultery, as her last is alleged bigamy.... The evidence produced before the Consistory Court is of the most clear and convincing nature, and proves that the character of this lady (whose fame has become so disgustingly notorious) has been from an early date that of a mere wanton, alike unmindful of the sacred ties of matrimony and utterly careless of the opinion of the world upon morality or religion. "

[Illustration: _Lola Montez in London. Aged thirty_

(_Engraved by Auguste Hüssner_)]

By the way, during the police court proceedings, fresh light on thesubject of Lola's parentage was furnished by an odd entry in an Irishpaper:

 "Lola Montez, Countess of Landsfeld, is the daughter of a Cork lady. Her mother was at one time employed as a member of a millinery establishment in this city; and was married here to Lieutenant Gilbert, an officer in the army. Soon after the marriage, he sailed with his wife and child to join his regiment in India. At the end of last year, Lola's mother, who is now in delicate health, visited her sister in Cork. "

IV

Thanks to the bright eyes of Lola (or perhaps to the musical jingle ofthe Cornet's cash bags), a very loose watch was kept on the pair. Hence the reason why the Countess of Landsfeld (as she still insistedon being called) had not kept her second appointment at MarlboroughStreet was because, together with the dashing ex-Life Guardsman, shehad left England early that morning. Travelling as Mr. And Mrs. Heald, the pair went, first, to Paris, and then to Italy. 

A British tourist who happened to be in Naples wrote to _The Times_, giving an account of a glimpse he had of them. According to him, thecouple, "a youthful bridegroom and a fair lady, " accompanied by acourier, a _femme de chambre_, and a carriage, took rooms at the HotelVittoria. After one night there, they left the next morning, hiring aspecial steamer, at a cost of £400, to take them to Marseilles. Thehurried departure was said to be due to a lawyer's letters that waswaiting for the bridegroom at his banker's. "I am told, " adds thecorrespondent, "that Mr. And Mrs. Heald were bound on an excursion tothe Pyramids; and that, when the little business for which the lady iswanted at home has been settled, they mean to prosecute theirintention. Pray, sir, help Mrs. Heald out of her present affliction. Is this the first time that a lady has had two husbands? And is shenot bound for the East, where every man has four wives?"

The booby Cornet, with his ideas limited to fox-hunting and a study of_Ruff's Guide_, was no mate for a brilliant woman like Lola. Hencedisagreements soon manifested themselves. A specially serious onewould seem to have arisen at Barcelona, for, says a letter from amutual acquaintance, "the Countess and her husband had a warmdiscussion, which ended in an attempt by her to stab him. Mr. Heald, objecting to such a display of conjugal affection, promptly quittedthe town. "

Further particulars were supplied by another correspondent: "I saw Mr. Heald, " says this authority. "He is a tall, thin young man, with afair complexion, and often uses rouge to hide his pallor. Many pityhim for what has happened. Others, however, pity the lovely Lola. Before he left this district, Mr. Heald called on the English Consul. 'I have come, ' he said, 'to ask your advice. Some of my friends heresuggest that I should leave my wife. What ought I to do about it? If Istop with her, I am afraid of being assassinated or poisoned. ' He thenexhibited a garment covered with blood. The Consul replied: 'I ampositively astonished that, after the attack of which you speak, youdid not complain to the police, and that you have since lived withyour wife on terms of intimacy. If you want to abandon her, you mustdo as you think best. I cannot advise you. '"

H. B. M. Consul, however, did stretch a point, since he (perhaps fearingfurther bloodshed) offered to _viser_ the applicant's passport for anyother country. Thereupon, Mr. Heald betook himself to Mataro. But, becoming conscience-smitten, he promptly sat down and wrote anapologetic letter to the lady he left behind him, begging herforgiveness. "If you should ever have reason to complain of me again, "he said, "this letter will always act as a talisman. "

Apparently it had the effect, for Lola returned to her penitentspouse. 

The Barcelona correspondent of _L'Assemblée Nationale_ managed tointerview the Cornet. 

"He says, " announced this authority, "that others persuaded him todepart, against his real wishes. On rejoining him, Mrs. Heald was mostindignant. Her eyes positively flashed fire; and, if she should chanceto encounter the men who took her husband from her, I quite tremble tothink what will happen!"

Something obviously did happen, for, according to de Mirecourt, "during their sojourn in Sunny Spain, the admirable English husbandmade his wife the gratified mother of two beautiful offspring. "Parenthood, however, would appear to have had an odd effect upon thiscouple, for, continues de Mirecourt: "_Mais, en dépit de ces gagesd'amour, leur bonheur est troublé par des querelles intestines. _"

It was from Spain that, having adjusted their differences temporarily, the couple went back to Paris. As a peace offering, a rising youngartist, Claudius Jacquand, was commissioned to paint both theirportraits on a single canvas. During, however, another domesticrupture, Heald demanded that Lola's features should be painted out. "Iwant nothing, " he said, "to remind me of that woman. " Unfortunately, Lola had just made a similar demand where the Cornet was concerned. Jacquand was a man of talent, but he could not do impossibilities. Thereupon, Lola, breathing fire and fury, took the canvas away andhung it with its back to the front in her bedroom. "To allow myhusband to watch me always would, " she said, "be indelicate!"

There is a theory that, within the next twelve months, theill-assorted union was dissolved by Heald getting upset in arowing-boat and drowned in Lisbon harbour. The theory, however, is alittle difficult to reconcile with the fact that, on the close of theGreat Exhibition at the end of 1851, he attended an auction of theeffects, where he bought a parquet floor and had it laid down in hisdrawing-room at Berrymead Priory. After this he had a number ofstructural alterations added; fitted the windows with some stainedglass, bearing his crest and initials; and, finally, did not give upthe lease until 1855. Pretty good work, this, for a man said to havemet with a watery grave six years earlier. 

As a matter of strict fact, Cornet Heald was not drowned, either atLisbon or anywhere else. He died in his bed at Folkestone, in 1856. The medical certificate attributed the cause of death to consumption. In the _Gentleman's Magazine_, however, the diagnosis was different, viz. , "broken heart. "

All things pass. In 1859 the executors of the dashing Cornet sold theBerrymead property for £7000, to be repurchased soon afterwards for£23, 000 by a land-development company. The house now serves as thepremises of the Priory Constitutional Club, Acton. A certain amount ofevidence of Cornet Heald's one-time occupancy still exists. Thus hiscrest and motto, _Nemo sibi Nascitur_, are let into the mosaicflooring of the hall, and the drawing-room ceiling is embellished withhis initials picked out in gold. 

CHAPTER XIII

ODYSSEY

I

Notwithstanding the tie of alleged parenthood, domestic relationsbetween them did not improve, and the couple soon parted. Theknowledge that she was still "wanted" there kept Lola out of England. Instead, she went to Paris, where such unpleasantnesses as warrantscould not touch her. There she was given a warm welcome, by oldfriends and new. 

During this visit to Paris an unaccustomed set-back was experienced. She received it from Émile de Girardin, of whom she endeavoured tomake a conquest. But this "wild-eyed, pale-faced man of letters, " asshe called him, would have none of her. Perhaps he remembered what hadbefallen Dujarier. 

As was to be expected, the coming among them of Lola Montez attractedthe attention of the _courrierists_, who earned many welcome francs byfilling columns with details of her career. What they did not knowabout it they invented. They knew very little. Thus, one such article(appropriately signed "Fantasio") read as follows:

 "Madame Lola Montez, who is now happily returned to us, is the legitimate spouse of Sir Thomas James, an officer of the English Army. Milord Sir James loved to drink and the beautiful Lola loved to flirt. A wealthy Prince of Kabul was willing to possess her for her weight in gold and gems. Up till now, her principal love affairs have been with Don Enriquez, a Spaniard, Brûle-Tout, a well-developed French mariner, and John, a phlegmatic Englishman. One day Sir James bet that he could drink three bottles of brandy in twenty minutes. While he was thus occupied, the amorous Lola made love to three separate gallants. "

 "It will doubtless, " added a second, "be gratifying to her pride to queen it again in Paris, where she was once hissed off the stage. There she will at any rate now be received at the Bavarian Embassy, and exhibit the Order of Maria Theresa. She was invested with this to the considerable scandal of the Munich nobility, who cannot swallow the idea of such a distinction being bestowed on a dancer. "

This sort of thing and a great deal more in a similar strain, wasaccepted as gospel by its readers. But for those who wished her ill, any lie was acceptable. Thus, although there was not a scrap ofevidence to connect her with the incident, a paragraph, headed "LolaAgain?" was published in the London papers:

 Yesterday afternoon an extraordinary scene was witnessed by the promenaders in the Champs Elysées. Two fashionably attired ladies, driving in an elegant equipage, were heard to be employing language that was anything but refined. From words to blows, for suddenly they began to assault one another with vigorous smacks. The toilettes and faces of the fair contestants were soon damaged; and, loud cries of distress being uttered, the carriage was stopped, and, attracted by the fracas, some gentlemen hurried to render assistance. As a result of their interference, one of the damsels was expelled from the vehicle, and the other ordered the coachman to drive her to her hotel. This second lady is familiar to the public by reason of her adventures in Bavaria. 

Albert Vandam, a singularly objectionable type of journalist, whoprofessed to be on intimate terms with everybody in Paris worthknowing, has a number of offensive and unjustifiable allusions to LolaMontez at this period of her career. He talks of her "consummateimpudence, " of her "pot-house wit, " and of her "grammatical errors, "and dubs her, among other things, "this almost illiterate schemer. "

"Lola Montez, " says the egregious Vandam, "could not make friends. " Hewas wrong. This was just what she could do. She made many staunch andwarm-hearted friends. It was because she snubbed him on account of hispushfulness that Vandam elected to belittle her. 

Lola Montez chose her friends for their disposition, not for theirvirtue. One of them was George Sand, "the possessor of the largestmind and the smallest foot in Paris. " She also became intimate withAlphonsine Plessis, and constantly visited the future "Lady of theCamelias" in her _appartement_ on the Boulevard de la Madeleine. Another _habitué_ there at this period was Lola's old Dresden flame, the Abbé Liszt, who, not confining his attentions to the romanticists, had no compunction about poaching on the preserves of Dumas _fils_, or, for that matter, of anybody else. As for the fair, but frail, Alphonsine, she said quite candidly that she was "perfectly willing tobecome his mistress, if he wanted it, but was not prepared to sharethe position. " As Liszt had other ideas on the subject, the suggestioncame to nothing. 

Some years afterwards, one of his pupils, an American young woman, AmyFay, took his measure in a book, _Music-study in Germany_:

"Liszt, " she wrote, "is the most interesting and striking-looking manimaginable. Tall and slight, with deep-set eyes, shaggy eyebrows andlong iron-grey hair which he wears parted in the middle. His mouthturns up at the corners, which gives him a most crafty andMephistophelean expression when he smiles, and his whole appearanceand manner have a sort of Jesuitical elegance and ease. "

Before she set out on this journey, Lola wrote to an acquaintance:"What makes men and women distinguished is their individuality; and itis for that I will conquer or die!" Of this quality, she had enoughand to spare. Her Paris life was hectic; or, as the Boulevardiers putit, _elle faisait la bombe_. 

Among the tit-bits of gossip served up by a reporter was thefollowing:

 "Lola is constantly giving tea-parties in her Paris flat. A gentleman who is frequently bidden to them tells us that her masculine guests are restricted to such as have left their wives, and that the feminine guests consist of ladies who have left their husbands. "

An Englishman whom she met at this time was Savile Morton, a friend ofThackeray and Tennyson. One night when she was giving a supper-party, a fellow-guest, Roger de Beauvoir, happened to read to the companysome verses he had written. The hostess, on the grounds of theiralleged "coarseness, " complained to Morton that she had been insulted. As a result, Morton, being head over ears in love with her, sent deBeauvoir a challenge. Lola, however, having had enough of duels, tookcare that nothing should come of it; and insisted that an apologyshould be given and accepted. 

At one time she was optimistic enough to take a villa at Beaujon on afifteen years' lease, and had it refurnished in sumptuous fashion oncredit. The first two instalments of the rent were met. When, however, the landlord called to collect the third one, he was put off with theexcuse that: "Mr. Heald was away and had forgotten to send the money, but would be back in a week. " This story might have been accepted, hadnot the landlord discovered that his tenant was planning to leavesurreptitiously and that some of the furniture had already beenremoved. As a result, a body of indignant tradesmen, accompanied bythe Maire of the district, in tricoloured sash and wand of officecomplete, betook themselves to the villa and demanded a settlement ofaccounts for goods delivered. This time they were told that the moneyhad arrived, but that the key of the box in which it had beendeposited for safety was lost. Assuring them that she would fetch alocksmith, Lola slipped out of the house, and, stepping into awaiting cab, drove off to a new address near the Étoile. This was thelast that the creditors saw of her. 

In January, 1851, Lola, setting an example that has since then becomemuch more common among theatrical ladies, compiled her "memoirs. " Whenthe editor of _Le Pays_ undertook to publish them in his columns, arival editor, jealous of the "scoop, " referred to their author as"Madame James, once Madame Heald, formerly Mlle Lola Montez, and fornearly a quarter of an hour the Countess of Landsfeld. "

The work was dedicated to her old patron, King Ludwig, with a florid_avant-propos_:

 Sire: In publishing my memoirs, my purpose is to reveal to a world still engulfed in a vulgar materialism Your Majesty's lofty thoughts about art, poetry, and philosophy. The inspiration of this book, Sire, is due to yourself, and to those other remarkable men whom Fortune--always the protector of my younger years--has given me as councillors and friends. 

Lola must have written with more candour than tact. At any rate, afterthe first three chapters had appeared, the editor of _Le Pays_, on thegrounds that they would "shock his purer readers, " refused to continuethe series. "We positively decline, " he announced, "to sully ourcolumns further. "

II

Authorship having thus proved a failure, Lola, swallowing herdisappointment, directed her thoughts to her old love, the ballet. Tothis end, she placed herself in the hands of a M. Roux; and, a numberof engagements having been secured by him, she began a provincial tourat Bordeaux. By the time it was completed the star and her managerwere on such bad terms that, when they got back to Paris, the latterwas dismissed. Thereupon, he hurried off to a notary, and brought anaction against his employer, claiming heavy damages. 

According to Maître Desmaret, his client, M. Roux, had been engaged inthe capacity of _pilote intermédiare_ during a prospective tour inEurope and America. For his services he was to have 25 per cent of thebox-office receipts. On this understanding he had accompanied hisprincipal to a number of towns. He then returned to Paris; and whilehe was negotiating there for the defendant's appearance at theVaudeville, he suddenly discovered that she was planning to go toAmerica without him. As a result, he was now claiming damages forbreach of contract. These he laid at the modest figure of 10, 000francs. 

M. Blot-Lequesne, on behalf of Lola Montez, had a somewhat differentstory to tell. The plaintiff himself, he declared, wanted to get outof the contract and had deliberately disregarded its terms. Hisclient, he said, had authorised him to accept an engagement for her todance six times a week; but, in his anxiety to make additional profitfor himself, he had compelled her to dance six times a day. Apart fromthis, he had "signally failed to respect her dignity as a woman, andhad invented ridiculous stories about her career. " He had even doneworse, for, "without her knowledge or sanction, he had compiled anddistributed among the audiences where she appeared an utterlypreposterous biography of his employer. " This, among other matters, asserted that she had "lived and danced for eleven years in China andPersia; and that she had been befriended by the dusky King of Nepaul, as well as by numerous rajahs. "

The concluding passage from this effort was read to the judge:

"Ten substantial volumes would be filled with the chronicle of theeccentricities of Mlle Lola Montez, and much of them would still beleft unsaid. In the year 1847 a great English lord married her inLondon. Unfortunately, they found themselves not in sympathy, and in1850 she returned to the dreams of her spring-time. The Countess hasnow completed one half of her projected tour. In November she leavesFrance for America and--well--God only knows what will happenthen!"

[Illustration: _A "Belle of the Boulevards. " Lola Montez in Paris_]

"As long, " said counsel, "as the amiable Mlle Montez was treated by M. Roux like a wild animal exhibited at a country fair, she merelyshrugged her shoulders in disgust. When, however, she saw how thisabominable pamphlet lifted the curtain from her private life, it wasanother thing altogether. She expressed womanly indignation, and madea spirited response. "

"What was that?" enquired the judge, with interest. 

"She said: 'It is lucky for you, sir, that my husband is not here toprotect me. If he were, he would certainly pull your nose!'"

As was inevitable, this expression of opinion shattered the _entente_, and the manager returned to Paris by himself. Hearing nothing fromhim, Lola Montez thought that she was at liberty to make her ownplans, and had accordingly arranged the American tour without hishelp. 

On November 6, 1851, continued counsel, Lola Montez arrived in Paris, telling M. Roux that she would leave for America on November 20, butthat she would fulfil any engagement he secured during the interval. Just before she was ready to start he said he had got her one, but hewould not tell her where it was or produce any written contract. 

Accepting this version as the correct one, the Court pronouncedjudgment in favour of Lola Montez. 

III

M. Roux having thus been dismissed with a flea in his ear, Lola, onthe advice of Peter Goodrich, the American consul in Paris, nextengaged Richard Storrs Willis (a brother of N. P. Willis, the Americanpoet) to look after her business affairs, and left Europe for America. As the good ship _Humbolt_, by which she was sailing, warped intoharbour at New York, a salute of twenty-one guns thundered from theBattery. Lola, mightily pleased, took this expenditure of ammunitionas a tribute to herself. When, however, she discovered that it wasreally to herald the coming of Louis Kossuth, who also happened to beon board, she registered annoyance and retired to her cabin, to nurseher wrath. A Magyar patriot to be more honoured than an Englishex-favourite of a King! What next?

"A gentleman travelling with her informed our representative, " saidthe _New York Herald_, "that Madame had declared Kossuth to be a greathumbug. The Countess was a prodigious favourite among the masculinepassengers during the voyage, and continually kept them in roars oflaughter. "

But, if disappointed in one respect, Lola derived a measure ofcompensation from the fact that the bevy of reporters who met thevessel found her much more interesting than the stranger from Hungary. 

"Madame Lola Montez, " remarked one of them, who had gone off with abulging note-book, crammed with enough "copy" to fill a column, "saysthat a number of shocking falsehoods about her have been published inour journals. Yet she insists she is not the woman she is credited (ordiscredited) with being. If she were, her admirers, she thinks, wouldbe still more plentiful than they are. She expresses herself asfearful that she will not have proper consideration in New York; butshe trusts that the great American public will suspend judgment untilthey have made her acquaintance. "

"The Countess of Landsfeld, who is now among us, " adds a secondscribe, "owes more to the brilliancy of intellect with which Heavenhas gifted her than to her world-wide celebrity as an artiste. Herperson and bearing are unmistakably aristocratic. If we may credit thestories which from time to time have reached us, she can, ifnecessary, use her riding-whip in vigorous fashion about the ears ofany offending biped or quadruped. In America she is somewhat out ofher latitude. Paris should be her real home. "

For the present, however, Lola decided to stop where she was. 

While she was in America on this tour, Barnum wanted to be herimpresario, and promised "special terms. " Despite, however, the lureof "having her path garlanded with flowers and her carriage drawn byhuman hands from hotel to theatre, " the offer was not accepted. 

The New York début of Lola Montez was made on December 29, 1851, in aballet: _Betly, the Tyrolean_. Public excitement ran high, forappetites had been whetted by the sensational accounts of her "past"with which the papers were filled. 

"Scandal does not necessarily create a great dancer, " declared onerigid critic; and a second had a long column, headed: "MONTEZ _v. _RESPECTABILITY, " in which he observed (thoughtfully supplying atranslation): "_Parturiunt_ MONTEZ, _nascitur ridiculus mus_. " All thesame, the box-office reported record business. As a result, priceswere doubled, and the seats put up to auction. 

If she had her enemies in the press, Lola also had her championsthere. Just before she arrived, one of them, a New York paper, took upthe cudgels on her behalf in vigorous fashion:

 The most funny proceeding that is going on in this town is the terrible to-do that is being made about Lola Montez. If this state of things continues we will guarantee a continuance of the fun after Lola makes her advent among us, for if she doesn't properly horse-whip those squeamish gentlemen we are much mistaken in her character. 

 Now we want to call the attention of our fair-minded readers to a few other matters that are sure to occur. Here are the various papers pouring out a torrent of abuse on Lola. What will it all amount to? In a few weeks she will land. In a few weeks a popular theatre will be occupied by her, and tens of thousands will throng that theatre. The manager will reap a fortune, and so will Lola Montez; and those short-sighted conductors of the Press will be begging for tickets and quarrelling among themselves as to who can say the most extravagant things in her favour. Public curiosity will be gratified at any price; and if Lola Montez is a capital dancer she will soon dance down all opposition. With what grace can the public talk about virtue in a public actress, when they have followed in the wake of an ELSSLER? If the private character of a public actress is to be the criterion by which to judge of her professional merit, then half the theatres would be compelled to shut their doors. 

 We are as independently correct as any other paper that exists. We don't care a straw whether we go on with or without the other newspapers. We will do justice and say what is true, regardless of popularity. We detest hypocrisy; and we have no disposition to make a mountain out of a molehill, or to see a mote in the eye of Lola Montez, and not discover a beam in the eye of Fanny Elssler, or of any of the other great dancers or actresses. 

 "What is Lola Montez?" enquire the public. A good dancer, says the manager of a theatre. She is also notorious. The public will crowd the theatre to see her and to judge whether she is not also a good actress; and if they get their money's worth, they are satisfied. They do not pay to judge of the former history of Lola Montez.... A few squeamish people cannot prevent Lola Montez from creating a sensation here, or from crowding from pit to dome any house where she may appear; and, as they will be the first to endorse her success, they would be more consistent were they to let her alone until she secures it. 

None the less, there was competition to meet. A great deal ofcompetition, for counter-attractions were being offered in alldirections. Thus, "Professor" Anderson was conjuring rabbits out ofborrowed top hats; Thackeray was lecturing on "The EnglishHumourists"; Macready was bellowing and posturing in Shakespeare;General Tom Thumb was exhibiting his lack of inches; and Mrs. Bloomerwas advancing the cause of "Trousers for Women!" Still, Lola more thanheld her own as a "draw. "

In January the bill was changed to _Diana and the Nymphs_. The factthat some of the "Nymphs" supporting the star adopted a costume alittle suggestive of modern nudism appears to have upset a femininecritic. 

"When, " was her considered opinion, "a certain piece first presented apartly unclothed woman to the gaze of a crowded auditory, she was metwith a gasp of astonishment at the effrontery which dared so much. Menactually grew pale at the boldness of the thing; young girls hungtheir heads; a death-like silence fell over the house. But it passed;and, in view of the fact that these women were French ballet-dancers, they were tolerated. "

To show that she was properly qualified to express her views on such adelicate matter, this censor added: "Belonging, root and branch, to atheatrical family, I have not on that account been deemed unworthy tobreak bread at an imperial table, nor to grasp the hand of friendshipextended to me by an English lordly divine. "

By the way, on this subject of feminine attire (or the lack of it) arigid standard was also applicable to the audience's side of thecurtain, and any departure from it met with reprisals. This is madeclear by a shocked paragraph chronicling one such happening at anothertheatre:

 "During the evening of our visit there transpired an occurrence to which we naturally have some delicacy in alluding. Since, however, it indicates a censorship in a quarter where refinement is perhaps least to be expected, it should not be suffered by us to pass unnoticed. In the stalls, which were occupied by a number of ladies and gentlemen in full evening costume, and of established social position, there was to be observed a woman whose remarkable lowness of corsage attracted much criticism. Indeed, it obviously scandalised the audience, among the feminine portion of which a painful sensation was abundantly perceptible. At last, their indignation found tangible expression; and a voice from the pit was heard to utter in measured accents a stern injunction that could apply to but one individual. Blushing with embarrassment, the offender drew her shawl across her uncovered shoulders. A few minutes later, she rose and left the house, amid well merited hisses from the gallery, and significant silence from the outraged occupants of the stalls and boxes. "

Decorum was one thing; _décolletage_ was another. In the consideredopinion of 1851 the two did not blend. 

A certain Dr. Judd, who, in the intervals of his medical practice, wasmanaging a Christy Minstrels entertainment at this period, has somerecollections of Lola Montez. "Many a long chat, " he says, "I had withher in our little bandbox of a ticket-office. Thackeray's _VanityFair_ was being read in America just then, and Lola expressed to megreat anger that the novelist should have put her into it as BeckySharp. 'If he had only told the truth about me, ' she said, 'I shouldnot have cared, but he derived his inspiration from my enemies inEngland. '"

This item appears to have been unaccountably missed by Thackeray'sother historians. 

IV

Lola's tastes were distinctly "Bohemian, " and led her, while in NewYork, to be a constant visitor at Pfaff's underground _delicatessen_café, then a favourite haunt of the literary and artistic worlds ofthe metropolis. There she mingled with such accepted celebrities asWalt Whitman, W. Dean Howells, Commodore Vanderbilt, and that otherflashing figure, Adah Isaacs Menken. She probably found in Pfaff's acertain resemblance to the Munich beer-halls with which she had beenfamiliar. A bit of the Fatherland, as it were, carried across thebroad Atlantic. German solids and German liquids; talk and laughterand jests among the company of actors and actresses and artists andjournalists gathered night after night at the tables; everybody in agood temper and high spirits. 

Walt Whitman, inspired, doubtless, by beer, once described the placein characteristic rugged verse:

 The vaults at Pfaff's, where the drinkers and laughers meet to eat and drink and carouse, While on the walk immediately overhead pass the myriad feet of Broadway. 

There was a good deal more of it, for, when he had been furnished withplenty of liquid refreshment, the Muse of Walt ran to length. 

From New York Lola set out on a tour to Philadelphia, St. Louis, andBoston. While in this last town, she "paid a visit of ceremony" to oneof the public schools. Although the children there "expressed surpriseand delight at the honour accorded them, " the _Boston Transcript_shook its editorial head; and "referred to the visit in a fashion thataroused the just indignation of the lady and her friends. "

The cudgels were promptly taken up on her behalf by a New Yorkjournalist:

"Lola Montez, " he declared, "owes less of her strange fascination andworld-wide celebrity to her powers as an _artiste_ than to theextraordinary mind and brilliancy of intellect with which Heaven hasthought fit to endow her. At one moment ruling a kingdom, through animbecile monarch; and the next, the wife of a dashing young Englishlord.... Her person and bearing are unmistakably aristocratic. In herrecent visit to one of our public schools she surprised and delightedthe scholars by addressing them in the Latin language with remarkablefacility. "

It would be of interest to learn the name of the "dashing youngEnglish lord. " This, however, was probably a brevet rank conferred bythe pressman on Cornet Heald. 

On April 27, 1852, Lola Montez appeared at the Albany Museum inselections from her repertoire. On this occasion she brought with hera "troupe of twelve dancing girls. " As an additional lure, the billsdescribed these damsels as "all of them unmarried, and most of themunder sixteen. "

But the attraction which proved the biggest success in her repertoirewas a drama called _Lola in Bavaria_. This was said to be written by"a young literary gentleman of New England, the son of a somewhatcelebrated poetess. " The heroine, who was never off the stage for morethan five minutes, was depicted in turns as a dancer, a politician, acountess, a revolutionary, and a fugitive; and among the othercharacters were Ludwig I, Eugéne Sue, Dujarier, and Cornet Heald, while the setting offered "a correct representation of the Lola Montezpalace at Munich. " It seemed good value. At any rate, the publicthought it was, and full houses were secured. But the criticsrestrained their raptures. "I sympathise, " was the acid comment of oneof them, "with the actresses who were forced to take part in suchstuff"; and Joseph Daly described the heroine as "deserting a royaladmirer to court the sovereign public. " The author of this balderdashwas one C. P. T. Ware, "a poor little hack playwright, who wroteanything for anybody. "

March of 1853 found Lola Montez fulfilling an engagement at theVariétés Theatre, St. Louis. Kate Field, the daughter of theproprietor, wrote a letter on the subject to her aunt. 

 "Well, Lola Montez appeared at father's theatre last night for the first time. The theatre was crowded from parquet to doors. She had the most beautiful eyes I ever saw. I liked her very much; but she performed a dumb girl, so I cannot say what she would do in speaking characters. "

During this engagement Lola apparently proved a little _difficile_, for her critic adds: "She is trying to trouble father as much aspossible. "

Lola certainly was apt to "trouble" people with whom she came intocontact. As an accepted "star, " she had a high sense of her ownimportance and considered herself above mere rules. Once, whentravelling from Niagara to Buffalo by train, she elected to sit in thebaggage car and puff a cigarette. "While, " says a report, "thuscosily ensconced, she was discovered by the conductor and promptlyinformed by him that such behaviour was not permitted. Thereupon, Madame replied that it was her custom to travel where and how shepleased, and that she had frequently horse-whipped much bigger menthan the conductor. This settled the matter, for the company's officerdid not care to challenge the tigress. "

The visit to Buffalo was crowned with success. "Lola Montez, " declaredthe _Troy Budget_, "has done what Mrs. McMahon failed toaccomplish--she positively charmed the Buffaloes. This can perhaps beattributed to her judicious choice of the ex-Reverend Chauncey Burr, by whom she is accompanied on her tour in the capacity ofbusiness-manager. "

The choice of an "ex-Reverend" to conduct a theatrical tour seems, perhaps, a little odd. Still, as Lola once remarked: "It is a commonenough thing in America for a bankrupt tradesman or broken-down jockeyto become a lawyer, a doctor, or even a parson. " Hence, from thepulpit to the footlights was no great step. 

CHAPTER XIV

THE "GOLDEN WEST"

I

As this was before the days when actresses in search of publicityannounce that they are _not_ going to Hollywood, Lola had to hit on afresh expedient to keep her name in the news. Ever fertile ofresource, the one she now adopted was to give out that this would beher "positively last appearance, as she was abandoning the stage andbecoming a nun. " The scheme worked, and the box-office coffers werefilled afresh. But Lola did not take the veil. Instead, she took atrip to California, sailing by the Isthmus route in the summer of1853. 

A ridiculous book, _The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole_, with anintroductory puff by a windbag, W. H. Russell, has a reference to thisproject:

 Came one day Lola Montez, in the full zenith of her evil fame, bound for California, with a strange suite. A good-looking, bold woman, with fine, bad eyes and a determined bearing; dressed ostentatiously in perfect male attire, with shirt collar turned down over a lapelled coat, richly worked shirt front, black hat, French unmentionables, and natty polished boots with spurs. She carried in her hand a riding-whip.... An impertinent American, presuming--perhaps not unnaturally--upon her reputation, laid hold jestingly of the tails of her long coat; and, as a lesson, received a cut across his face that must have marked him for some days. I did not wait to see the row that followed, and was glad when the wretched woman rode off on the following morning. 

Russell was not a fellow-passenger in the ship by which Lolatravelled. Somebody else, however, who did happen to be one, gives avery different description of her conduct on the journey:

"We had not been at sea one day, " says Mrs. Knapp, "before all thesaloon occupants were charmed by this lovely young woman. Her vivacitywas infectious, and her _abandon_ was always of a specially airyrefinement. "

The arrival of Lola Montez at San Francisco would have eclipsed thatof any Hollywood heroine of the present era. A vast crowd, headed bythe City Fathers, "in full regalia, " gathered at the quay. Flagsdecked the public buildings; guns fired a salute; bands played; andthe schoolchildren were assembled to strew her path with flowers asshe stepped down the gangway; and, "to the accompaniment of ringingcheers, " the horses were taken from her carriage, which was dragged byeager hands through the streets to her hotel. "The Countessacknowledged the reception accorded her with a graceful inclination. "

"What if Europe has exiled her?" demanded an editorial. "This is of noconsequence. After all, she is Lola Montez, acknowledged Mistress ofKings! She is beautiful above other women; she is gorgeous; she isirresistible; and we are genuinely proud to welcome her. "

Enveloped in legend, the reputation of the newcomer for "eccentricity"had preceded her. She lived up to this reputation, too, for, when thespirit moved her (and it did so quite often), she would dance in thebeer gardens "for fun"; she had her hair cut short, when other womenwere affecting chignons; and--wonder of wonders--she would "actuallysmoke cigarettes in public. " Clearly, a trifle ahead of her period. 

By the way, while she was in San Francisco, Lola is said to haverenewed her acquaintance with the mysterious Jean François Montez, who, during the interval since they last met, had turned over a freshleaf and was now married. But according to a chronicler: "The familyfelicity very soon succumbed to the lure of the lovely Lola. " Without, too, any support for the assertion, a contributor of theatrical gossipdashed off an imaginative column, in which he declared her, amongother things, to have been "the petted companion of Louis Napoleon";and also "the idolised dancer of the swells and wits of the capitalsof the Old World, with the near relatives of royalty and the beaux ofParis for her intimates. "

This was going too far. Lola, much incensed, shook her dog-whip andthreatened reprisals. 

"What's the matter with you?" demanded the journalist, astonished atthe outburst, "it's good publicity, isn't it?"

"Yes, but not the sort I want, " was the response. 

Still, whether she wanted it, or not, Lola was soon to have a gooddeal more "publicity. " This was because she suddenly appeared with ahusband on her arm. 

Although the bridegroom, Patrick Purdy Hull, was a fellow-editor, the_Daily Alta_, of California, considered that the news value of theevent was not worth more than a couple of lines:

 "On the 2nd inst. Lola Montez and P. P. Hull, Esq. , of this city (and late of the _San Francisco Whig_) were married at the Mission Dolores. "

Obviously regarding this as a somewhat meagre allowance, a New Yorkjournal furnished fuller details:

 Among the recent domestic happenings of the times in California, the marriage of the celebrated Lola Montez will attract most attention. This distinguished lady has again united herself in the bonds of wedlock, the happy young man being Patrick Purdy Hull, Esq. , formerly of Ohio, and for the past four years employed in the newspaper business in San Francisco. 

 Mr. Hull was a fellow-passenger with the fascinating Countess on her trip to California; and the acquaintance then formed fast ripened into an attachment which terminated fatally to his bachelorhood. The nuptials were consummated [_sic_] at the Holy Church of the Mission Dolores in the presence of a highly respectable gathering of prominent citizens. 

[Illustration: _The "Spider Dance. " Cause of much criticism_]

The "prominent citizens" included "Governor Wainwright, Judge Wills, Captain McMichael, Mr. And Mrs. Clayton, and Beverley Saunders, Esq. "An attempt was made to keep the ceremony secret; and, with this end inview, the invited guests were pledged not to divulge it beforehand. Onthe previous evening Captain McMichael, being something of atactician, announced to them: "We do not yet know for certain that theaffair will ever come off, and we may all be jolly well sold. " Whenthey assembled at the Mission Church, it looked as if this wouldhappen, as neither of the couple appeared. Suddenly, however, theydrove up in a carriage and entered the church. The "blushing bride, "says a reporter who had hidden behind a pillar, "carried a bouquet oforange blossoms, and the organ played 'The Voice that breathed o'erEden'"; and another chronicler adds: "On the conclusion of theceremony, all adjourned to partake of a splendid spread, with wine andcigars _ad lib. _" But this was not all, for: "Governor Wainwright, giving a significant wink, kissed the new-made bride, Mrs. Hull. Hisexample was promptly followed by Mr. Henry Clayton, 'just to make theoccasion memorable, ' he said. 'Such is the custom of my country, 'remarked Madame Lola. She was not kissed by anybody else, but she nonethe less had a pleasant word for all. "

II

It was at Sacramento that Lola and her new husband began their marriedlife. The conditions of the town were a little primitive just then;and even in the principal hotel the single guests were expected tosleep in dormitories. The cost of board and lodging (with bed in abunk) was 150 dollars a week. As for the "board, " standing items onthe daily menu would be boiled leg of grizzly bear, donkey steak, andjack-rabbit. "No kickshaws" was the proud boast of every chef. 

In addition to his editorial labours (which were not unduly exacting), Hull was employed by the Government on census work, preparingstatistics of the rapidly increasing population. But Lola, much to hisannoyance, did not add to his figures for the Registrar-General'sreturn. The footlights proved a stronger lure than maternity; and, almost immediately after her marriage, she accepted an engagement atone of the theatres, where she appeared as Lady Teazle. A countess inthat part of the world being a novelty, the public rallied to thebox-office in full force and "business" was phenomenal. Still, competition there, as elsewhere. Some of it, too, of a descriptionthat could not be ignored. Thus, Ole Bull was giving concerts at theOpera House, and causing hardened diggers to shed tears when he played"Home Sweet Home" to them on his violin; Edwin Booth, "supported by apowerful company, " was mouthing Shakespeare, and tearing passion totatters in the process; and a curious freak, billed as "Zoyara, theHermaphrodite" (with a "certificate of genuineness, as to herequestrian skill and her virtues as a lady, from H. M. The King ofSardinia") was cramming the circus to capacity every afternoon andevening. Yet, notwithstanding His Majesty's "certificate, " it is afact that its recipient "married" a woman member of the troupe. "Thelong sustained deception has been dropped, " says a paragraphist, "andthe young man who assumed the name of 'Madame Zoyara' is now to beseen in correct masculine attire. "

Still, despite all this, Lola kept her public. After all, a countesswas a countess. But, before long, there was a difference of opinionwith the manager of the theatre in which she was appearing. Lola, whonever brooked criticism, had "words" with him. High words, as ithappened; and, flourishing her whip in his face, she tore up hercontract and walked out of the building. 

"Get somebody else, " she said. "I'm through. "

The difference of opinion appears to have arisen because Lola electedto consider herself "insulted" by a member of the audience while shewas dancing, and the manager had not taken her part. The next evening, accordingly, she made a speech in public, giving him a "bit of hermind. " The result was, declared the _San Francisco Alta_, "theCountess came off the victor, bearing away the _bravas_ and bouquets. At the conclusion of her address she was hailed by thunderous cheers, amid which she smiled sweetly, dropped a curtsey, and retiredgracefully. "

Much to their surprise, those who imagined that the honours of theevening went to Lola read in the next issue of the _Californian_ that"the applause was all sham, the paid enthusiasm of a hired house. "This was more than flesh and blood could stand. At any rate, it wasmore than Lola could stand; and she sent the editor a fierce letter, challenging him to a duel. "I must request, " was its last passage, "that this affair of honour be arranged by your seconds as soon aspossible, as my time is quite as valuable as your own: MARIE DELANDSFELD-HULL (LOLA MONTEZ). "

The editor of the _Californian_ did not accept the suggestion. Instead, heapplied the necessary balm, and the pistols-for-two-and-coffee-for-oneorder was countermanded. 

III

A woman of moods, when Lola made a change, it was a complete one. Shemade one now. The artificiality of the towns, with their falsestandards and atmosphere of pretence, had begun to pall. She wanted totry a fresh _milieu_. Everybody was talking just then of Grass Valley, a newly opened-up district, set amid a background of the ruggedSierras, where gangs of miners were delving for gold in the bowels ofMother Earth, and, if half the accounts were true, amassing fortunes. Why not go there and see for herself? It would at least be a novelexperience. 

No sooner said than done. Hiring a mule team and wagon, andaccompanied by Patrick Hull, she started off on a preliminary tour ofinspection of the district. 

Travelling was unhurried in those leisurely days. There were severalstoppages; and the roads were rough, and long detours had to be madeto avoid yawning canyons. "At the end of two weeks from the time theyleft Sacramento behind them, Pat Hull and his charming bride wheeledacross the mountains into Grass Valley. "

"There were about 1600 people in the township of Marysville at thisperiod, " says a chronicler, "and 1400 of them were of the masculinesex. The prospect of sudden riches was the attraction that drew them. England and the Continent were represented by some of the firstfamilies. A dozen were graduates of Oxford and Cambridge; there weretwo young relatives of Victor Hugo; there were a number of scions ofthe impoverished nobility of Bohemia; and several hundred Americans. Among the latter was William Morris Stewart, a Marysville lawyer, whowas afterwards to become a senator and attorney-general. "

Grass Valley at this period (the autumn of 1853) was little more thana wilderness. The nearest town of any size was Nevada City, fringed bythe shadows of the lofty Sierras. Between the gulches had sprung up asif by magic a forest of tented camps and tin-roofed shanties, withgambling-booths and liquor saloons by the hundred, in which beardedmen dug hard by day, and played faro and monte and drank deep bynight. Fortunes were made--and spent--and nuggets were commoncurrency. The cost of living was very high. But it cost still more tobe ill, since a grain of gold was the accepted tariff for a grain ofquinine. 

The whole district was a melting-pot. Attracted by the prospect of theprecious metal that was to be wrung from it, there had drifted intothe Valley a flotsam and jetsam, representatives of all nations and ofall callings. As was natural, Americans in the majority; but, withthem, Englishmen and Frenchmen and Germans and Italians, plus anadmixture of Chinamen and Kanakas; also an undesirable element ofdeserters from ships and convicts escaped from Australia. To keep themin some sort of order, rough justice was the rule. Mayors and sheriffshad arbitrary powers, and did not hesitate to employ them. Judge Lynchwas supreme; and a length of hemp dangling from a branch was part ofthe equipment of every camp. 

With a full knowledge of all these possible drawbacks, Lola Montezlooked upon Grass Valley and saw that it was good. Perhaps the BretHarte atmosphere appealed to her. At any rate, she decided to settledown there temporarily; and, with this end in view, she persuaded Hullto buy a six-roomed cottage just above Marysville. 

When Lola Montez--for all that she had a wedding-ring on her finger, she still stuck to the name--arrived there with her new husband, theconditions of life in Grass Valley were a little primitive. Atelegraph service did not exist; and letters were collected anddelivered irregularly. Transport with the outer world was by stagecoach and mule and pony express. Whisky had to come round by CapeHorn; sugar from China; and meat and vegetables from Australia. Thefact was, the early settlers were much too busily employed extractingnuggets and gold dust to concern themselves with the production of anyother commodity. 

Mrs. Dora Knapp, a neighbour of Lola Montez in Grass Valley at thisperiod, has contributed some reminiscences of her life there:

 "We, who knew of her gay career among the royalty and nabobs, were astonished that she should have gone to the camp. She frequently had letters from titled gentlemen in Europe, begging her to come back and live on their rich bounty. It was simply because she was weary of splendour and fast living that the Countess turned with such fondness to life in a mining camp. "

To Patrick Hull, however, the attractions of the district were not soobvious. Ink was in his blood. He wanted to get back to his editorialdesk, preferring the throbbing of printing presses to the rattle ofspades and picks and the clanking of drills. Nor did "love in acottage" appeal to him. When Lola refused to give up Grass Valley, hedeveloped a fit of sulks and turned to the whisky bottle forconsolation. 

Under the circumstances, matrimonial bliss was impossible. Such a lifewas a cat and dog one. Its end arrived very soon. 

"Lola Montez and her new husband, " says the knowledgeable Mrs. Knapp, "had not lived together more than a few months before trouble began. When two such spirits came together, there was bound to be a clash. The upshot was that one day Lola pushed Patrick down the stairs, heaved his grip out of the window and ordered him to quit. "

Mr. Hull, who could take a hint as well as any man, did "quit. " He didmore. He took to his bed and expired. "In his native state, " says atearful obituary, "he was respected and loved by a large circle. Thefamily of Manuel Guillen (in whose house he lay), inspired by asentiment of genuine benevolence, bestowed upon him all the tenderwatchfulness due to a beloved son and brother; and nothing was omittedthat promised cure or promoted comfort. "

But this was not until some time after he had received his abrupt_congé_ from Lola Montez. 

Once more, Lola had drawn a blank in the matrimonial market. 

IV

With Adrienne Lecouvreur, Lola Montez must often have asked herself, _Que faire au monde sans aimer?_ "Living without loving" had no appealfor her. Hence, she was soon credited (or discredited) with a fresh_liaison_. This time her choice fell on a German baron, named Kirke, who also happened to be a doctor. There was a special bond betweenthem, for he had come from Munich, and could thus awaken memories andtell her of Ludwig, of Fritz Peissner and the other good comrades ofthe _Alemannia_, and of the house in the Barerstrasse where she hadonce queened it. 

"This fourth adventure in matrimony was, " says a chronicler, "copiously consummated. " An odd choice of words. But, successful ornot, it was short-lived. One fine day the baron took his gun with himinto the forest. He did not return. "Killed in a shooting accident" (afairly common occurrence in the Wild West at that period) was thecoroner's verdict. As a result, Lola was once more without a masculineprotector. 

The position was not devoid of an element of danger, for the districtswarmed with lawless gangs, to whom a woman living by herself waslooked upon as fair prey. But Lola was not disturbed. She had plentyof courage. She knew, too, that the miners had formed themselves intoa "guard of honour, " and that it would have gone ill with anybodyattempting to molest her. If the diggers were rough, they werechivalrous. 

In response to a general invitation from the camp, Lola more than oncegave an exhibition of her quality as a _danseuse_. Although the chargefor admission was a hundred dollars, the hall where she appeared wasalways crammed to the doors. She expanded out, too, in otherdirections; and a picturesque account of her life at this period saysthat she slept under the stars ("canopy of heaven" was the writer'smore poetical way of putting it) and wore woollen underclothingknitted by herself. Another detail declares that she held a "weeklysoirée in her cottage, attended by the upper circles of the camp, acourt of littérateurs and actors and wanderers"; and that among theregular guests were "two nephews of Victor Hugo, a quartet ofcashiered German barons, and a couple of shady French counts. "Obviously, a somewhat mixed gathering. For all this, however, thereceptions were "merely convivial assemblies, with champagne and otherwine, served with cake and fruit _ad lib_, and everyone smoked. Thetwo Hugo neighbours were always there, as well as a son of PrestonBrooks, the South Carolina congressman. A dozen of us looked forwardto attending these _salons_, which we called 'experience-meetings. 'Senator William M. Stewart, then a young lawyer in Nevada, said heused to count the days between each. Every song, every story, everyscrap of humour or pathos that any of the young men came across wouldbe preserved for the next gathering. Occasionally, our charminghostess would have a little fancy-dress affair at the cottage, and, clad in the fluffy and abbreviated garments she had once worn on thestage, show us that she still remembered her dancing-steps. "

When not engaged in these innocent relaxations, Lola would giveherself up to other pursuits. Thus, she hunted and fished and shot, and often made long trips on horseback through the forests and sagebush. Having a fondness for all sorts of animals, on one suchexpedition she captured a bear cub, with which she returned to hercabin and set herself to tame. While thus employed, she was visited bya wandering violinist, who, falling a victim to her charms, begged alock of her hair as a souvenir of the occasion. Thereupon, Lola, always anxious to oblige, struck a bargain with him. "I have, " shesaid, "a pet grizzly in my orchard. If you will wrestle with him forthree minutes, you shall have enough of my hair to make a bow for yourfiddle. Let me see what you can do. " The challenge was accepted; andthe amorous violinist, merely stipulating that the animal should bemuzzled, set to work and secured the coveted guerdon. 

Something of a risk, perhaps. Still, it would have been a more seriousone if Lola had kept a rattlesnake. 

Appearances are deceptive, and Bruin was less domesticated than Lolaimagined. One day, pining perhaps for fresh diet, he grappled with hismistress and bit her hand. The incident attracted a laureate on thestaff of the _California Chronicle_, who, in Silas Wegg fashion, "dropped into verse:"

 LOLA AND HER PET

 One day when the season was drizzly, And outside amusements were wet, Fair Lola paid court to her Grizzly And undertook petting her pet. 

 But, ah, it was not the Bavarian Who softened so under her hand, No ermined King octogenarian, But Bruin, coarse cub of the land. 

 So, all her caresses combatting He crushed her white slender hand first, Refusing his love to her patting, As she had refused hers to _Pat_!

 Oh, had her pet been him whose glory And title were won on the field, Less bloodless had ended this story, More easy her hand had been _Heald_!

This doggerel was signed "F. S. ", initials which masked the identity ofFrank Soule, the editor of the _Chronicle_. 

V

Never without her dog-whip, Lola took it with her to her cottage inGrass Valley. There she soon found a use for it. A journalist, in acolumn account of her career, was ungallant enough to finish byenquiring "if she were the devil incarnate?" As the simplest method ofsettling the problem, "Lola summoned the impertinent scribbler andgave him such a hiding that he had no doubts left at all. "

Shortly afterwards, there was trouble with another representative ofthe press. This was with one Henley Shipley, the editor of the_Marysville Herald_, who, notwithstanding that they were "regularlyattended by the _élite_ of the camp, " had described her "Wednesdaysoirées" as "disgraceful orgies, inimical to our fair repute. "Thereupon, says a sympathiser, the aspersed hostess "took her whip tohim, and handed out a number of stinging and well merited cuts. "

The opportunity being too good to miss, the editor of the _SacramentoUnion_ set to work and rushed out a special edition, with a longdescription of the incident:

 This forenoon our town was plunged into a state of ludicrous excitement by the spectacle of Madame Lola Montez rushing through Mill Street, with a lady's delicate riding whip in one hand and a copy of the _Marysville Herald_ in the other, vowing vengeance on "that scoundrel of an editor, " etc. She met him at the Golden Gate Saloon, a crowd, on the _qui vive_, following in her footsteps. Having struck at him with her whip, she then applied woman's best weapon--her tongue. Meanwhile, her antagonist kept most insultingly cool. All her endeavours being powerless, the "Divine Lola" appealed to the miners, but the only response was a burst of laughter. Mr. Shipley, the editor, then retired in triumph, having, by his calmness, completely worn down his fair enemy. 

 The immediate cause of the fracas was the appearance of sundry articles, copied from the _New York Times_, referring to the "Lola Montez-like insolence, bare-faced hypocrisy, and effrontery of Queen Christina of Spain. " The entire scene was decidedly rich. 

One can well imagine it. 

Never prepared to accept hostile criticism without a protest, Lolasent her own version of the occurrence to a rival organ:

 "This morning, November 21, " she wrote, "the newspaper was handed me as usual. I scanned it over with little interest, saw a couple of abusive articles, not mentioning me by name, but, as I was afterwards told, had been prepared by the clever pen of this great statesman of the future, and present able writer, as a climax and extinguisher to all the past and future glories of Lola Montez. I wonder if he thought I should come down with a cool thousand or two, to stock up his fortune and cry 'Grace, Grace!'

 "This is the only attempt at blackmail I have been subjected to in California, and I hope it will be the last. On I read the paper till I saw my name in good round English, and the allusions to my 'bare-faced hypocrisy and insolence. ' Europe, hear this! Has not the 'hypocrisy' been on the other side? What were you thinking of, Alexandra Dumas, Beringer, Méry, and all my friends when you told me my fault lay in my too great kindness? Shipley has judged me at last to be a hypocrite. To avenge you, I, bonnet on head and whip in hand--that whip which was never used but on a horse--this time to be disgraced by falling on the back of an ASS.... The spirit of my Irish ancestors (I being three-quarter Irish and Spanish and Scotch) took possession of my hand; and, on the most approved Tom Sayers principles, I took his, on which--thanks to some rings I had--I made a cutting impression. This would-be great smiter ended the combat with a certain amount of abuse, of which--to do him justice--he is a perfect master. _Sic transit gloria_ SHIPLEY! Alas, poor Yorick!"

[Illustration: _Lola Montez, in "Lola in Bavaria. " A "Play with aPurpose"_]

The atmosphere of Grass Valley could scarcely be described astranquil. Its surface was always being ruffled; and it was not longbefore Lola was again embroiled in a collision with one of herneighbours. This time she had a passage at arms with a Methodistminister in the camp, the Rev. Mr. Wilson, who, with a sad lack ofChristian charity, informed his flock that this new member among themwas "a feminine devil devoid of shame, and that the 'Spider Dance' inher repertoire was an outrage. " There were limits to clericalcriticism. This was clearly one of them. As she could not take herwhip to a clergyman, she took herself. "Resolved to teach the Rev. Wilson a lesson, she called on him in her dancing dress, while he wasconducting a confirmation class. "

"Without, " says a member of the gathering, "any preliminaries beyondsaying 'Good afternoon, ' she proceeded to execute the dance before theastonished gaze of the company. Then turning to the minister, shesaid, 'The next time you think fit to make me and this dance a subjectfor a pulpit discourse, perhaps you will know better what you aretalking about. ' She then took her departure, before the reverendgentleman could sufficiently collect his senses to say or doanything. "

But, notwithstanding these breaks in its monotony, Lola felt that shewas not really adapted to the routine of Grass Valley. Once more, thetheatre called her. Answering the call, she went back to it. But onthe return journey she did not take Patrick Hull. She also shed thename he had given her, and resumed that of Countess of Landsfeld. 

"It looks better on the bills, " she said, when she discussed plans fora prospective tour. 

The _Grass Valley Telegraph_ gave her a good "send off" in a fulsomecolumn; and the miners presented her with a "farewell gift" in theform of a nugget. "Rough, like ourselves, " said their spokesman, "butthe genuine article. "

CHAPTER XV

"DOWN UNDER"

I

This time Lola was going further afield. A long way further. Twocontinents had already been exploited. Now she would discover what afresh one held. 

Her plan was to leave the Stars and Stripes for the Southern Cross. Asan initial step, "she sold her jewels for 20, 000 dollars to the madamof a fashionable brothel. " Having thus secured adequate funds, sheassembled a number of out-of-work actors and actresses and engagedthem to accompany her on a twelve months' tour in Australia. Exceptfor Josephine Fiddes (who was afterwards to understudy Adah IsaacsMenken, of _Mazeppa_ renown) and, perhaps, her leading man, CharlesFollard, they were of a distinctly inferior calibre. 

The departure from California was duly notified in a paragraph sentround the press:

"We beg to inform our readers and the public generally that on June 6the celebrated Lola Montez left San Francisco, at the head of atheatrical troupe of exceptional talent, bound for distant Australia. The public in the Antipodes may confidently look forward to a raretreat. "

The voyage across the Pacific being in a sailing vessel, was a longishone and occupied nearly ten weeks from start to finish. However, anchor was dropped at last; and on August 23, 1855, a "colossalattraction" was announced in "Lola Montez in Bavaria" at the VictoriaTheatre, Sydney. There, thanks to the interest aroused by her exploitsin other parts of the world, the newcomer was assured of a goodreception. 

But theatrical stars were always accorded a special measure ofdeference by the colonists. Thus, Miss Catherine Hayes, who wasplaying at an opposition house, was invited to luncheon by the Bishopof Sydney and to dinner by the Attorney-General; and a Scottishconjurer, "Professor" Anderson, was given an "address of welcome" bythe Town Council. 

While these particular honours were not enjoyed by Lola (who, for somereason best known to herself, had elected to be entered in thepassenger-list as "Madam Landsfeld Heald"), she was none the lessaccorded considerable publicity. "The eccentric and much advertisedLola Montez, " said the _Herald_ on the morning after her New SouthWales début, "pounces upon us direct from California, and theexcitement of her visit is emptying the opposition theatre. Last nightthe Countess looked positively charming and acted very archly.... Onthe fall of the curtain, she presented Mr. Lambert (who played theKing of Bavaria) with an elegant box of cigarettes. "

Naturally enough, the star was interviewed by the journalists. "At theVictoria Theatre, " says one of them, "I was privileged to have a talkwith Madame Lola after the performance had concluded. I foundher--much to my surprise--to be a very simple-mannered, well-behaved, cigar-loving young lady. "

An odd picture of Sydney audiences is given by the author of _SouthernLights and Shadows_. "The young ladies of Australia, " he says, "are inmany respects remarkable. At thirteen they have more ribbons, jewels, and lovers than any other young ladies of the same age. They prattleinsipidly from morning to night. The first time I visited a theatre Isat next one of them who had at least half a dozen rings worn over hergloves.... The affectation of _ton_ among them is astonishing. Theyare special patrons of the drama, and, on the appearance of a star, they flock to the dress circle in hundreds. The pit is generally wellfilled with a display of shirt-sleeves, pewter pots, and babies. Theupper boxes are usually given up to that division of the communitypartial to pink bonnets and cheeks to match; and flirtations arecarried on in the most flagrant and unblushing manner. "

The author of this sketch also has something to say about Sydney as atown:

"One part of George Street is as much like Bond Street in London as itis possible for one place to resemble another. Like Bond Street, too, it is hourly paraded by the Bucks and Brummels of the Colony. The CaféFrançois is much frequented by the young swells and sprigs of thecity. Files of _Punch_, _The Times_, sherry coblers, an entertaininghostess, and a big-bloused lubberly host are the special points leftin my recollection. They serve 800 meals a day at this establishment, the rent of which is £2, 400 a year. "

II

During this Sydney engagement, Lola, ever interested in the cause ofcharity, organised a "Grand Sebastopol Matinée Performance, " theproceeds being "for the benefit of our wounded heroes in the Crimea. "As the cause had a popular appeal, the house was a bumper one. Possibly, it was the success of this _matinée_ that led to animaginative chronicler adding: "Our distinguished visitor, Madame LolaMontez, Countess of Landsfeld, is, with her full company of Thespians, on the point of leaving us for Balaclava. There, at the specialrequest of Lord Raglan and Miss Florence Nightingale, she willinaugurate a theatre for the enjoyment of our gallant warriors andtheir Allies. "

Another odd tit-bit was sent to England by the theatricalcorrespondent of a London paper. This declared that a masculine memberof her company "jumped into the harbour, mortified at discovering thatMadame Lola had turned a more friendly face on a younger brother ofthe Duke of Wellington who had followed her to Sydney from Calcutta. "The artistic temperament. 

At intervals, however, other and better established items of news werereceived from Australia and, as opportunity offered, found a niche inthe London papers. From these it would appear that all was not goingsmoothly with Lola's plans, and that the start of the Antipodeanventure was somewhat tempestuous. 

"In Sydney, " says a letter on the subject, "a regrettable fracasrecently occurred at the theatre where Madame Montez has been playing. Stepping in front she endeavoured to quell the uproar by announcingthat, while she herself 'rather liked a good row, ' she would appeal tothe gallantry of the _gentlemen_ in the pit and gallery to respect thewishes of a lady and not interfere with the enjoyment of others byinterrupting the performance. The request, however, fell on deaf ears. The uproar continued for some time, and was much increased by theactors and actresses squabbling among themselves on the stage. "

There was a good deal of "squabbling" among the company. Its memberswere not a happy family. They had been engaged by their principal tosupport her. Instead, however, of rendering such support, a number ofthem did all they could to wreck the tour. Thereupon, Lola, adoptingstrong measures, discharged the malcontents and left for Melbourne bythe next steamer. That she was justified in her action is clear from aletter which her solicitors sent to the Press:

 "Our client, Madam Lola Montez, was unwise enough to engage, at enormous cost to herself, a very inferior company in California. Before starting, she made large advances to every one of them; paid their passages from America (where they were nearly all heavily in debt) to Australia; and trusted that, in return for her immense outlay, she would at least receive efficient assistance from them. But this band of obscure performers not only loaded her with insults while they continued to live on her, but on their arrival in Sydney they one and all refused to discharge their allotted tasks. "

 "When Madam Montez (not unnaturally irritated by such conduct) proposed, through us, to cancel their agreements on reasonable terms, they insisted on the fulfilment of the contract which they themselves had been the first to break, and made claims upon her amounting to about £12, 000. This _moderate_ demand being very properly refused by our client, they secured an order for her arrest in respect of a number of separate actions. Only one of these (a claim for £100) was lodged in time for a warrant to be issued. When, furnished with this, Mr. Brown, the sheriff's officer, appeared on board the steamer, Madam tendered him £500, which, however, he refused to accept, insisting that she should also settle the various other claims for which he did not have warrants. Our client refused to leave the vessel, for which refusal, we, as her solicitors, are quite willing to accept responsibility. "

The fact that there was talk of instituting proceedings against thecaptain of the steamer and his subordinates led the solicitors to adda postscript:

 "Those who governed the movements of the _Watarah_ are ready to answer for their conduct. They saw a lady threatened with arrest at the last moment for a most unjust claim, tendering five times the amount demanded, and having that offer refused. Hence, they did not feel called upon to interfere. "

Another account of the episode is a little different. This declaresthat, just before starting from Sydney, she "dismissed with ablessing" two members of the company. As they wanted something moreeasily negotiable, they issued a writ of attachment. When thesheriff's officer attempted to serve it: "Madame Lola, ever ready forthe fray, retired to her cabin and sent word that she was quite naked, but that the sheriff could come and take her if he wanted to. " Anembarrassing predicament; and, unprepared to grapple with it, "PoorMr. Brown blushed and retired amid roars of laughter. "

Having thus got the better of the Sydney lawyers, and filled up thevacancies in her company with fresh and more amenable recruits, Lolareached the Victorian capital without further adventure. A picture ofthe city, as it was when she landed there, is given by a contemporaryauthor:

 "Melbourne is splendid. Fine wide streets, finer and wider than almost any in London, stretch away for miles in every direction. At any hour of the day thousands of persons may be observed scurrying along them with true Cheapside bustle. " The Melbourne youth, however, appears to have been precocious. "I was delighted, " remarks this authority, "with the Colonial young stock. The average Australian boy is a slim, olive-complexioned young rascal, fond of Cavendish, cricket, and chuck-penny, and systematically insolent to girls, policemen, and new chums.... At twelve years of age, having passed through every phase of probationary shrewdness, he is qualified to act as a full-blown bus conductor. In the purlieus of the theatres are supper-rooms (lavish of gas and free-mannered waitresses), and bum-boat shops where they sell play-bills, whelks, oranges, cheroots, and fried fish. "

But, notwithstanding the existence of these amenities, all was notwell where Lola was concerned. The Sydney correspondent of the _Argus_had injured her chances of making a favourable impression by writing asomewhat imaginative account of her troubles there:

 "I need not tell you that the Montez has gone to Melbourne, as she will have arrived before this letter, and is not the sort of woman to keep her arrival secret. It may not, however, be so generally known that she has made what is colonially termed a 'bolt' from here.... Thinking, perhaps, that Australia was not yet a part of the civilised world, and that a company of players could not be secured here, Madame brought a set of comedians from San Francisco. They were quite useless. More competent help could have been had on the spot. "

Lola said nothing. Her leading man however, Mr. Follard, had somethingto say, and wrote a strong letter to the editor:

 "Permit me to state, with all due deference to your correspondent's term 'bolt, ' that Madame Lola Montez left quietly and unostentatiously.... The attempt to stop her leaving Sydney and prevent her engagement in Melbourne was an exhibition of meanness at which every honest heart must feel disgusted. Alone, in a strange land, without friends or protector, her position as a woman should in itself have saved her from the unmanly abuse heaped upon her and the contemptible attitude manifested by some of her company. "

A second adverse factor against which Lola had to contend in Melbournewas that prices had been doubled for her engagement there. This wasconsidered a grievance by the public. The difficulty, however, adjusted itself, for the programme she offered was one that provedspecially attractive. 

"The highest degree of excitement was, " ran the _Herald_ criticism, "produced upon visitors to the Theatre Royal by the actual presence ofthis extraordinary and gifted being, with the praises of whose beautyand _esprit_ the whole civilised world has resounded.... Aftercurtseying with inimitable grace to the audience, the fair _artiste_withdrew amidst a fresh volley of cheers. "

But Lola, who never missed an opportunity of airing her opinions, aired them now:

"At the end of the performance, " says a report, "Madame Lola Montezwas vociferously called and addressed the audience in an animatedspeech, commenting upon some remarks that had been published in acertain journal. When a gentleman ventured to laugh while she wasenumerating the political benefits she had conferred on Bavaria, thefair orator promptly informed him that such conduct was not usuallyconsidered to be courteous. "

The Melbourne engagement finished up with a triple bill. Theprincipal item was a novelty she had, the "Spider Dance, " which Lolahad brought from America. In this she appeared with hundreds of wirespiders sewn on her attenuated ballet skirts; and, when any of themfell off, she had to indulge in pronounced wriggles and contortions toput them back in position. The accompanying movements of her body wereheld to be by some standards "daring and suggestive. " In fact, so muchso that the representative of the _Argus_ dubbed the number "the mostlibertinish and indelicate performance that could possibly be given onthe public stage. We feel compelled, " he continued solemnly, "todenounce in terms of unmeasured reprobation the performance in whichMadame Montez here figures. " Yet, Sir Charles Hotham, the Governor, together with Lady Hotham and their guests, had witnessed it withoutsustaining any serious damage. But perhaps they were made of toughermaterial. 

The critic of the _Morning Herald_ at this period (understood to be R. H. Horne, "the Jules Janin of Melbourne") was either less thin-skinnedor else more broad-minded than his _Argus_ comrade. At any rate, hesaw nothing much to call for these strictures. Thinking that thenewcomer had not been given fair play, he endeavoured to counteractthe adverse opinion that had been expressed by publishing a laudatoryone of a column length, in which he declared: "Madame Montez wentthrough the entire measure with marked elegance and precision, and thecurtain fell amid salvoes of well merited applause. "

Convinced that here was a critic who really knew his business, and afriend on whom she could rely to do her justice, Lola wrote to theeditor:

 GRAND IMPERIAL HOTEL, _September, 1855. _

 SIR, A criticism of my performance of the "Spider Dance" at the Theatre Royal was published in this morning's _Argus_, couched in such language that I must positively answer it. 

 The piety and ultra-puritanism of the _Argus_ might prevent the insertion of a letter bearing my signature. Therefore, I address myself to you. 

 The "Spider Dance" is a national one, and is witnessed with delight by all classes in Spain, and by both sexes from Queen to peasant. 

 I have always looked upon this dance as a work of high art; and I reject with positive scorn the insinuation of your contemporary that I wish to pander to a morbid taste for what is improper or indelicate. 

 I shall be at my post to-morrow evening; and will then adopt a course that will test the value of the opinion advanced by the _Argus_. 

[Illustration: _Lola as a Lecturer. From stage to platform_

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

AND

LECTURES

OF

LOLA MONTEZ

COUNTESS OF LANDSFELD]

The promised "course" was merely to deliver a long speech from thestage, and ask the audience to decide whether she should give thevexed item, or not. The audience were emphatic that she should; and, when she had finished, "expressed their views on the subject byuttering loud groans for the _Argus_ and lusty cheers for the_Herald_. "

Honours to Lola!

But the "Spider Dance" was still to prove a source of trouble. Thenext morning a certain Dr. Milton, who had constituted himself achampion of morals, appeared at the police-court and applied for awarrant for the arrest of Lola Montez, on the grounds that she had"outraged decency. "

"I am in a position, " he declared, "to produce unquestionable evidenceof the indelicacy of her performance. "

"You must take out a summons in the proper fashion, " said themagistrate, who clearly had no sympathy with busybodies. 

But, before he could do so, Dr. Milton found himself served with awrit for libel. As a result, nothing more was heard of the matter. 

In addition to its Mawworms, of which it was afflicted with anappreciable number of specimens, the city of Melbourne would appearto have had other drawbacks at this period. According to R. H. Horne, local society was somewhat curiously constituted. "There is anattempt, " he says, "at the nucleus of a 'court circle'; and if theHome Government think fit to make a few more Australian knights andbaronets there may be good hopes for the enlargement of the enchantedhoop. The Melbourne 'Almack's' is to be complimented on the moralcourage with which its directors have resisted the claims foradmission of some of the wealthy unwashed and other unsuitables. Moneyis not quite everything, even in Melbourne. "

There were further strictures on the morals of Victoria, as comparedwith those of New South Wales:

 "The haunts of villainy in Sydney are not surpassed by those in Melbourne; but, with regard to drunkenness and prostitution, the latter place is far worse than Sydney. The Theatre Royal contains within itself four separate drinking-bars. The Café de Paris, in the same building, has two bars. In the theatre itself there is a drinking public every night, especially when the house is crowded. Between every act it is the custom of the audience to rush out for a nobbler of brandy. The only exceptions are the occupants of the dress-circle, more especially when the Governor is present. "

By the way, the "List of Beverages" shows that, in proof of herpopularity, a "Lola Montez Appetiser, " consisting of "Old Tom, ginger, lemon and hot water, " was offered to patrons. 

Alcohol was not alone among the objects at which "Orion" Horne tilted. He also disapproved of cricket. "The mania, " he says, "for bats andballs in the boiling sun during last summer exceeded all rationalexcitement. The newspapers caught the epidemic, and, while scarcelynoticing other far more useful games, they devoted columns uponcolumns to minute accounts of the matches of a hundred differentclubs. The very walls of Melbourne became infected. On the return ofthe Victorians from Sydney, a reporter for the _Herald_ designatedthem 'the laurelled warriors. ' If there is no great harm in this, thething has been carried too far. "

It is just as well, perhaps, for Horne's peace of mind that thepresent day value attached to "Ashes" had not arisen, and that anAustralian XI did not visit England until another twenty years hadpassed. 

III

After Melbourne, the next step in Lola's itinerary was Geelong. Theprogramme she offered there was a generous one, for it included a"Stirring drama, entitled, _Maidens, Beware!_ and the elegant andsuccessful comedy, _The Eton Boy_, " to which were added a "sparklingcomedietta" and a "laughable farce. " This was good value. The Geelongcritic, however, did not think very much of the principal item in thisbill. "It has, " he observed solemnly, "an impossible plot, withsituations and sentiments quite beyond the understanding of usbarbarians. "

This supercilious attitude was not shared by the simple-mindeddiggers, who found _Maidens, Beware!_ very much to their taste. Butnothing else could have been expected, for it offered good measure ofall the elements that ensure success every time they are employed. Thus, the hero is wrongfully charged with a series of offencescommitted by the villain; a comic servant unravels the plot when itbecomes intricate; and the heroine only avoids "something worse thandeath" by proving that a baronet, "paying unwelcome addresses, " (butnothing else) has forged a will. 

Having a partiality for the society of diggers, with whom she hadalways got on well, Lola next betook herself to Ballarat. It was anunpropitious moment for a theatrical venture in that part of theworld. The atmosphere was somewhat unsettled. The broad arrows andticket-of-leave contingent who made up a large section of thecommunity were clamouring for a republic; and there was a considerableamount of rioting. A rebel flag had been run up by the mob; and themilitary had to be called out to suppress the activities of the"Ballarat Reform League. " Still, Lola was not the woman to run awayfrom danger. As she had told a Sydney audience, she "rather liked agood row. "

The coming of Lola Montez to Ballarat was heralded by a preliminaryparagraph:

 "Our readers will be pleased to learn that the world-renowned Lola, a lady who has had Kings at her beck, and who has caused nearly as much upheaval in the world as Helen of Troy, is about to appear among us. On leaving Melbourne by coach, she presented the booking clerk with an autographed copy of a work by the famous Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe. Young gentlemen of Ballarat, look out for your hearts! Havoc will assuredly be played among them. "

Her colourful career attracted the laureates. One of them found in itinspiration for a ballad, "Lola, of the rolling black eye!" which wassung at every music-hall in the Colony. A second effort regarded thematter in its graver aspects. The first verse ran as follows:

 She is more to be pitied than censured, She is more to be helped than despised. She is only a lassie who ventured On life's stormy path ill-advised. Do not scorn her with words fierce and bitter, Do not laugh at her shame and downfall, For a moment just stop to consider _That a man was the cause of it all!_

Ludwig of Bavaria had done better than this. A lot better. Annoyed atthe innuendo it contained, Lola flourished her whip afresh andthreatened the bard with an action for damages. 

The Victoria Theatre, Ballarat (where Lola Montez was to give thediggers a sample of her quality), was a newly built house, "reflecting, " declared an impressed reporter, "every modern elegance. In front of the boxes, " he continued, "are panels, chastely adornedwith Corinthian festoons, encircling a gilded eagle emblematic ofliberty. Above the proscenium is an ellipse, exhibiting the Australiancoat of arms. The ceiling is ornamented by a dome, round which aregrouped the nine Muses, and the chandelier is the biggest in theColony. From the dress-circle there is direct communication with theadjoining United States Hotel, so that first-class refreshments can beprocured without the slightest inconvenience. There are sixdressing-rooms; and Madame Lola Montez has a private and sumptuouslyfurnished apartment. "

As the repertoire she offered was to include ("by special request")the "Spider Dance, " she took the precaution of sending a descriptionof it to the _Ballarat Star_:

 The characteristic and fascinating SPIDER DANCE has been performed by MADAME LOLA MONTEZ with the utmost success throughout the United States of America and before all the Crowned Heads of Europe. 

 This dance, on which malice and envy have endeavoured to fix the stain of immorality, has been given in the other Colonies to houses crammed from floor to ceiling with rank and fashion and beauty. In Adelaide His Excellency the Governor-General, accompanied by Lady McDonnell and quite the most select ladies of the city, accorded it their patronage, while the Free and Accepted Masons did Madame Lola Montez the distinguished honour of attending in full regalia. 

It was on February 16, 1856, that Lola Montez opened at Ballarat. Agenerous programme was offered, for it consisted of "the elegant andsparkling comedy, _A Morning Call_; the laughable farce, _TheSpittalsfields Weaver_; the domestic drama, _Raffaelo, the Reprobate_;and the Shakespearean tragedy, _Antony and Cleopatra_; all with newand sumptuous scenery, dresses, and appointments. "

In accordance with the fashion of the period, the star had to recite aprologue. An extract from it was as follows:

 'Tis only right some hurried words to say As to the name this theatre bears to-day, For I would have you fully understand I seek for patrons men of every land. 'Tis not alone through prejudice has been Attached the name of Britain's virtuous Queen. And may your gen'rous presence and applause Mutual content and happy evenings cause!

But this was merely an introduction. There was more to follow, for the"personal" touch had yet to be delivered. 

 As for _myself_, you'll find in Lola Montez The study how to please my constant wont is! Yet I am vain that I'm the first star here To shine upon this Thespian hemisphere. And only hope that when I say "Adieu!" You'll grant the same I wish to you-- May rich success reward your daily toil, Nor men nor measures present peace despoil, And may I nightly see your pleasant faces With these fair ladies, your attendant Graces!

IV

But, despite this auspicious start, all was not set fair at Ballarat. As had happened in other places, Lola was to fall foul of a critic whohad disparaged her. Furiously indignant, and horse-whip in hand, sherushed into the editor's office and executed summary vengeance uponhim. 

 "A full account of this remarkable business, " announced the opposition journal, "will be given by us to-morrow. Our readers may anticipate a perfect treat. " They got it, too, if one can trust the report of a "few choice observations" delivered by Lola to her audience on the second night of her engagement:

 "Ladies and Gentlemen: I am very sure that all of you in this house are my very good friends; and I much regret that I now have a most unpleasant duty to perform. I had imagined that, after all the kindness I have experienced from the miners in California, I should never have had anything painful to say to you. Now, however, I am compelled to do so. 

 "I speak to the ladies, as members of my own sex, and to the gentlemen, as my natural protectors. Well, what I have to tell you is that there is a certain gentleman in this town called Seekamp. Just take out the E's, and what is left of his name becomes _Skamp_. Listen to my story, and then judge between us. This Mr. Seekamp, who is the editor of the _Ballarat Times_, actually told me, in the hearing of another lady and two quite respectable gentlemen, that the miners here were a set of ----. No, I really cannot sully my lips with the shocking word he used--and that I was not to believe them. 

 "Mr. Seekamp called on me, with a certain proposition, and accepted my hospitality. You all know he is just a little fond of drinking. Well, while he was at my house the sherry, the port, the champagne, and the brandy were never off the table. He ate with me, and he drank with me. In fact, he drank so freely that it was only my self-respect that prevented me having him removed. But I said to myself, 'After all, he is an editor; perhaps this is his little way. '

 "Well, I did as Mr. Seekamp wanted, and as a result, I was a ten pound note out of pocket by it. I was green, but I was anxious to avoid making enemies among editors. Yet, when his paper next appears, I am referred to in it as being notorious for my immorality. Notorious, indeed! Why, I defy everybody here, or anywhere else, to say that I am, or ever was, immoral. It's not likely that, if I wanted to be immoral, I should be slaving away and earning my bread by hard work. What do you think?

 "Ladies and Gentlemen, I appeal to you. Is it fair or generous of this Seekamp person to behave to me like this? The truth is, my manager, knowing that he was a good-for-nothing fellow, gave my printing orders to another editor. In revenge, the angry Seekamp says he will hound me from this town. Ladies and Gentlemen, I appeal to you for protection. "

"And here, " adds the report, "the intrepid Lola retired amid deafeningapplause. Three hearty cheers were given for Madame and three lustygroans for her cowardly traducer. "

On the following night there was more speech-making. This time, Lolacomplained to the audience that she had been freshly aspersed by theobjectionable Seekamp. "I offered, " she said, "though merely a woman, to meet him with pistols, but the cur who attacks a lady's characterruns away from my challenge. He says he will drive me from theDiggings. Well, I intend to turn the tables, and to make Seekampde-camp. I very much regret, " she added, "having been compelled toassert myself at the expense of Mr. Seekamp, but, really it was not myfault. His attacks on my art were most ungentlemanly. I challenged himto fight a duel, but the poltroon would not accept. "

In the best tradition of the _Eatanswill Gazette_, the _Ballarat Star_referred to the _Ballarat Times_ as "our veracious contemporary anddoughty opponent, " and alluded to the "unblushing profligacy of itseditorial columns. " The proprietor of the United States Hotel and thesolicitor for Lola Montez also sailed into the controversy andchallenged Mr. Seekamp to "eat his words. " That individual, however, not caring about such a diet, refused to do anything of the sort. 

The matter did not end there, and a number of correspondents took upthe cudgels on behalf of Lola Montez. 

"Is it possible, " wrote one of them to the editor of the _Star_, "thatMr. Seekamp can, in his endeavour to blacken the fair fame of a woman, insinuate that he is also guilty of the most shocking immorality? Iblush to think it. " There was also a letter in a similar strain from"John Bull, " and another from "An Eton Boy, " animadverting upon Mr. Seekamp's grammar. 

Feeling herself damaged in reputation, Lola's next step was toinstruct her solicitor to bring an action for libel against Seekamp. The magistrate remitted the case to the superior court at Geelong. But, as an apology was offered and accepted, nothing more was heard ofit. 

This, however, was not the end of her troubles at Ballarat, forhorse-whips were again to whistle in the air. But, this time Lola gotmore than she bargained for. She was using her whip on one Mr. Crosby, the manager of the theatre there, when that individual's spouse--astrong-minded and muscular woman--wrested the weapon from her and laidit across her own back. 

The account given by an eye-witness is a little different. "AtBallarat, " he says, "Lola pitched into and cross-buttocked a stalwartAmazon who had omitted to show her proper respect. "

"Cross-buttocked" would appear to be an expression which, so far, haseluded the dictionary-makers. 

In other parts of the Colony, however, Lola's reception more than madeup for any little unpleasantnesses at Ballarat. "Her popularity, " saysWilliam Kelly, an Australian squatter, "was not limited to the stage. She was welcomed with rapture on the gold fields, and all the more forthe liberal fashion in which she 'shouted' when returning thehospitality of the diggers. Her pluck, too, delighted them, for shewould descend the deepest shafts with as much nonchalance as if shewere entering a boudoir. "

From Sandhurst Lola Montez travelled to Bendigo, where the tourfinished. There, says a pressman, "she lived on terms of the mostcordial amity with the entire populace, and without a singledisturbing incident to ruffle the serenity of the intercourse. "

V

Having completed her tour in Australia, with considerable profit toherself, Lola Montez disbanded her company, and, in the autumn of1856, returned to Europe. She had several offers from London; but, feeling that a rest was well earned, she left the ship at Marseillesand took a villa at St. Jean de Luz. While there, she appears to haveoccupied a certain amount of public attention. At any rate, Émile deGirardin, thinking it good "copy, " reprinted in _La Presse_ a lettershe had written to the _Estafette_:

 ST. JEAN DE LUZ, _September 3, 1856. _

 Sir: The French and Belgian papers are announcing as a positive fact that the suicide of Monsieur Mauclerc (who deliberately precipitated himself from the top of the Pic du Midi cliff) was caused by various troubles I had occasioned him. If he were still living, Monsieur Mauclerc would himself, I feel certain, contradict this calumny. 

 It is true that we were married; but, finding, after eight days, that our union was not likely to turn out a happy one, we parted by mutual consent. The story of my responsibility for the Pic du Midi business only exists in the imaginative brain of some journalist who revels in supplying tragic details. Anyhow, Mr. Editor, I count upon your sympathy to exculpate me from any share in the melancholy event. --Yours, LOLA MONTEZ. 

Mauclerc, however, so far from being dead, was still very much alive, and was sunning himself just then at Bayonne. Having read this letter, he answered it in the next issue:

 I have just seen in the columns of _La Presse_ a letter from Lola Montez. This gives an account of a deliberate jump from the top of a cliff and of a marriage with myself as the chief actor in each catastrophe. All I have to say about them is that I know nothing of these important occurrences. I assure you, sir, I have never felt any desire to "precipitate" myself, either from the Pic du Midi or from anywhere else; nor have I ever had the distinction of being the husband of the famous Countess of Landsfeld for a matter of even eight days. --MAUCLERC. Artist dramatique. 

 _September 9, 1856. _

Lola ignored this _démenti_. Possibly, however, she did not read it, for she was just then arranging another trip to America. 

CHAPTER XVI

FAREWELL TO THE FOOTLIGHTS

I

Having booked a number of engagements there, in December, 1857, Lolalanded in New York for the second time. Directly she stepped off theship, she was surrounded by a throng of reporters. Never losing thechance of making a speech, she gave them just what they wanted. 

"America, " she said, as they pulled out their note-books, "is the lastrefuge left the victims of tyranny and oppression in the old world. Itis the finest monument to liberty ever erected beneath the canopy ofheaven. "

For her reappearance she offered the public _Lola Montez in Bavaria_, which had already done good service. By this time, however, it was alittle frayed. 

"The drama represents her as a coquettish and reckless woman, " was theconsidered opinion of one critic. "We assure our readers she isnothing of the sort. "

This testimonial was a help. Still, it could not infuse fresh lifeinto a piece that had obviously outlived its popularity. Hence, shesoon changed the bill for a double one, _The Eton Boy_ and _Follies ofa Night_. But the cash results were not much better; and when she leftNew York and tried her luck in Boston the week's receipts werescarcely two hundred dollars. This, in theatrical parlance, was "notplaying to the gas. "

Realising that she was losing her grip, she cast about for some freshmethod of attracting the public. It was not long before she hit onone. As she was in a democratic country, she would make capital out ofher "title. " A plan was soon matured. This was to hold "receptions, "where anybody would be welcome who was prepared to pay a dollar. 

A dollar for ten minutes' chat with a genuine countess, and, foranother 50 cents, the privilege of shaking her hand. A bargain. Thetariff appealed to thousands. Among them Charles Sumner, thedistinguished jurist, who declared of Lola Montez that, "She was byfar the most graceful and delightful woman I ever met. "

Her next scheme for raising the financial wind was to employ her pen. It was true that her "memoirs, " strung together in Paris, had fallenflat--owing to the pusillanimity of the editor of _Le Pays_--but afull length "autobiography" would, she thought, stand a betterprospect. Apart, too, from other considerations, there was now morematerial on which to draw. An embarrassing amount of it. She could saysomething--a lot--about the happenings in Bavaria, in France, inCalifornia, and in Australia. All good stuff, and a field hithertountouched. 

The pen, however, being still an unaccustomed weapon, she availedherself of outside help; and practically the whole of the_Autobiography of Lola Montez_ was written for her (on aprofit-sharing agreement) by a clerical collaborator, the Rev. Chauncey Burr. 

The tale of the Odyssey--as set forth in this jointproduction--established contact with glittering circles and thebreathing of perfumed air. Within its chapters emperors and kings andprinces jostle one another; scenes shift continually from capital tocapital; and plots follow counter-plots in breathless fashion. Yetthose who purchased the volume in the fond belief that it would turnout to be the analysis of a modern Aspasia were disappointed. As amatter of fact, there was next to nothing in it that would have upseta Band of Hope committee-meeting. This, however, was largely because, an adept at skating over thin ice, the Rev. Mr. Burr ignored, orcoloured, such happenings as did not redound to the credit of hissubject. 

[Illustration: _Lola Montez in Middle Life. A characteristic pose_]

The "Autobiography" (alleged) finishes on a high note:

 "Ten years have elapsed since the events with which Lola Montez was connected in Bavaria; and yet the malice of the diffusive and ever vigilant Jesuits is as fresh and as active as it was at the first hour it assailed her. It is not too much to say that few artists of her profession ever escaped with so little censure; and certainly none ever had the doors of the highest social respectability so universally open to them as she had, up to the time she went to Bavaria. And she denies that there was anything in her conduct there which ought to have compromised her before the world. Her enemies assailed her, not because her deeds were bad, but because they knew of no other means to destroy her influence. "

Although too modest to acknowledge it, this passage is obviously theRev. Chauncey Burr verbatim. 

An offer to serialise part of the "autobiography" in the columns of_Le Figaro_ was accepted. In correcting the proofs, Lola still clungto the earlier account that had already done service in the "memoirs"contributed to _Le Pays_. But she embellished it with freshembroideries. Thus, to keep up the Spanish connection, she now claimedas her aunts the Marquise de Pavestra and the Marquise deVilla-Palana, together with an equally imaginary Uncle Juan; and shealso, for the first time, gave her schoolgirl friend, Fanny Nicholls, a sister Valerie. 

The "autobiography" had originally been accepted for _Le Pays_ byAnténon Joly. When, however, shortly afterwards, MM. De la Guéronnièreand de Lamartine acquired the journal, they repudiated the contract. Hence, its transfer to _Le Figaro_. But this organ also developed asudden queasiness, and, after the first few instalments had appeared, declined to print the remainder, on the grounds that they were "tooscandalous. " Some time afterwards, Eugéne de Mirecourt, thinking hehad a bargain, secured the interrupted portions and made them thebasis of a chapter on Lola Montez in his _Les Contemporains_. Thischapter is marked throughout by severe disapproval. Thus, it begins:

"The woman who revives in the nineteenth century the scandals ofJeanne Vaubernier belongs to our gallery, and the abject materialismaccompanying her misconduct will be revealed in the pages thatfollow. "

De Mirecourt was not too happy in his self-appointed task. Likeeverything else from his pen, the entire section is distinctlyimaginative. Thus, he declares that Lola, while living in Madrid, was"supported by five or six great English lords"; and, among otheramorous incidents, says that a Brahmin priest fell in love with her;that she conducted a "scandalous intrigue" with a young Frenchdiplomat who was carrying despatches to the Emperor of China; and thather husband, Lieutenant James, once intercepted a tender passagebetween herself and a rajah. Further embroideries assert that Lola'sfather was the son of a Lady Gilbert, and that her mother was thedaughter of a "Moorish warrior who abjured paganism. " To thisrigmarole he adds that she was sent to a boarding-school at Bath, keptby a Mrs. Olridge, where she had an early _liaison_ with thedrawing-master. 

It was perhaps as well for de Mirecourt, and others of his kidney, that libel actions had not then been added to the perils ofauthorship. Still, if they had, Lola would not have troubled to bringone. To take proceedings in America against a man living in France wasdifficult. Also, by this time she was so accustomed to studiedmisrepresentation and deliberate falsehoods that she refused tointerfere. 

"It doesn't matter what people choose to say about me, " she remarkedcontemptuously, when she was informed by a friend in Paris of theliberties being taken with her name. 

Although (except when she took it into her own hands) she liked tokeep clear of the law, this was not always possible. Such an instanceoccurred in March, 1858, when a Mr. Jobson of New York brought anaction against her in respect of an alleged debt. The proceedingswould appear to have been conducted in a fashion that must have beenpeculiar to the time and place; and, in an effort to discredit her, she was subjected to a cross-examination that would now be describedas "third degree. "

"Were you not, " began the plaintiff's counsel, "born in Montrose, thedaughter of one Molly Watson?"

When this was denied, he put his next question. 

"How many intrigues have you had during your career?"

"None, " was the answer. 

"We'll see about that, Madam, " returned the other, consulting hisbrief. "To begin with, were you not the mistress of King Ludwig?"

"You are a vulgar villain, " exclaimed Lola indignantly. "I can swearon the Bible, which I read every night, but you don't, that I neverhad what you call an 'intrigue' with him. As a matter of fact, I didhim a lot of good. "

"In what way?" enquired the judge, looking interested. 

"Well, I moulded his mind to the love of freedom. "

"Before you ran off with your first husband, " continued counsel, "wereyou not employed as a chambermaid?"

"Never, " was the emphatic response. "And, let me tell you, Mr. Attorney, it is not at all a shameful thing to be a chambermaid. If Ihad been born one, I should consider myself a much more distinguishedwoman than I am. "

When her own counsel, coming to the rescue, dubbed Mr. Jobson a"fellow, " there followed, in the words of a reporter, "an unseemlyfracas. " From abuse of one another, the rival attorneys took tofisticuffs; the spectators and officials joined in the struggle; andan ink pot was hurled by the furious Jobson at the occupants of thejury-box. This being considered contempt of court, he was arrested, and the judge, gathering up his papers, left the Bench, announcingthat the further hearing would be adjourned. 

II

After this experience, Lola developed a fresh activity. Like a modernJoan of Arc, she suddenly announced that she heard "Voices, " and that, on their instructions, she was giving up the stage for the platform. Her plans were soon completed; and, on February 3, 1858, she mountedthe rostrum and made her début as a lecturer, at the Hope Chapel, NewYork. 

There were beery chuckles from the reporters who were "covering" thiseffort. "Lola Montez in the chapel pulpit is good fun, " was theconclusion at which one of them arrived; and another headed hiscolumn, "A Desperado in Dimity. "

Judging from his account of this initial sample (a lecture on"Beautiful Women"), the _Tribune_ representative did not regard itvery seriously:

 "Temperance, exercise, and cleanliness, preached Lola the plucky; light suppers and reasonable hours; jolly long walks in thick boots and snug wrappers for the benefit of the complexion. From these, said Lola, come good digestion, good humour, and good sense. And that's the way, my dear Flora, to be healthy and wealthy--speaking crinolinely and red-petticoatedly--and wise. "

Lola was before her time. Nowadays she would have set up as a "beautyspecialist. " Had she done so, she would have secured a big income fromthe sale of creams and perfumes, powders and paints, and dyes andunguents, and all the other nostrums with which women endeavour torecover their vanished charms. But, instead of becoming apractitioner, she became an author and compiled a handbook, _The Artsof Beauty, or Secrets of a Lady's Toilet_. This went very fully intothe subject, and had helpful hints on "Complexion Treatment, " "HairCulture, " "Removal of Wrinkles, " and what was then coyly termed "BustDevelopment. " Importance was also attached to "Intellect, " as asovereign specific for repairing the ravages of advancing years. "Abeautiful mind, " announced the author, "is the first thing requiredfor a beautiful face. "

Lola's light was not hidden under any bushel. An American firm ofpublishers, convinced that there was money in this sort of thing, madean acceptable offer and issued the work with a prefatory inscription:

+--------------------------------------------------------+| TO || ALL MEN AND WOMEN || OF EVERY LAND || WHO ARE NOT AFRAID OF THEMSELVES || WHO TRUST SO MUCH TO THEIR OWN SOULS THAT THEY DARE TO || STAND UP || IN THE MIGHT OF THEIR || OWN INDIVIDUALITY || TO MEET THE TIDAL CURRENTS OF THE WORLD, THIS BOOK IS || RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY || THE AUTHOR |+--------------------------------------------------------+

The title-page of this effort ran as follows:

+---------------------------------+| THE || ARTS OF BEAUTY || OR || SECRETS OF A LADY'S TOILET || WITH HINTS TO GENTLEMEN || ON THE || ART OF FASCINATION || BY MADAME LOLA MONTEZ || COUNTESS OF LANDSFELD || NEW YORK || DICK AND FITZGERALD, PUBLISHERS || 18 ANN STREET |+---------------------------------+

A Canadian publisher, John Lovell, on the look-out for a novelty, readthis effort and suggested that a friend of his, Émile Chevalier, ofParis, should sponsor an edition of Lola's _Arts of Beauty_ forconsumption on the boulevards. "I am too much an admirer of the giftedauthor, " was M. Chevalier's response, "to undertake the work withoutconsulting her. " Accordingly, he got into touch with Lola, offering tohave a translation made. "Thank you, " she replied, "but I wish to doit myself. You, however, can put in any corrections you thinknecessary. I have not written anything in French since the death ofpoor Bon-Bon [Dujarier], and I want to see if I still remember thelanguage. " Apparently she did so, for, shortly afterwards, themanuscript was sent across the Atlantic and delivered to M. Chevalier. Within another month it was on the bookstalls. "I have retouched itvery little, " says the editor in his preface, "as I was anxious topreserve Madame Lola's distinctly original style. Her pen is asmordant as her dog-whip. "

M. Chevalier was charmed with the fashion in which Lola had acquittedherself, and wrote florid letters of thanks to her in New York. With asupplementary lecture on "Instructions for Gentlemen in the Art ofFascination, " which was added to fill up the book, he declared himselfmuch impressed. "This, " he says, "exhibits a profound knowledge of thehuman heart, and is altogether one of the finest and most piquantcriticisms on American manners with which I am familiar. " "Who, " hecontinues, warming to his work, "is more thoroughly qualified todiscuss the development and preservation of natural beauty than theCountess of Landsfeld?"; and in an introductory puff he adds: "Theseobservations are very judicious, and as applicable in Europe as inAmerica. They should, I feel, be indelibly engraved on the minds ofall sensible women. "

Perhaps they were. At any rate, the result of M. Chevalier'senterprise was a distinct success, and the Paris bookshops soon gotrid of 50, 000 copies. In fact, Lola was very nearly a best-seller. 

In addition to her expert views on "Beautiful Women, " Lola had plentyof other subjects up her sleeve, to be incorporated in a series oflectures. The list covered a wide range, for it included such diverseheadings as "Ladies with Pasts, " "Heroines of History, " "Romanism, ""Wits and Women of Paris, " "Comic Aspects of Love, " and "Gallantry. "On all of these matters she had plenty to say. On some of them quite alot, for they ran to an average of a dozen closely printed pages, and, when delivered in public, took up three hours. In the one on"Beautiful Women" precise details were given as to the adventitiouscauses contributing to her own sylph-like figure, glossy hair andpearly teeth, etc. , and a number of prescriptions were also offered. These, she recommended, should be manufactured at home. "For a fewshillings and a little trouble, " she pointed out, "any lady can securean adequate supply of all such things, composed of materials farsuperior to the expensive compounds bought from druggists;" and therecipes, she insisted, "had been translated by herself from theoriginal French, Spanish, German, and Italian. " Among these were_Beaume à l'Antique_, _Unction de Maintenon_, and _Pommade deSeville_; and "a retired actress at Gibraltar" was responsible for aspecific for "warding off baldness. " Lola put it in two words--"avoidnightcaps. " But she was sympathetic about scalp troubles. "Without afine head of hair, no woman can be really beautiful.... The dogs wouldbark at and run away from her in the street. " To be well covered ontop was, she held, "quite as important for the opposite sex. " "Howlike a fool or a ruffian, " she remarked, "do the noblest masculinefeatures appear if the hair of the head is bad. Many a dandy who hasscarcely brains or courage enough to catch a sheep has enslaved thehearts of a hundred girls with his Hyperion locks!"

Although nominally the author of them, these lectures were, like herprevious flight, really strung together by that clerical "ghost, " theRev. Chauncey Burr, with whom she had collaborated in her "memoirs. "Wielding a ready pen, he gave good value, for the chapters were wellsprinkled with choice classical quotations and elegant extracts fromthe poets, together with allusions to Aristotle and Theophrastus, toMadame de Staël and Washington Irving. 

In the lecture on "Gallantry, " Lola had a warm encomium for KingLudwig. 

"His Majesty, " she informed her audience, "is one of the most refinedand high-toned gentlemen of the old school of manners. He is also oneof the most learned men of genius in all Europe. To him art is moreindebted than to any other monarch who has ever lived. King Ludwig isthe author of several volumes of poems, which are evidence of hisnatural genius and elaborately cultivated taste.... He worships beautylike one of the old troubadours; and his gallantry is caused by hislove of art. He was the greatest and best King Bavaria ever had. "

In another passage she had a smack at the Catholic Church:

"An evil hour brought into Ludwig's counsels the most despotic andilliberal of the Jesuits. Through the influence of his ministers thenatural liberality of the King was perpetually thwarted; and theGovernment degenerated into a petty tyranny, where priestly influencewas sucking out the very life-blood of the people. "

More than something of a doctrinaire, her observations on "Romanism"(which she dubbed "an abyss of superstition and moral pollution") mighthave fallen from the lips of a hot-gospeller of to-day. "Who, " she askedher hearers, "shall compute the stupefying and brutalizing effects of suchreligion? Who will dare tell me that this terrible Church does not lieupon the bosom of the present time like a vast, unwieldy, and offensivecorpse? America does not yet recognise how much she owes to the Protestantprinciple. It is that principle which has given the world the fourgreatest facts of modern times--steamboats, railroads, telegraphs, and theAmerican Republic. "

This somewhat novel definition of "the four greatest facts of moderntimes" was received with rapture by its hearers. 

Despite certain jeers from some of the reviewers, the lecturescontinued to attract the public. The novelty of Lola Montez at therostrum drew large audiences everywhere; and she had no difficulty inarranging a long tour. Feeling, when it came to an end, that a similarmeasure of success might be secured on the other side of the Atlantic, she resolved to visit England. 

Just before leaving America for this purpose, she wrote to a one-timeMunich acquaintance, who was then editing a New York magazine:

 YORKVILLE, _August 20, 1858. _

 MY DEAR MR. LELAND, I wish to thank you for the very kind notice you gave in your interesting magazine of my first book, and I have requested Messrs. Dick and Fitzgerald, my publishers, to send to your private address a copy of my _Arts of Beauty_. I hope, as a _critique_, it will be found "not wanting" (I do not mean not wanted). 

 Will you give my best and kindest regards to our friend Caxton; and, with the hope of hearing from you before I leave for Europe, which will be in a couple of months, I remain, far or near, your friend, LOLA MONTEZ. 

Of course, there was a postscript:

 "The subject of my lectures in Europe will be on America. This should prove attractive. "

Another letter suggests that an appointment with Leland had not beenkept:

 I should have much liked to have seen you before my departure for Ireland on Tuesday by Pacific, but I cannot control circumstances, you know; and therefore all I ask you until my return next July is a "place in your memory. " Maybe, I shall write to you, or, maybe, not. But, whatever is, be sure that _You_ will not be forgotten by Yrs. 

 LOLA MONTEZ. 

Again the inevitable postscript:

 "Give my best and kindest regards to _our friend_. Tell him I shall certainly manage to fill his columns with plenty more newspaper lectures. "

According to himself, Lola looked upon the young American withsomething more than mere friendship. "Once, " he says, in hisreminiscences, "she proposed to make a bolt with me to Europe, which Ideclined. The secret of my influence, " he adds smugly, "was that Ialways treated her with respect, and never made love. "

III

It was at the end of November, 1858, that Lola landed once more in theUnited Kingdom. She began her campaign there in Dublin, where, twenty-four years earlier, she had lived as a young bride, danced atthe Castle, and flirted with the Viceroy's aides-de-camp. During theinterval a crowded chapter, and one full of colour and life andmovement, had been written. 

All being in readiness, the public were duly informed of her plans byan advertisement:

MADAME LOLA MONTEZ, COUNTESS OFLANDSFELD, will give a Lecture on "America and itsPeople, " at the Round Room, Rotundo, on Wednesdayevening, December 8. Reserved seats, 3s. ; unreserved, 2s. 6d. 

The début would appear to have been highly successful. "Theannouncement of the lecture, " said a report the next morning, "createda degree of interest almost unparalleled among the Dublin public. Theplatform was regularly carried by a throng of admirers, givingMadame Lola Montez barely space to reach her desk. She was listened towith enraptured attention and warm manifestations of approval"; and"very properly, an ill-bred fellow, who exclaimed, 'hee-haw' atregular intervals, was loudly hissed. "

[Illustration: _"Lectures and Life. " From stage to platform_]

For some reason or other, Lola was constantly embroiled withjournalists. Thus, during this Dublin visit she had a passage at armswith one of them, who had published some damaging criticisms about herlife in Paris. Thereupon, she wrote an angry letter to the editor ofthe _Daily Express_. As, however, she was alluding to events that hadtaken place nearly fifteen years earlier, her memory was somewhat atfault. Thus, she insisted that, when Dujarier met his death, she wasliving in the house of a Dr. And Mrs. Azan; and also that "the goodQueen of Bavaria wept bitterly when she left Munich. "

But, if Lola Montez was not very reliable, the editor of the _DublinDaily Express_ was similarly slipshod in his comments. "It is now, " hedeclared, "well established that Lola Montez was born in 1824, herfather being the son of a baronet. "

Crossing from Ireland to England, Lola, prior to appearing in London, undertook a tour in the provinces. On January 8, 1859, she appeared atthe Free Trade Hall, Manchester, where her subject was "Portraits ofEnglish and American Character. " This went down very well, although, to her disappointment, John Bright declined to take the chair. AtLiverpool, however, "the public went almost wild with excitement";and, as a result, her share of the box-office receipts was £250. But, although she attracted the mob, she managed to upset thesusceptibilities of the critics. "Some of Madam's allusions, " declareda shocked hearer, "were in questionable taste, and, as she deliveredher address, the epithet 'coarse' fell from several members of theaudience. "

A visit to Chester, which followed the Liverpool one, was marked by anunfortunate incident:

"We learn with sorrow, " said an eye-witness, "that on Thursday lastthe lady introduced, if not American, certainly not English, mannersinto one of our most venerable cathedrals. When, accompanied by amasculine escort, she entered the sacred edifice, the gentleman (?)demurred to removing his hat. While in dispute on this point ofetiquette, Madam's pet dog attempted to join her. On being informed bythe sexton that such canine companionship was inadmissible, her angerwas aroused and she withdrew in considerable dudgeon. "

The provincial tour was an extensive one; and, during it, sheencountered a certain amount of competition. Thus, at Bristol she wassandwiched in between Barnum and a quarterly meeting of the BibleSociety. None the less, "the fair Lola had a very cordial receptionfrom a number of respectable citizens. " But she was to have a set-backin one town that must have held many memories of her girlhood. Thiswas Bath, where she appeared in the Assembly Rooms. The attitude ofthe press was distinctly inimical. "We must say, " was one acidcomment, "that a greater _sell_ we have not met with for a very longtime. All the audience got for their money were some remarks of themost commonplace and twaddling description. They lasted about an hour, and even this was an hour too much. " Still, Brighton, where the tourfinished, more than made up for Bath; and she was so successful therethat "the Pavilion was crammed to the doors, and additional lectureshad to be given. " Thus, all was well that ended well. 

A provincial triumph was worth having. Lola, however, had set herheart on conquering London. With this end in view, accordingly, shedespatched an emissary ahead to make the preliminary arrangements. Offers of theatres were showered upon her. One was from thatremarkable figure, Edward Tyrell Smith. She would probably have donewell under his management, for nobody understood showmanship betterthan this British Barnum. In this direction he had nothing to learnfrom anybody. Beginning his career as a sailor, he had soon tired of alife on the ocean wave, and, abandoning the prospect of becominganother Nelson, had joined the police force as a humble constable. Buthe did not remain one long; and became in turn a Fleet Streetpublican, the proprietor of a Haymarket night-house, an auctioneer, apicture dealer, a bill discounter (with a side line in usury), and theeditor of a Sunday organ. Next, the theatre attracted his energies;and in 1852 he secured a lease of Drury Lane at the moderate rental of£70 a week. On Boxing-night he offered his first programme there. Thisconsisted of _Uncle Tom's Cabin_ (with "fierce bloodhounds complete"), followed by a full length pantomime and a "roaring farce. " Value formoney in those palmy days. But, as an entrepreneur, Mr. Smith wasalways ahead of his period. Thus, he abolished the customary chargefor booking; and, instead of increasing them, he lowered his priceswhen he had a success; and it is also to his credit that he introducedmatinées. 

Such a manager deserved to go far. This one did go far. Havingdiscovered his niche, the pushful Smith soon had his fingers inseveral other pies. Thus, from Drury Lane he went to the Alhambra, andfrom the Alhambra to Astley's, with intervening spells at the Lyceumand the Elephant and Castle. He also took in his stride Her Majesty'sand Cremorne. All was fish that he swept into his net. Some, ofcourse, were minnows, but others were Tritons. Charles Mathews and thetwo Keans, together with Giuglini and Titiens, served under hisbanner, as did also acrobats, conjurers, and pugilists. He "ran"opera, circuses, gambling hells, and "moral waxworks" simultaneously;and, these fields of endeavour not being enough for him, he added tothem by standing for Parliament (opposing Samuel Whitbread) andediting the _Sunday Times_. Always a man of resource, when he wasconducting a tavern he put his barmaids into "bloomers. " This daringstroke had its reward; and, by swelling the consumption of beer, perceptibly increased his bank balance. Hence, it is not perhapsunnatural that such widely spread activities should have inspired alyrical apostrophe:

 Awake, my Muse, with fervour and with pith, To sing the praise of Lessee Edward Smith!

Yet, shrewd as he was, Mr. Smith was himself once bitten. During hismoney-lending interval, he happened to discount (at what he considereda "business" rate) some bills for £600 out of which Prince LouisNapoleon, then sheltering in London, had been swindled by somecard-sharpers at the notorious Judge and Jury Club. The next morning, the victim, coming to his senses, went to the police, and the policewent to the sharpers. As a result, the members of the gang werearrested and the bills were cancelled. Feeling that he had a genuinegrievance, since he was out of pocket by the transaction, the acceptorwaited until a turn of Fortune's wheel had established Louis Napoleonat the Tuileries. He then wrote to him for permission to open somepleasure gardens in Paris on the lines of those he had conducted atCremorne. The desired permission, however, was withheld. 

"No gratitude, " said the disappointed applicant. 

IV

Tempting as were the prospects he offered, Lola, after somediscussion, felt that she could do better, from a financial point ofview, without the help of Mr. E. T. Smith. Accordingly, making her ownarrangements, she hired the St. James's Hall, where, on April 7, 1859, she delivered the first of a series of four lectures. 

Although a considerable interval had elapsed since she was last inLondon, the public had not forgotten the dramatic circumstances underwhich she had then appeared at Marlborough Street police court. Thisfact, combined with the lure of her subject, "Beautiful Women, " wassufficient to cram every portion of the building with an interestedand expectant audience. They came from all parts. Clapham andHighgate were no less anxious for guidance than Kensington andBelgravia. If an entertainment-tax had been levied at that period therevenue would have benefited substantially. "The appearance on theplatform of the fair lecturer, " said one account, "was responsible forthe most extensive display of opera glasses that has been seen inLondon since the Empress Eugénie visited the Opera. "

By an unfortunate coincidence, the St. James's Hall _première_ clashedwith another attraction elsewhere. This was the confirmation thatevening of the dusky King of Bonny by the Bishop of London. Still, aconsiderable number managed to attend both items; and, of the two, thelecture proved the greater draw. 

Striking a note of warning at the outset, Lola began by telling herhearers that, "It is the penalty of Nature that young girls must fadeand become as wizened as their grandmothers. " But she had a message ofhope to offer, for, she said, "wrinkles can be warded off and autumntresses made to preserve their pristine freshness. " The cure wasmerely careful dieting and the "abolition of injurious cosmetics andthe health-destroying bodice. " Taking the measure of her audience, shelaid on flattery with a trowel. "You have, " she assured them, "only tolook into the ranks of the upper classes to see around you the mostbeautiful women in Europe; and where this is concerned, I must givethe preference to the nobility of England. " Among the examples held upfor admiration by her were the Duchess of Sutherland--"the paragon andtype of Britain's aristocracy"--and "the very voluptuous LadyBlessington. " Approval for the Duchess of Wellington, however, wasless pronounced, since, while admitting her physical charms, Loladeclared her to be "of little intellect, and as cold as a piece ofsculpture. "

Claiming to have visited Turkey (but omitting to say when), Lolaoffered an item unrecorded in the archives of the British Embassythere:

 "In Turkey I saw very few beautiful women. The lords of creation in that part of the world treat the opposite sex as you would geese--stuff them to make them fat. Through the politeness of Sir Stratford Canning, English Ambassador at Constantinople, I was kindly permitted to visit the Sultan's harem as often as I pleased and there look upon the 'lights of the world. ' These 'lights of the world' consisted of five hundred bodies of unwieldy avoirdupois. The ladies of the harem gazed upon my leanness with commiserating wonder. "

The lecture finished up on a high note:

 "It has been my privilege to see some of the most celebrated beauties that shine in the gilded courts of fashion throughout the world--from St. James's to St. Petersburg, from Paris to India--and yet I am unaware of any quality that can atone for the absence of an unpolished mind and an unlovely heart. A charming activity of soul is the real source of woman's beauty. It is that which gives the sweetest expression to her face and lights up her _personnel_. "

In the matter of publicity Lola had nothing of which to complain; andthe next morning descriptive columns were published by the dozen. 

 The début of Madame Lola Montez (announced the _Star_), in the presence of a large and fashionable gathering, was a decided success. Every portion of the spacious and elegant building was completely filled. Madame presented herself in that black velvet costume which seems to be the only alternative to white muslin for ladies who aspire to be considered historic. Not Marie Stuart herself could have become it better than Lola Montez. Her face, air, attitude, and elocution are thoroughly and bewilderingly feminine. Perhaps her smartest and happiest remark was the one in which, with a pretty affectation, she says, "If I were a gentleman, I should like an American young lady to flirt with, but a typical English girl for a wife. " This dictum was received with much applause. 

One can well believe it. 

An anonymous leader, but which, from its florid touches, was evidentlypenned by George Augustus Sala, dwelt on Lola's personality:

 Some disappointment may have been caused by the appearance of the fair lecturer. A Semiramis, a Zenobia, a Cleopatra, in marvellous robes of gold and silver tissue, might have been looked for; but, in reality, the rostrum was occupied by a very handsome lady, with a very charming voice and a very winning smile.... Madame Lola Montez lectures very well and very naturally. Some will go to hear the accomplished elocutionist; others will be envious to see the wife of Captain James and silly Mr. Heald; the friend of Dujarier and Beauvalon; the _cara sposa_ of King Ludwig. Phryne went to the bath as Venus--and Madame Lola Montez lectures at St. James's Hall. 

Taking a professional interest in everything connected, howeverremotely, with the drama (and having more time in which to do it) the_Era_ offered its readers a considered opinion at greater length:

 If any amongst the full and fashionable auditory that attended her first appearance fancied (with a lively recollection of certain scandalous chronicles in the newspapers touching upon her antecedents) that they were about to behold a formidable-looking woman, of Amazonian audacity and palpably strong-wristed as well as strong-minded, their disappointment must have been grievous; greater if they anticipated the legendary bulldog at her side, and the traditionary pistols in her girdle, and the horse-whip in her hand. The Lola Montez who made a graceful and impressive obeisance to those who gave her on Thursday night so cordial and encouraging a reception appeared simply as a good-looking lady in the bloom of womanhood, attired in a plain black dress, with easy unrestrained manners.... The lecture might have been a newspaper article, the first chapter of a book of travels, or the speech of a long-winded American Ambassador at a Mansion House dinner. All was exceedingly decorous and diplomatic, slightly gilded here and there with those commonplace laudations that stir a British public into the utterance of patriotic plaudits. A more inoffensive entertainment could hardly be imagined; and when the six sections into which the lady had divided her discourse, were exhausted, and her final bow elicited a renewal of the applause that had accompanied her entrance, the impression on the departing visitors must have been that of having spent an hour in company with a well-informed lady who had gone to America, had seen much to admire there, and, coming back, had had over the tea-table the talk of the evening to herself. Whatever the future disquisitions of the Countess of Landsfeld may be, there is little doubt that many will go to hear them for the sake of the peculiar celebrity of the lecturer. 

To this, the _Era_ reporter naïvely added: "Her foreign accent mightbelong to any language from Irish to Bavarian. "

Lola did not have the field entirely to herself. While she was tellingthe St. James's Hall public how to improve their appearance at verysmall cost, a rival practitioner, with a _salon_ in Bond Street, was, in the advertisement columns of the morning papers, announcing herreadiness to furnish the necessary requisites at a very high figure. This was a "Madame Rachel, " some of whose dupes parted with as much asfive hundred guineas, on the understanding that she would make them"Beautiful for ever!"

Like Lola Montez, "Madame Rachel" brought out a puff pamphlet, directing attention to her specifics. This production beat the effortof the Rev. Chauncey Burr, for it bristled with references, to theBible and Shakespeare, to Grace Darling and Florence Nightingale. Among her nostrums was a bottle of "Jordan Water, " which she sold atthe modest figure of £15 15s. A flask. Chemical analysis, however, revealed it to have come, not from Palestine, but from the RiverThames. She also supplied, on extortionate terms, various drugs and"medical treatment" of a description upon which the Law frownsheavily. As a result, "Madame Rachel" left Bond Street for the dock ofthe Old Bailey, where she was sent to penal servitude for swindling. 

In the lecture on "Wits and Women of Paris, " Lola did not forget herold friends. She had a good word for Dumas:

 "Of the literary lights during my residence in Paris, Alexandre Dumas was the first, as he would be in any city anywhere. He was not only the boon companion of princes, but he was the prince of boon companions. He is now about fifty-five years old, a tall, fine-looking man, with intellect stamped on his brow. Of all the men I ever met he is the most brilliant in conversation. He is always sought for at convivial suppers, and is always sure to attend them. "

Discretion, perhaps, prevented her saying anything about Dujarier andthe tragedy of his death. Still, she had something to say about Rogerde Beauvoir, whom she declared to be "one of the three men that keptParis alive when I was there. " Her recollection of Jules Janinrankled. "He was, " she said, "a malicious and caustic critic. Everybody feared him, and everybody was civil to him through fear. Ido not know anyone (even his wife) who loves him in Paris. " But EugéneSue was in another category. "He was an honest, sincere, truth-lovingman; and it will be long before Paris can fill the place which hisdeath has made vacant. "

In the "Heroines of History" lecture the audience were told that "Allhistory is full of startling examples of female heroism, proving thatwoman's heart is made of as stout a stuff and of as brave a metal asthat which beats within the ribs of the coarser sex. " But, feminist asshe was, Lola had no sympathy with any suggestion to grant them thefranchise. "Women who get together in conventions for the purpose ofousting men will never, " she declared, "accomplish anything. They caneffect legislation only by quiet and judicious counsel. Theseconvention women are very poor politicians. "

The last lectures in the series dealt with "Comic Aspects of Love, "and "Strong-minded Women. " Among the typical specimens offered forconsideration were such diverse personalities as Semiramis, QueenElizabeth, the Countess of Derby, George Sand, and Mrs. Bloomer. Inthe discourse on "The Comic Aspects of Love" the range swept fromAristotle and Plato to Mahomet and the Mormons. If the B. B. C. Had beenin existence, Lola would undoubtedly have been booked for a "talk. " Asit was, two of the lectures were reprinted in _The Welcome Guest_, "amagazine of recreative reading for all, " with Robert Browning, CharlesKingsley and Monckton Milnes among its contributors. Thinking they hada market, an enterprising publisher rushed out a volume, _The Lecturesof Lola Montez_. When a copy reached the editor, it was reviewed incharacteristically elephantine fashion by the _Athenæum_:

 "We can imagine the untravelled dames of Fifth Avenue listening with wonder to a female lecturer who seems to have lived hand in glove with all the crowned heads of Europe; and who can tell them, not only Who's-Who, but also repeat their conversations, criticise their personal appearances, and describe the secret arts by which the men preserve their powers and the women their beauty. "

CHAPTER XVII

THE CURTAIN FALLS

I

At the end of the year 1859, Lola, once more a bird of passage, was onthe way back to America, taking with her some fresh material foranother lecture campaign. This, entitled "John Bull at Home, " fellvery flat; and instead of, as hitherto, addressing crowded halls, shenow found scanty gatherings wherever she was booked. Even when thecharge of admission was reduced from the original figure of a dollarto one of 25 cents, "business" did not improve. Uncle Sam made itobvious that he took no sort of interest in John Bull, either at homeor elsewhere. 

America, however, was, as it happened, taking a very lively interestin something else just then that did happen to be connected with JohnBull's country. This was the visit of the Prince of Wales. It had beenannounced by an imaginative journalist that H. R. H. Was to be "piloted"during his tour by John Camel Heenan, otherwise the "Benicia Boy. " Itwas, however, under the more rigid tutelage of General Bruce that thedistinguished guest landed on American shores. Mere prose not beingadequate to record the historic incident a laureate set to work:

 He came! A slender youth and fair! A courtly, gentlemanly grace--the Grace of God! The tenure of his mother's Throne, and great men's fame Sat like a sparkling jewel on his brow. Ah, Albert Edward! When you homeward sail Take back with you, and treasure in your soul A wholesome lesson which you here may learn!

While he was in New York a ball in honour of the Prince was given atthe Opera House by the "Committee of Welcome. " This inspired a secondlaureate, Edmund Clarence Stedman:

 But as ALBERT EDWARD, young and fair, Stood on the canopied dais-chair, And looked from the circle crowding there To the length and breadth of the outer scene, Perhaps he thought of his mother, the QUEEN: (Long may her empery be serene! Long may the Heir of England prove Loyal and tender; may he pay No less allegiance to her love Than to the sceptre of her sway!)

The visit of the Prince of Wales was not the only attractionchallenging the popularity of Lola Montez at this period. There wasanother rival, and one in more direct competition with herself. Thiswas Sam Cowell, a music-hall "star" from England. A comedian ofgenuine talent, he took America by storm with a couple of ballads, "The Rat-Catcher's Daughter" and "Villikins and his Dinah. " The publicflocked to hear him in their thousands. Lola's lectures fell veryflat. Even fresh material and reduced prices failed to serve as alure. The position was becoming serious. 

But, while her manager looked glum when he examined the box-officefigures, Lola was not upset, for she had suddenly developed anotheractivity, and one to which she was giving all her attention. This wasthe occult. The "Voices" at whose bidding she had abandoned the stagea couple of years earlier were now insistent that she should drop theplatform; and, casting in her lot with the "Spirits, " get into touchwith a mysterious region vaguely referred to as "the Beyond. "

It was a time when spiritualism was flourishing like a green bay tree. Mrs. Hayden ("the wife of a respectable journalist") and the FoxSisters had been playing their pranks for years and collecting dollarsfrom dupes all over the country; and their rivals, the DavenportBrothers, with Daniel Dunglas Home (Browning's "Sludge, the Medium")were humbugging Harvard professors, financial magnates, and SupremeCourt judges; and, not to be behindhand, other experts were (for acash consideration) calling up Columbus and Shakespeare and Napoleon, who talked to them at séances as readily as if they were at the end ofa telephone, but with pronounced American accents. 

[Illustration: _Countess of Landsfeld. A favourite portrait_

(_Harvard Theatre Collection_)]

Lola's first reaction was all that could be desired. There never was amore promising recruit or a more receptive one. Quite prepared to takethe "Voices" on trust, and to contribute liberally to the "cause, " sheattended a number of psychic circles, arranged by Stephen Andrews andother charlatans; listened to mysterious rappings and tappings comingout of the darkness; felt inanimate objects being lifted across theroom; heard tambourines rattled by invisible hands; and unquestionablyswallowed all the traditional tomfoolery that appears to be part andparcel of such "phenomena. "

This state of things might have continued indefinitely. By, however, an unfortunate mischance, a "medium, " from whom much was expected, went, in his endeavour to give satisfaction, a little too far. Notkeeping a vigilant eye on European happenings, he announced at onesuch gathering that the "spirit" addressing the assembly was that ofLudwig of Bavaria. As, however, Ludwig was still in the land of theliving (where, by the way, he remained for several years to come) itwas a bad slip. The result was, Lola felt her faith shaken, and, convinced that she was being exploited, shut up her purse, andwithdrew from the promised "guidance. "

II

Under stress of emotion, some women take to the bottle; others to theBible. With Lola Montez, however, it was a case of from Bunkum toBoanerges, from the circle to the conventicle. Spiritualism had beentried and found wanting. Casting about for something with which tofill the empty niche and adjust her equilibrium, she turned toreligion for consolation. The brand she selected was that favoured bythe Methodists. One would scarcely imagine that Little Bethel wouldhave had much appeal to her. But perhaps its very drabness andremoteness from the world of the footlights proved a welcome relief. 

Having "got religion, " Lola fastened upon it with characteristicfervour. It occupied all her thoughts; and in the process she soondeveloped what would now be dubbed a marked inferiority-complex. 

"Lord, " she wrote at this period, "Thy mercies are great to me. Oh!how little are they deserved, filthy worm that I am! Oh! that the HolySpirit may fill my soul with prayer! Lord, have mercy on Thy wearywanderer, and grant me all I beseech of Thee! Oh! give me a meek andlowly heart. Amen. "

A doctor, had she consulted one just then, would probably haveprescribed a blue pill. 

There is a theory that the "Light" had been vouchsafed as the resultof a chance visit to Spurgeon's Tabernacle when she was last inEngland. Although Spurgeon himself never put forward any such claim, adiary that Lola kept at the time has a significant entry:

 LONDON, _September 10, 1859. _

 How many, many years of my life have been sacrificed to Satan and my own love of sin! What have I not been guilty of in thought or deed during these years of wretchedness! Oh! I dare not think of the past. What have I not been! I only lived for my own passions; and what is there of good even in the best natural human being! What would I not give to have my terrible and fearful experience given as an awful warning to such natures as my own!

A week later, things not having improved during the interval, she tookstock of her position in greater detail:

 I am afraid sometimes that I think too well of myself. But let me only look back to the past. Oh! how I am humbled.... How manifold are my sins, and how long in years have I lived a life of evil passions without a check!

 To-morrow (the Lord's Day) is the day of peace and happiness. Once it seemed to me anything but a happy day. But now all is wonderfully changed in my heart.... This week I have principally sinned through hastiness of temper and uncharitableness of feeling towards my neighbour. Oh! that I could have only love for others and hatred of myself!

Another passage ran:

 To-morrow is Sunday, and I shall go into the poor little humble chapel, and there will I mingle my prayers with the fervent pastor, and with the good and true. There is no pomp or ceremony among these. All is simple. No fine dresses, no worldly display, but the honest Methodist breathes forth a sincere prayer, and I feel much unity of souls. 

The "conversion" of Lola Montez was no flash in the pan, or the resultof a sudden impulse. It was a real one, deep and sincere and lasting. Her former triumphs on the stage and in the boudoir had become as dustand ashes. Compared with her new-found joy in religion, all else wasvanity and emptiness. 

"I can forget my French and German, and everything else I havevalued, " she is declared to have said to a pressman, who, scenting a"news story, " followed hot-foot on her track, "but I cannot forget myChrist. "

She had been "Montez the Magnificent. " Now she was "Montez theMagdalen. " The woman whose voluptuous beauty and unbridled passion hadupset thrones and fired the hearts of men was now concerned with thesaving of souls. As such, she resolved to spread "the Word" amongothers less happily circumstanced. To this end, she preached inconventicles and visited hospitals, asylums, and prisons, offering ahelping hand to all who would accept one, and especially to"unfortunates" of her own sex. She had her disappointments. Butneither snubs nor setbacks, nor sneers nor jeers could turn her fromthe path she had elected to tread. 

"In the course of a long experience as a Christian minister, " says aclergyman whom she encountered at this period, "I do not think I eversaw deeper penitence and humility, more real contrition of soul, andmore bitter self-reproach than in this poor woman. "

"With, " he adds, in an oleaginous little tract on the subject, "aheart full of generous sympathy for the poor outcasts of her own sex, she devoted the last few months of her life to visiting them at theMagdalen Asylum, near New York.... She strove to impress upon them notonly the awful guilt of breaking the divine law, but the inevitableearthly sorrow which those who persisted with thoughtless desperationin sinful courses were assuredly treasuring up for themselves. "

But, except those who encountered her charity and self-sacrifice, there were few who had a good word for Lola Montez in her character asa Magdalen. People who had fawned upon her in the days of her successnow jeered and sneered and affected to doubt the reality of herpenitence. "Once a sinner, always a sinner, " they declared; and "Lolain the pulpit is rich!" was another barbed shaft. 

In thus abandoning the buskin for the Bible, Lola Montez was followingone example and setting another. The example she followed was that ofMlle Gautier, of the Comédie Française, who, after flashing across thehorizon of Maurice de Saxe (and several others), left the footlightsand retired to a convent. "It is true, " she says in her memoirs, "thatI have encountered during my theatrical career a number of peoplewhose morals have been as irreproachable as their talents, but Imyself was not among them. " This was putting it--well--mildly, for, according to Le d'Hoefer, "her stage career was marked by a freedomof manner pushed to the extremity of licence. "

In the sisterhood that she joined the new name of Mlle Gautier wasSister Augustine. As such, she lived a Carmelite nun for thirty-twoyears. But time did not hang heavy on her hands, for, in addition toreligious exercises and domestic tasks, she occupied herself withpainting miniatures and composing verses. "I am so happy here, " shewrote from her cell, "that I much regret having delayed too longentering this holy place. The real calm and peace I have nowdiscovered have made me imagine all my previous life an evil dream. "

The example that Lola Montez was setting was to be followed, fiftyyears later, by another member of her calling. This was EveLavalliére, who, after a distinctly hectic career, cut herself adriftfrom the footlights of Paris and entered the mission-field of NorthAfrica. "Here at your feet, " she says in one of her letters, "lies thevilest, lowest, and most contemptible object on earth, a worm from thedung-heap, the most infamous, the most soiled of all creatures. Lord, I am but a poor sheep in your flock!"

There is also something of a parallel between the career of LolaMontez and that of Theodora, who, once in the circus ring, and, at thestart, a lady of decidedly easy virtue, afterwards became the consortof the Emperor Justinian and shared his throne. Like Lola, too, Theodora endeavoured to make amends for her early slips by voluntarilyabandoning the pomp and power she had once enjoyed and giving herselfup to the redemption of "fallen women. "

III

Perhaps the "Spirits" resented being abandoned by her in summaryfashion; perhaps she had overtaxed her energies addressing outdoormeetings in all weathers. At any rate, and whatever the cause, whileshe was travelling in the country during the winter of 1860, LolaMontez was suddenly stricken down by a mysterious illness. As itbaffled the hospital doctors, she had to be taken back to New York. There, instead of getting better, she gradually got worse, developingconsumption, followed by partial paralysis. 

"What a study for the thoughtless; what a sermon on the inevitableresult of human vanity!" was the ghoulish comment of a scribbler. 

Rufus Blake, an entrepreneur, under whose banner she had once starred, has some reminiscences of her at this period. "She lived, " he says, "in strict retirement, reading religious books, and steadily, calmly, hopefully preparing for death, fully convinced that consumption hadsnapped the pillars of her life and that she was soon to make herfinal exit. "

After an interval, word of Lola's collapse reached England by means ofa cutting in a theatrical paper. There it appears to have touched along slumbering maternal chord. "Mrs. Craigie, " says a paragraphist, "suddenly arrived in America, anxious, as next of kin, to secure herdaughter's property. On discovering, however, that none existed, shehurried back again, leaving behind her a sum of three pounds formedicine and other necessities. "

Cast off by her fair-weather friends, bereft of her looks, poverty-stricken, and ravaged by an insidious illness, the situationof Lola Montez was, during that winter of 1860, one to excite pityamong the most severe of judges. Under duress, even her new foundtrust in Providence began to falter. Was prayer, she wonderedforlornly, to fail her like everything else? Suddenly, however, andwhen things were at their darkest, a helping hand was offered. Onebitter evening, as she sat brooding in the miserable lodging where shehad secured temporary shelter, she was visited by a Mrs. Buchanan, claiming her as a friend of the long distant past. The years fellback; and, with an effort, Lola recognised in the visitor a girl, nowa mature matron, whom she had last met in Montrose. 

The sympathy of Mrs. Buchanan, shared to the full by her husband, aprosperous merchant, was of a practical description. Althoughfamiliar with the many lapses in Lola's career, they counted fornothing beside the fact that she was in sore need. Bygones werebygones. Insisting that the stricken woman should leave her wretchedsurroundings, Mrs. Buchanan took her into her own well-appointedhouse, provided doctors and nurses, and did all that was possible tosmooth her path. Deeply religious herself, she soon won back herfaltering faith, and summoned a clergyman, the Rev. Dr. Hawks, toprepare her for the inevitable and rapidly approaching end. 

A smug little booklet, _The Story of a Penitent: Lola Montez_, published under the auspices of the "Protestant Society for thePromotion of Evangelical Knowledge, " was afterwards written by thisshepherd. Since his name did not appear on the title page, he was ableto make several unctuous references to himself. 

"Most acceptable, " he says in one characteristic passage, "were hisministrations. Refreshing, too, to his own spirit were his interviewswith her. "

"It was, " he continues, "in the latter part of 1860 that I received amessage from the unhappy woman so well known to the public under thename of Lola Montez, earnestly requesting me to visit her and ministerto her spiritual wants. She had been stricken down by a paralysis ofher left side. For some days she was unconscious, and her death seemedto be at hand. She had, however, rallied, and a most benevolentChristian female, who had been her schoolmate in Scotland in the daysof her girlhood, and knew her well, had stepped forward and providedfor the temporal comfort of the afflicted companion of her childhood. The real name of Lola Montez was Eliza G. , and she was of respectablefamily in Ireland, where she was born. "

But neither the Rev. Mr. Hawks, with his oiliness and smug piety, norMrs. Buchanan, with her true womanly sympathy and understanding, couldbring Lola Montez back to health, any more than--for all their pillsand purges--could the doctors and nurses round her bed. She lay there, day after day, aware of their presence, but unable to move or speak. Yet, able to think. Thoughts crowded upon her in a series of flashingpictures; a bewildering phantasmagoria, coming out of the shadows, andbeckoning to her. Childhood's memories of India; hot suns, marchingmen, palanquins and elephants; Montrose and a dour Calvinism; Bath andSir Jasper Nicolls; love's young dream; Lieutenant James and therunaway marriage in Dublin; another experience of India's coralstrand; kind-hearted Captain Craigie and hard-hearted George Lennox;the Consistory Court proceedings; fiasco at Her Majesty's Theatre;Ranelagh and Lumley; _wanderjahre_ and odyssey; Paris and Dujarier;Ludwig and the steps of a throne; passion and poetry; intrigues andliaisons; Cornet Heald and Patrick Hull; voyages from the old world tothe new; mining camps and backwoods; palaces and conventicles;glittering triumphs and abject failures. And now, gasping andstruggling for breath, the end. 

The sands were running out. The days slipped away, and, with them, thelast vitality of the woman who had once been so full of life and thejoy of living. 

The doctors did what they could. But it was very little, for LolaMontez was beyond their help. The end was fast at hand. It came withmerciful swiftness. On January 17, 1861, she turned her face to thewall and drew a last shuddering breath. 

"I am very tired, " she whispered. 

The funeral took place two days later. "Accompanied by some of ourmost respected citizens and their families, " says an eye-witness, "thecortège left the house of Mrs. Buchanan for Green-Wood cemetery. "

"The Rev. Dr. Hawks, " adds a second account, "was constantly at thebedside of Lola Montez, and gave her the benefit of his pastoral careas freely as if she had been a member of his own flock. He conductedher obsequies in an impressive fashion; and Mr. Brown, his assistant, who had himself attended so many funerals and weddings in his day, was seen to wipe the tears from his eyes, as he heard the reverendgentleman remark to Mrs. Buchanan that he had never met with anexample of more genuine penitence. "

"Is not this a brand plucked from the burning?" enquired the Rev. Mr. Hawks, as he stood addressing the company assembled round the grave. He himself was assured that the description was thoroughly applicableto the woman lying there. 

"I never saw, " he declared, "a more humble penitent. When I prayedwith her, nothing could exceed the fervour of her devotion; and neverhave I had a more watchful and attentive hearer when I read theScriptures.... If ever a repentant soul loathed past sin, I believehers did. "

Possibly, since it could scarcely have been Mrs. Buchanan, it was thisclerical busybody who was responsible for the inscription on Lola'sheadstone:

MRS. ELIZA GILBERT

DIED

JANUARY 17, 1861. 

An odd mask under which to shelter the identity of the gifted womanwho, given in baptism the names Marie Dolores Eliza Rosanna, hadflashed across three continents as Lola Montez, Countess of Landsfeld. 

[Illustration: _Grave of Lola Montez, in Green-wood Cemetery, NewYork_

(_Photo by Miss Ida U. Mellen, New York_)]

IV

Misrepresented as she had been in her life, Lola Montez was even moremisrepresented after her death. The breath was scarcely out of herbody, when a flood of cowardly scurrilities was poured from the gutterpress. Her good deeds were forgotten; only her derelictions wereremembered. 

One such obituary notice began:

 "A woman who, in the full light of the nineteenth century, renewed all the scandals that disgraced the Middle Ages, and, with an audacity that is almost unparalleled, seated herself upon the steps of a throne, is worthy of mention; if only to show to what extent vice can sometimes triumph, and to what a fall it can eventually come. "

An editorial, which was published in one of the New York papers, contained some odd passages:

 "Among the most ardent admirers of Lola Montez was a young Scotsman, a member of the illustrious house of Lennox, who was with difficulty restrained by his family from offering her his hand. In London the deceased led a gay life, being courted by the Earl of Malmesbury and other distinguished noblemen. Wherever she went, she was the observed of all observers, conquering the hearts of men of all countries by her beauty and blandishments, and their admiration by her unflinching independence of character and superior intellectual endowments. "

The death of Lola Montez did not pass without comment in England. The_Athenæum_ necrologist accorded her half a column of obituary, inwhich she was described as "this pretty, picaroon woman, whose namecan never be omitted from any chronicle of Bavaria. "

A Grub Street hack, employed by the curiously named _Gentleman'sMagazine_, slung together a column of abuse and lies, founded ontap-room gossip:

 "When not yet sixteen, she ran away from a school near Cork with a young officer of the Bengal Army, Lieutenant Gilbert (_sic_), who married her and took her to India. In consequence of her bad conduct there, he was soon obliged to send her back to Europe. She first tried the stage as a profession, but, failing at it, she eventually adopted a career of infamy. "

A writer in _Temple Bar_ has endeavoured, and, on the whole, with fairmeasure of success, to preserve the balance:

 "With more of the good and more of the evil in her composition than in that of most of her sisters, Lola Montez made a wreck of her life by giving reins to the latter; and she stands out as a prominent example of the impossibility of a woman breaking away from the responsibilities of her sex with any permanent gain, either to herself or to society. Her passionate, enthusiastic and loving nature was her strength which, by fascinating all who came into contact with her, was also her weakness. "

Cameron Rogers, writing on "Gay and Gallant Ladies, " sums up thecareer of Lola Montez in deft fashion:

 "Thus passed one who has been called the Cleopatra and the Aspasia of the nineteenth century. A very gallant and courageous lady, certainly; and, though she used her beauty and her mind not in accordance with the Decalogue, yet worthy to be remembered as much for the excellent vigour of the latter as for the perfection of the former. Individual damnation or salvation in such a case as hers are matters of strict opinion; but for Lola's brief to the last judgment there is an ancient tag that might never be more aptly appended. Like the moral of her life, it is exceedingly trite--_Quia multum amavit. _"

This is well put. 

V

Even after she was in it, and might, one would think, have been leftthere in peace, the dead woman was not allowed to rest quietly in hergrave. Some years later her mantle was impudently assumed by analleged actress, who, dubbing herself "Countess of Landsfeld, "undertook a lecture tour in America. If she had no other gift, thisone certainly had that of imagination. "I was born, " she said to areporter, "in Florence, and my mother, Lola Montez, was really marriedto the King Ludwig of Bavaria. This marriage was strictly valid, andmy mother's title of countess was afterwards conferred on myself. Theearliest recollections I have are of being brought up by some nuns ina convent in the Black Forest. But for the help of the good Dr. Döllinger, who assisted me to escape, I should still have been keptthere, a victim of political interests. "

This nonsense was eagerly swallowed; and for some time thepseudo-"Countess" attracted a following and reaped a rich harvest. Itwas not until diplomatic representations were made that her career waschecked. 

On Christmas Day, 1898, a New York obituary announced the death of awoman, Alice Devereux, the wife of a carpenter in poor circumstances. It further declared that she was the "daughter of the notorious LolaMontez, and may well have been the grand-daughter of Lord Byron. " Tothis it added: "Society has maintained a studious and charitablereserve as to the parentage of Lola Montez. All that is definitelyknown on the subject is that a fox-hunting Irish squire, Sir EdwardGilbert, was the husband of her mother. " Thus is "history" written. 

Nor would the "Spirits" leave poor Lola in peace. In the year 1888 awoman "medium, " calling herself Madam Anna O'Delia Diss DeBar (but, under pressure, admitting to several _aliases_) claimed to be adaughter of Lola Montez. As such, she conducted a number of séances, and, in return for cash down, evoked the spirit of her alleged mother. Some of the cash was extracted from the pocket of a credulous lawyer, one Luther Marsh. Thinking he had not had fair value for his dollars, he eventually prosecuted Madam for fraud, and had her sent to prison. 

She was not disturbed again until the winter of 1929, when an Austrian"medium, " Rudi Schneider, with, to adopt the jargon of his craft, a"trance-personality" called Olga (who professed to be an incarnationof Lola Montez), gave some séances in London. The extinguishing of thelights and the wheezing of a gramophone were followed by the usual"manifestations. " Thus, curtains flapped, books fell off chairs, tambourines rattled in locked cupboards, and bells jangled, etc. ButLola Montez herself was too bashful to appear. None the less, a numberof "scientists" (all un-named) afterwards announced that "everythingwas very satisfactory. "

Thinking that these claims to get into touch with the dead should besubjected to a more adequate test, Mr. Harry Price, director of theNational Laboratory of Psychical Research, arranged for RudiSchneider to give a sample of his powers to a committee of experts. Asa convincing test, Major Hervey de Montmorency (a nephew of the Mr. Francis Leigh with whom Lola had once lived in Paris) suggested thatthe accomplished "Olga" should be asked the name of his uncle (whichwas different from his own) and the circumstances under which they hadparted. This was done, and "Olga" promised to give full details at thenext sitting. But the promise was not kept. "She conveniently shelvedevery question, " says the official report. Altogether, RudiSchneider's stock fell. 

VI

The body of Lola Montez, Countess of Landsfeld, and Canoness of theOrder of St. Thérèse, has now been crumbling in the dust of a distantgrave, far from her own kith and kindred, for upwards of seventyyears. Her name, however, will still be remembered when that of otherwomen who have filled a niche in history will have been forgotten. 

Lola Montez was no common adventuress. By her beauty and intelligenceand magnetism she weaved a spell on well nigh all who came within herradius. Never any member of her sex quite like this one. Had she beenborn in the Middle Ages, superstition would have had it that Venusherself was revisiting the haunts of men in fresh guise. But she wouldthen probably have perished at the stake, accused of witchcraft by herpolitical opponents. As it was, even in the year 1848 a sovereigndemanded that a professional exorcist should "drive the devil out ofher. "

To present Lola Montez at her true worth, to adjust the balancebetween her merits and her demerits, is a difficult task. A woman of ahundred opposing facets; of rare culture and charm, and of whims andfancies and strange enthusiasms each battling with the other. Thus, byturns tender and callous, hot-tempered and soft-hearted; childishlysimple in some things, and amazingly shrewd in others; trusting andsuspicious; arrogant and humble, yet supremely indifferent to publicopinion; grateful for kindness and loyal to her friends, but neitherforgetting nor forgiving an injury. Men had treated her worse than shehad treated them. 

For the rest, a flashing, vivid personality, full of resource and highcourage, and always meeting hard knocks and buffets with equanimity. Lola Montez had lived every moment of her life. In the course of theircareer, few women could have cut a wider swath, or one more colourfuland glamorous. She had beauty and intelligence much above the average. All the world had been her stage; and she had played many parts on it. Some of them she had played better than others; but all of them shehad played with distinction. She had boxed the compass as no woman hadever yet boxed it. From adventuress to evangelist; coryphée, courtesan, and convert, each in turn. At the start a mixture ofCleopatra and Aspasia; and at the finish a feminine Pelagian. Equallyat home in the company of princes and poets and diplomats anddemireps, during the twenty years she was before the public she hadscaled heights and sunk to depths. Thus, she had queened it in palacesand in camps; danced in opera houses and acted in booths; she had bentmonarchs and politicians to her will; she had stood on the steps of athrone, and in the curb of a gutter; she had known pomp and power, riches and poverty, dazzling successes and abject failures; she hadconducted amours and liaisons and intrigues by the dozen; she had madehistory in two hemispheres; a king had given up his crown for her; menhad lived for her; and men had died for her. 

As with the rest of us, Lola Montez had her faults. Full measure ofthem. But she also had her virtues. She was gallant and generous andcharitable. At the worst, her heart ruled her head; and if she didmany a foolish thing, she never did a mean one. 

 * * * * *

In the final analysis, when the last balance is struck, this willsurely be placed to her credit. 

 * * * * *

APPENDIX I

EXTRACTS FROM "ARTS OF BEAUTY"

BY MADAME LOLA MONTEZ, COUNTESS OF LANDSFELD

A BEAUTIFUL FACE

If it be true "that the face is the index of the mind, " the recipe fora beautiful face must be something that reaches the soul. What can bedone for a human face that has a sluggish, sullen, arrogant, angrymind looking out of every feature? An habitually ill-natured, discontented mind ploughs the face with inevitable marks of its ownvice. However well shaped, or however bright its complexion, no suchface can ever become really beautiful. If a woman's soul is withoutcultivation, without taste, without refinement, without the sweetnessof a happy mind, not all the mysteries of art can ever make her facebeautiful. And, on the other hand, it is impossible to dim thebrightness of an elegant and polished intellect. The radiance of acharming mind strikes through all deformity of features, and stillasserts its sway over the world of the affections. It has been myprivilege to see the most celebrated beauties that shine in all thegilded courts of fashion throughout the world, from St. James's to St. Petersburgh, from Paris to Hindostan, and yet I have found no artwhich can atone for an unpolished mind, and an unlovely heart. Thatchastened and delightful activity of soul, that spiritual energy whichgives animation, grace, and living light to the animal frame, is, after all, the real source of beauty in a woman. It is _that_ whichgives eloquence to the language of her eyes, which sends the sweetestvermilion mantling to the cheek, and lights up the whole _personnel_as if her very body thought. That, ladies, is the ensign of beauty, and the herald of charms, which are sure to fill the beholder withanswering emotion and irrepressible delight. 

PAINTS AND POWDERS

If Satan has ever had any direct agency in inducing woman to spoil ordeform her own beauty, it must have been in tempting her to use_paints_ and _enamelling_. Nothing so effectually writes _mementomori!_ on the cheek of beauty as this ridiculous and culpablepractice. Ladies ought to know that it is a sure spoiler of the skin, and good taste ought to teach them that it is a frightful distorterand deformer of the natural beauty of the "human face divine. " Thegreatest charm of beauty is in the _expression_ of a lovely face; inthose divine flashes of joy, and good-nature, and love, which beam inthe human countenance. But what expression can there be in a facebedaubed with white paint and enamelled? No flush of pleasure, nothrill of hope, no light of love can shine through the incrustedmould. Her face is as expressionless as that of a painted mummy. Andlet no woman imagine that the men do not readily detect this poisonousmask upon the skin. Many a time have I seen a gentleman shrink fromsaluting a brilliant lady, as though it was a death's head he werecompelled to kiss. The secret was that her face and lips were bedaubedwith paints. 

A violently rouged woman is a disgusting sight. The excessive red onthe face gives a coarseness to every feature, and a general fiercenessto the countenance, which transforms the elegant lady of fashion intoa vulgar harridan. But, in no case, can even _rouge_ be used by ladieswho have passed the age of life when roses are natural to the cheek. A_rouged_ old woman is a horrible sight--a distortion of nature'sharmony!

Paints are not only destructive to the skin, but they are ruinous tothe health. I have known paralytic affections and premature death tobe traced to their use. But alas! I am afraid that there never was atime when many of the gay and fashionable of my sex did not makethemselves both contemptible and ridiculous by this disgusting trick. 

Let every woman at once understand that paint can do nothing for themouth and lips. The advantage gained by the artificial red is athousand times more than lost by the sure destruction of that delicatecharm associated with the idea of "nature's dewy lip. " There can be no_dew_ on a painted lip. And there is no man who does not shrink backwith disgust from the idea of kissing a pair of painted lips. Nor letany woman deceive herself with the idea that the men do not instantlydetect paint on the lips. 

A BEAUTIFUL BOSOM

I am aware that this is a subject which must be handled with greatdelicacy; but my book would be incomplete without some notice of this"greatest claim of lovely woman. " And, besides, it is undoubtedly truethat a proper discussion of this subject will seem _peculiar_ only tothe most vulgar minded of both sexes. If it be true, as the old poetsung, that

 "Heaven rests on those two heaving hills of snow, "

why should not a woman be suitably instructed in the right managementof such extraordinary charms?

The first thing to be impressed upon the mind of a lady is that verylow-necked dresses are in exceeding bad taste, and are quite sure toleave upon the mind of a gentleman an equivocal idea, to say theleast. A word to the wise on this subject is sufficient. If a younglady has no father, or brother, or husband to direct her taste in thismatter, she will do well to sit down and commit the above statement tomemory. It is a charm which a woman, who understands herself, willleave not to the public eye of man, but to his imagination. She knowsthat _modesty_ is the divine spell that binds the heart of man to herforever. But my observation has taught me that few women are wellinformed as to the physical management of this part of their bodies. The bosom, which nature has formed with exquisite symmetry in itself, and admirable adaptation to the parts of the figure to which it isunited, is often transformed into a shape, and transplanted to a placewhich deprives it of its original beauty and harmony with the rest ofthe person. This deforming metamorphosis is effected by means of stiffstays, or corsets, which force the part out of its natural position, and destroy the natural tension and firmness in which so much of itsbeauty consists. A young lady should be instructed that she is not toallow even her own hand to press it too roughly. But, above allthings, to avoid, especially when young, the constant pressure of suchhard substances as whalebone and steel; for, besides the destructionto beauty, they are liable to produce all the terrible consequences ofabscesses and cancers. Even the padding which ladies use to give afull appearance, where there is a deficient bosom, is sure in a littletime to entirely destroy all the natural beauty of the parts. As soonas it becomes apparent that the bosom lacks the rounded fullness dueto the rest of her form, instead of trying to repair the deficiencywith artificial padding, it should be clothed as loosely as possible, so as to avoid the least artificial pressure. Not only its growth isstopped, but its complexion is spoiled by these tricks. Let the growthof this beautiful part be left as unconfined as the young cedar, or asthe lily of the field. 

BEAUTY OF DEPORTMENT

It is essential that every lady should understand that the mostbeautiful and well-dressed woman will fail to be _charming_ unless allher other attractions are set off with a graceful and fascinatingdeportment. A pretty face may be seen everywhere, beautiful andgorgeous dresses are common enough, but how seldom do we meet with areally beautiful and enchanting demeanour! It was this charm ofdeportment which suggested to the French cardinal the expression of"the native paradise of angels. " The first thing to be said on the artof deportment is that what is becoming at one age would be mostimproper and ridiculous at another. For a young girl, for instance, tosit as grave and stiff as "her grandmother cut in alabaster" would beridiculous enough, but not so much so, as for an old woman to assumethe romping merriment of girlhood. She would deservedly draw onlycontempt and laughter upon herself. 

Indeed a modest mien always makes a woman charming. Modesty is towoman what the mantle of green is to nature--its ornament and highestbeauty. What a miracle-working charm there is in a blush--whatsoftness and majesty in natural _simplicity_, without which pomp iscontemptible, and elegance itself ungraceful. 

There can be no doubt that the highest incitement to love is inmodesty. So well do wise women of the world know this, that they takeinfinite pains to learn to wear the semblance of it, with the sametact, and with the same motive that they array themselves inattractive apparel. They have taken a lesson from Sir Joshua Reynolds, who says: "men are like certain animals who will feed only when thereis but little provender, and that got at with difficulty through thebars of a rack; but refuse to touch it when there is an abundancebefore them. " It is certainly important that all women shouldunderstand this; and it is no more than fair that they should practiseupon it, since men always treat them with disingenuous untruthfulnessin this matter. Men may amuse themselves with a noisy, loud-laughing, loquacious girl; it is the quiet, subdued, modest, and seeming bashfuldeportment which is the one that stands the fairest chance of carryingoff their hearts. 

 * * * * *

APPENDIX II

EXTRACTS FROM "LOLA MONTEZ' LECTURES"

BEAUTIFUL WOMEN

The last and most difficult office imposed on Psyche was to descend tothe lower regions and bring back a portion of Proserpine's beauty in abox. The too inquisitive goddess, impelled by curiosity or perhaps bya desire to add to her own charms, raised the lid, and behold thereissued forth--a vapour I which was all there was of that wondrousbeauty. 

In attempting to give a definition of beauty, I have painfully feltthe force of this classic parable. If I settle upon a standard ofbeauty in Paris, I find it will not do when I get to Constantinople. Personal qualities, the most opposite imaginable, are each looked uponas beautiful in different countries, and even by different people ofthe same country. That which is deformity in New York may be beauty inPekin. At one place the sighing lover sees "Helen" in an Egyptianbrow. In China, black teeth, painted eyelids, and plucked eyebrows arebeautiful; and should a woman's feet be large enough to walk upon, their owners are looked upon as monsters of ugliness. 

With the modern Greeks and other nations on the shores of theMediterranean, corpulency is the perfection of form in a woman; thevery attributes which disgust the western European form the highestattractions of an Oriental fair. It was from the common and admiredshape of his countrywomen that Reubens, in his pictures, delights in avulgar and almost odious plumpness. He seems to have no idea of beautyunder two hundred pounds. His very Graces are all fat. 

Hair is a beautiful ornament of woman, but it has always been adisputed point as to what colour it shall be. I believe that mostpeople nowadays look upon a red head with disfavour--but in the timesof Queen Elizabeth it was in fashion. Mary of Scotland, though she hadexquisite hair of her own, wore red fronts out of compliment tofashion and the red-headed Queen of England. 

That famous beauty, Cleopatra, was red-haired also; and the Venetianladies to this day counterfeit yellow hair. 

Yellow hair has a higher authority still. THE ORDER OF THE GOLDENFLEECE, instituted by Philip, Duke of Burgundy, was in honour of afrail beauty whose hair was yellow. 

So, ladies and gentlemen, this thing of beauty which I come to talkabout, has a somewhat migratory and fickle standard of its own. Allthe lovers of the world will have their own idea of the thing in spiteof me. 

But where are we to detect this especial source of power? Oftenforsooth in a dimple, sometimes beneath the shade of an eyelid orperhaps among the tresses of a little fantastic curl!

I once knew a nobleman who used to try to make himself wise, and toemancipate his heart from its thraldom to a celebrated beauty of thecourt, by continually repeating to himself: "But it is short-lived, ""It won't last--it won't last!"

Ah, me! that is too true--it won't last. Beauty has its date, and itis the penalty of nature that girls must fade and become wizened astheir grandmothers have done before them. 

In teaching a young lady to dress elegantly we must first impress uponher mind that symmetry of figure ought ever to be accompanied byharmony of dress, and that there is a certain propriety in habiliment, adapted to form, complexion, and age. To preserve the health of thehuman form is the first object of consideration, for without that youcan neither maintain its symmetry nor improve its beauty. But thefoundation of a just proportion must be laid in infancy. "As the twigis bent the tree's inclined. " A light dress, which gives freedom tothe functions of life, is indispensable to an unobstructed growth. Ifthe young fibres are uninterrupted by obstacles of art, they willshoot harmoniously into the form which nature drew. The garb ofchildhood should in all respects be easy--not to impede its movementsby ligatures on the chest, the loins, the legs, or the arms. By thisliberty we shall see the muscles of the limbs gradually assume thefine swell and insertion which only unconstrained exercise canproduce. The chest will sway gracefully on the firmly poised waist, swelling in noble and healthy expanse, and the whole figure will startforward at the blooming age of youth, and early ripen to the maturityof beauty. 

The lovely form of women, thus educated, or rather thus left to itsnatural growth, assumes a variety of charming characters. In oneyouthful figure, we see the lineaments of a wood nymph, a form slightand elastic in all its parts. The shape:

 "Small by degrees, and beautifully less, From the soft bosom to the slender waist!"

A foot as light as that of her whose flying step scarcely brushed the"unbending corn, " and limbs whose agile grace moved in harmony withthe curves of her swan-like neck, and the beams of her sparkling eyes. 

To repair these ravages, comes the aid of padding to give shape wherethere is none, stays to compress into form the swelling chaos offlesh, and paints of all hues to rectify the dingy complexion; butuseless are these attempts--for, if dissipation, late hours, immoderation, and carelessness have wrecked the loveliness of femalecharms, it is not in the power of Esculapius himself to refit theshattered bark, or of the Syrens, with all their songs and wiles, tosave its battered sides from the rocks, and make it ride the sea ingallant trim again. The fair lady who cannot so moderate her pursuitof pleasure that the feast, the midnight hour, the dance, shall notrecur too frequently, must relinquish the hope of preserving hercharms till the time of nature's own decay. After this moderation inthe indulgence of pleasure, the next specific for the preservation ofbeauty which I shall give, is that of gentle and daily exercise in theopen air. Nature teaches us, in the gambols and sportiveness of thelower animals, that bodily exertion is necessary for the growth, vigour, and symmetry of the animal frame; while the too studiousscholar and the indolent man of luxury exhibit in themselves thepernicious consequences of the want of exercise. 

Many a rich lady would give thousands of dollars for that full roundedarm, and that peach bloom on the cheek, possessed by her kitchen-maid. Well, might she not have had both, by the same amount of exercise andsimple living?

But I weary of this subject of cosmetics, as every woman of sense willat last weary of the use of them. It is a lesson which is sure tocome; but, in the lives of most fashionable ladies, it has smallchance of being needed until that unmentionable time, when men shallcease to make baubles and playthings of them. It takes most womentwo-thirds of their lifetime to discover that men may be amused by, without respecting, them; and every woman may make up her mind that tobe really respected she must possess merit; she must haveaccomplishments of mind and heart, and there can be no real beautywithout these. If the soul is without cultivation, without refinement, without taste, without the sweetness of affection, not all themysteries of art can make the face beautiful; and, on the other hand, it is impossible to dim the brightness of an elegant and polishedmind; its radiance strikes through the encasements of deformity, andasserts its sway over the world of the affections. 

GALLANTRY

A history of the beginning of the reign of gallantry would carry usback to the creation of the world; for I believe that about the firstthing that man began to do after he was created, was to make love towoman. 

There was no discussion, then, about "woman's rights, " or "woman'sinfluence"--woman had whatever her soul desired, and her will was thewatchword for battle or peace. Love was as marked a feature in thechivalric character as valour; and he who understood how to break alance, and did not understand how to win a lady, was held to be buthalf a man. He fought to gain her smiles--he lived to be worthy of herlove. 

In those days, to be "a servant of the ladies" was no mere figure ofthe imagination--and to be in love was no idle pastime; but to beprofoundly, furiously, almost ridiculously in earnest. In the mind ofthe cavalier, woman was a being of mystic power. As in the old forestsof Germany, she had been listened to like a spirit of the woods, melodious, solemn and oracular. So when chivalry became aninstitution, the same idea of something supernaturally beautiful inher character threw a shadow over her life, and she was not only lovedbut revered. And never were men more constant to their fair ladiesthan in the proudest days of chivalry. 

There is no such thing as genuine gallantry either in France orEngland. In France the relation between the sexes is too fickle, variable, and insincere, for any nearer approach to gallantry thanflirtation; while in England the aristocracy, which is the only classin that country that could have the genuine feeling of gallantry, areturned shop-owners and tradesmen. The Smiths and the Joneses whofigure on the signboards have the nobility standing behind them assilent partners. The business habits of the United States and theexamples of rapid fortunes in this country have quite turned the headof John Bull, and he is very fast becoming a sharp, thrifty, money-getting Yankee. A business and commercial people have no leisurefor the cultivation of that feeling and romance which is thefoundation of gallantry. The activities of human nature seek othermore practical and more useful channels of excitement. Instead ofdevoting a life to the worship and service of the fair ladies, theyare building telegraphs, railroads, steamboats, constructing schemesof finance, and enlarging the area of practical civilization. 

HEROINES OF HISTORY

In attempting to give a definition of strong-minded women, I find itnecessary to distinguish between just ideas of strength and what is soconsidered by the modern woman's rights' movement. 

A very estimable woman by the name of Mrs. Bloomer obtained thereputation of being strong-minded by curtailing her skirts six inches, a compliment which certainly excites no envious feeling in my heart;for I am philosophically puzzled to know how cutting six inches off awoman's dress can possibly add anything to the height of her head. 

One or two hundred women getting together in convention and resolvingthat they are an abused community, and that all the men are greattyrants and rascals, proves plainly enough that they--the women--aresomehow discontented, and that they have, perhaps, a certain amount ofcourage, but I cannot see that it proves them to have any remarkablestrength of mind. 

Really strong-minded women are not women of words, but of deeds; notof resolutions, but of actions. History does not teach me that theyhave ever consumed much time in conventions and in passing resolutionsabout their rights; but they have been very prompt to assert theirrights, and to defend them too, and to take the consequences ofdefeat. 

Thus all history is full of startling examples of female heroism, which prove that woman's heart is made of as stout a stuff and of asbrave a mettle as that which beats within the ribs of the coarser sex. And if we were permitted to descend from this high plane of publichistory into the private homes of the world, in which sex, think you, should we there find the purest spirit of heroism? Who suffers sorrowand pain with the most heroism of heart? Who, in the midst of poverty, neglect and crushing despair, holds on most bravely through theterrible struggle, and never yields even to the fearful demands ofnecessity until death wrests the last weapon of defence from herhands? Ah, if all this unwritten heroism of woman could be brought tothe light, even man himself would cast his proud wreath of fame at herfeet!

Rousseau asserts that "all great revolutions were owing to women. " TheFrench Revolution, the last great and stirring event upon which theworld looks back, arose, as Burke ill-naturedly expresses it, "amidstthe yells and violence of women. " We accept the compliment which Burkehere pays to the power of woman, and attribute the coarseness of hislanguage to the bitter repugnance which every Englishman of that dayhad to everything that was French. No, Mr. Burke, it was not by "yellsand violence" that the great women of France helped on that mightyrevolution--it was by the combined power of intellect and beauty. Norwill women who get together in conventions for the purpose of beratingmen, ever accomplish anything. They can effect legislation only byquiet and judicious counsel, with such means as control the judgmentand the heart of legislators. And the experience of the world haspretty well proved that a man's judgment is pretty easily controlledwhen his heart is once persuaded. 

COMIC ASPECT OF LOVE

My subject to-night is the comic aspect of love. No doubt most of youhave had some little experience, at least in the sentimental andsighing side of the tender passion; and what I propose to do is togive you the humorous or comic side. Perhaps I ought to begin bybegging pardon of the ladies for treating so sacred a thing as love ina comic way, or for turning the ludicrous side of so charming a thingas they find love to be, to the gaze of men--but I wish to premisethat I shall not so treat sensible or rational love. Of that beautifulfeeling, less warm than passion, yet more tender than friendship, Ishall not for a moment speak irreverently; of that pure disinterestedaffection--as charming as it is reasonable, which one sex feels forthe other, I cannot speak lightly. But there is a certain romanticsenseless kind of love, such as poets sometimes celebrate, and menand women feign, which is a legitimate target for ridicule. This kindof love is fanciful and foolish; it is not the offspring of the heart, but of the imagination. I know that generous deeds and contempt ofdeath have sometimes covered this folly with a veil. The arts havetwined for it a fantastic wreath, and the Muses have decked it withthe sweetest flowers: but this makes it none the less ridiculous nordangerous. Love of this romantic sort is an abstraction much too lightand subtle to sustain a tangible existence in the midst of thejostling relations of this busy world. It is a mere bubble thrown tothe surface by the passions and fancies of men, and soon breaks bycontact with the hard facts of daily life. It is a thing which bearsbut little handling. The German Wieland, who was a great disciple oflove, was of opinion that "its metaphysical effects began with thefirst sigh, and ended with the first kiss!" Plato was not far out ofthe way when he called it "a great devil"; and the man or woman who isreally possessed of it will find it a very hard one to cast out. 

Of the refinements of love the great mass of men can know nothing. Thetruth is that sentimental love is so much a matter of the imaginationthat the uncultivated have no natural field for its display. InAmerica you can hardly realise the full force of this truth, becausethe distinctions of class are happily nearly obliterated. Hereintellectual culture seems to be about equally divided among allclasses. I suppose it is not singular in this country to find thepoorest cobbler, whose little shanty is next to the proud mansion ofsome millionaire, a man of really more mental attainments than hisrich and haughty neighbour; in which case the millionaire will do wellto look to it that the cobbler does not make love to his wife; and ifhe does, nobody need care much, for the millionaire will be quite sureto reciprocate. 

The great statute, "tit-for-tat, " is, I believe, equally the law ofall nations; besides, love is a great leveller of distinction, and itis in this levelling mission that it performs some of its mostridiculous antics. When a rich man's daughter runs off with herfather's coachman, as occasionally happens, the whole country is in aroar of laughter about it. There is an innate, popular perception ofthe ridiculous, but everybody sees and feels that in such cases it ismisplaced and grotesque. Everyone perceives that the woman's heart hastaken the bit in its mouth, and run away with her brains. But, ascomedy is often nearly allied to tragedy, so sorrow is sure to come assoon as the little honeymoon is over. This romantic love cannotflourish in the soil of poverty and want. Indeed, all the stimulantswhich pride and luxury can administer to it can hardly keep it alive. The rich miss who runs away with a man far beneath her in educationand refinement must inevitably awake, after a brief dream, to a stateof things which have made her unfortunate for life; and he, poor man, will not be less wretched, unless she has brought him sufficient moneyto give him leisure and opportunity to indulge his fancies with thatsociety which is on a level with his own tastes and education. 

WITS AND WOMEN OF PARIS

The French wits tell a laughable story of an untravelled Englishmanwho, on landing at Calais, was received by a sulky red-haired hostess, when he instantly wrote down in his note-book: "All French women aresulky and red-haired. "

We never heard whether this Englishman afterwards corrected his firstimpressions of French women, but quite likely he never did, for thereis nothing so difficult on earth as for an Englishman to get overfirst impressions, and especially is this the case in relation toeverything in France. An aristocratic Englishman may live years inParis without really knowing anything about it. In the first place, hegoes there with letters of introduction to the Faubourg St. Germain, where he finds only the fossil remains of the old _noblesse_, intermixed with a slight proportion of the actual intelligence of thecountry, and here he moves round in the stagnant circles of historicalFrance, and it is a wonder if he gets so much as a glimpse of theliving progressive Paris. There is nothing on earth, unless it be athree-thousand-year-old mummy, that is so grim and stiff andshrivelled, as the pure old French nobility. France is at present thepossessor of three separate and opposing nobilities. First, there isthe nobility of the Empire, the Napoleonic nobility, which is based onmilitary and civil genius; second, there is the Orleans nobility, thefamily of the late Louis-Philippe, represented in the person of theyoung Comte de Paris; third, the Legitimists, or the old aristocracyof the Bourbon stock, represented in the person of Henry V, Duc deBordeaux, now some fifty years old, and laid snugly away in exile inItaly. 

No description which I can give can convey a just idea of thefascination of society among such wits as Dejazet; and nowhere do youfind that kind of society so complete as in Paris. Nowhere else do youfind so many women of wit and genius mingling in the assemblies andfestive occasions of literary men; and I may add that in no part ofthe world is literary society so refined, so brilliant, and charminglyintellectual as in Paris. It is a great contrast to literary societyin London or America. Listen to the following confession of LordByron: "I have left an assembly filled with all the great names of_haut-ton_ in London, and where little but names were to be found, toseek relief from the _ennui_ that overpowered me, in a cider cellar!and have found there more food for speculation than in the vapidcircles of glittering dullness I had left. "

One of the most remarkable and the most noted persons to be met within Paris is Madame Dudevant, commonly known as Georges Sand. She isnow about fifty years of age (it is no crime to speak of the age of awoman of her genius), a large, masculine, coarse-featured woman, butwith fine eyes, and open, easy, frank, and hearty in her manner tofriends. To a discerning mind her writings will convey a correct ideaof the woman. You meet her everywhere dressed in men's clothes--acustom which she adopts from no mere caprice or waywardness ofcharacter, but for the reason that in this garb she is enabled to gowhere she pleases without exciting curiosity, and seeing and hearingwhat is most useful and essential for her in writing her books. She isundoubtedly the most masculine mind of France at the present day. Through the folly of her relations she was early married to a fool, but she soon left him in disgust, and afterwards formed a friendshipwith Jules Sandeau, a novelist and clever critic. It was he whodiscovered her genius, and first caused her to write. It was the nameof this author, Jules Sandeau, that she altered into Georges Sand--aname which she has made immortal. 

Georges Sand in company is silent, and except when the conversationtouches a sympathetic chord in her nature, little given todemonstration. Then she will talk earnestly on great matters, generally on philosophy or theology, but in vain will you seek to drawher into conversation on the little matters of ordinary chit-chat. Shelives in a small circle of friends, where she can say and do as shepleases. Her son is a poor, weak-brained creature, perpetuallyannoying the whole neighbourhood by beating on a huge drum night andday. She has a daughter married to Chlessindur, the celebratedsculptor, but who resembles but little her talented mother. MadameGeorges Sand has had a life of wild storms, with few rays of sunshineto brighten her pathway; and like most of the reformers of the presentday, especially if it is her misfortune to be a woman, is a target tobe placed in a conspicuous position, to be shot at by all dark, unenlightened human beings who may have peculiar motives forrestraining the progress of mind; but it is as absurd in this gloriousnineteenth century to attempt to destroy freedom of thought and thesovereignty of the individual, as it is to stop the falls of Niagara. 

There was a gifted and fashionable lady (the Countess of Agoult), herself an accomplished authoress, concerning whom and Georges Sand acurious story is told. They were great friends, and the celebratedpianist Liszt was the admirer of both. Things went on smoothly forsome time, all _couleur de rose_, when one fine day Lizst and GeorgesSand disappeared suddenly from Paris, having taken it into their headsto make the tour of Switzerland for the summer together. Great was theindignation of the fair countess at this double desertion; and whenthey returned to Paris, Madame d'Agoult went to Georges Sand, andimmediately challenged the great writer to a duel, the weapons to befinger-nails, etc. Poor Lizst ran out of the room, and locked himselfup in a dark closet till the deadly affray was ended, and then madehis body over in charge to a friend, to be preserved, as he said, forthe remaining assailant. Madame d'Agoult was married to an old man, abook-worm, who cared for nought else but his library; he did not knoweven the number of children he possessed, and so little the oldphilosopher cared about the matter that when a stranger came to thehouse, he invariably, at the appearance of the family, said: "Allow meto present to you my wife's children"; all this with the blandestsmile and most contented air. 

ROMANISM

I know not that history has anything more wonderful to show than thepart which the Catholic Church has borne in the various civilizationsof the world. 

What a marvellous structure it is, with its hierarchy ranging throughlong centuries almost from apostolic days to our own; living side byside with forms of civilisation and uncivilisation, the most diverseand the most contradictory, through all the fifteen hundred years andmore of its existence; asserting an effective control over opinionsand institutions; with its pontificate (as is claimed) dating from thefisherman of Galilee, and still reigning there in the city that heardSaint Peter preach, and whom it saw martyred; impiously pretending tosit in his chair and to bear his keys; shaken, exiled, broken againand again by schism, by Lutheran revolts and French revolutions; yetalways righting itself and reasserting a vitality that neither forcenor opinion has yet been able to extinguish. Once with its foot on theneck of kings, and having the fate of empires in its hands, and evenyet superintending the grandest ecclesiastical mechanism that man eversaw; ordering fast days and feast days, and regulating with omnipotentfiat the very diet of millions of people; having countless bands ofreligious soldiery trained, organized, and officered as such asoldiery never was before nor since; and backed by an infallibilitythat defies reason, an inquisition to bend or break the will, and aconfessional to unlock all hearts and master the profoundest secretsof all consciences. Such has been the mighty Church of Rome, and thereit is still, cast down, to be sure, from what it once was, but not yetdestroyed; perplexed by the variousness and freedom of an intellectualcivilisation, which it hates and vainly tries to crush; laboriouslytrying to adapt itself to the Europe of the nineteenth century, as itonce did to the Europe of the twelfth; lengthening its cords andstrengthening its stakes, enlarging the place of its tent, andstretching forth the curtains of its habitations, even to thisRepublic of the New World. 

The only wonder is that such a church should be able to push itsfortunes so far into the centre of modern civilization, with which itcan feel no sympathy, and which it only embraces to destroy. I confessI find it difficult to believe that a total lie could administercomfort and aid to so many millions of souls; and the explanation is, no doubt, that it is all not a total lie; for even its worse doctrinesare founded on certain great truths which are accepted by the commonheart of humanity. 

There is such a thing as universal truth, and there is such a thing asapostolic succession, made not by edicts, bulls, and church canons, but by an interior life divine and true. But all these Rome hasperverted, by hardening the diffusive spirit of truth into so muchmechanism cast into a mould in which it has been forcibly kept; and bygetting progressively falser and falser as the world has got older andwiser, till the universality became only another name for a narrow andintolerant sectism, while the infallibility committed itself toabsurdity, and which reason turns giddy, and faith has no resource butto shut her eyes; and the apostolic succession became narrowed downinto a mere dynasty of priests and pontiffs. A hierarchy of magicians, saving souls by machinery, opening and shutting the kingdom of heavenby a "sesame" of incantations which it would have been the labour of alifetime to make so much as intelligible to St. Peter or St. Paul. 

Now who shall compute the stupefying and brutalising effects of such areligion? Who will dare say that a principle which so debases reasonis not like bands of iron around the expanding heart and strugglinglimbs of modern freedom?

Who will dare tell me that this terrible Church does not lie upon thebosom of the present time like a vast unwieldy and offensive corpse, crushing the life-blood out of the body of modern civilization? It isnot as a religious creed that we are looking at this thing; it is notfor its theological sins that we are here to condemn it; but it is itseffect upon political and social freedom that we are discussing. Whatmust be the ultimate political and social freedom that we arediscussing? What must be the ultimate political night that settlesupon a people who are without individuality of opinions andindependence of will, and whose brains are made tools of in the handsof a clan or an order? Look out there into that sad Europe, and see itall! See, there, how the Catholic element everywhere marks itself withnight, and drags the soul, and energies, and freedom of the peoplebackwards and downwards into political and social inaction--intounfathomable quagmires of death!

 * * * * *

INDEX

Abel, Carl von, 115, 120, 126, 129, 143, 149

Abrahamowicz, Colonel, 68, 69

Académie, Royale, 65-67

Acton, 168

Adelaide, Queen Dowager, 51

Adelaide, Australia, 223

Adelbert, Prince, 160

_Adventuresses and Adventurous Ladies_, 15

"Affair of Honour, " 80-81

Afghan Campaign, 30, 32

Agra, 33

Albany Museum, 193

Albert, Madame, 76

Alexander I, 95, 105

Alexandra, Princess, 105

Alemannia Corps, 116, 121, 128, 140, 144, 147, 148, 152, 204

Alhambra Theatre, 243

_Allegemeine Zeitung_, 124, 143

_Almanach de Gotha_, 91

"Andalusian Woman, " 138

Anderson, Professor, 190, 212

Andrews, Stephen, 253

_Annual Register_, 149

Anstruther, Sir John, 158

_Antony and Cleopatra_, 223

_Archives de la Danse_, 8

Aretz, Gertrude, 7, 113

Argonaut Publishing Company, 8

"Army of the Indus, " 30

_Arts of Beauty_, 234-239, 267

Aschaffensberg, 132

Assaye, Battle of, 18

_Assemblée Nationale_, 179

Astley's Theatre, 243

_Athenæum_, 94, 250, 262

Athens, 95

Auckland House, 35

Auckland, Lord, 30-32

Augsburg, Bishop of, 119

_Augsburger Zeitung_, 129

Australia, 203, 211

Austrian Legation, 141

_Autobiography of Lola Montez_, 230, 231

Azan, Dr. , 241

Bac, Ferdinand, 6, 7, 91

Baden, 91

Baker, Mrs. Charles, 7

Balaclava, 213

Ballantine, Serjeant, 164, 176

Ballarat, Lola Montez in, 221-227

"Ballarat Reform League, " 222

_Ballarat Star_, 223, 226

_Ballarat Times_, 225, 226

Balzac, Honoré de, 75, 81

Bamberg, 125

Barcelona, 178, 179

Bareilly, 33

Barerstrasse, Lola's house in, 106, 107, 113, 138, 141, 151

Barlow, Lucy, 156

Barnum, Phineas, 188, 242

Bath, Lecture at, 242

Bath in the 'Thirties, 19-21

Bauer, Captain, 140

Bavaria, Kingdom of, 94

Bayersdorf Palace, 100

Bayonne, 228

Beaconsfield, Earl of, 169

Beauchene, Atala, 75

Beaujon Villa, 184

"Beautiful for Ever!", 248

"Beautiful Women, " Lecture on, 237, 244-248, 271-273

Beauvallon, Rosemond de, 75-90

Beauvoir, Roger de, 75, 79, 87, 184, 249

Bedford, Earl of, 168

Beethoven Festival, 82

Belgium, Lola Montez in, 61

Bendigo, Theatre at, 227

Beneden, Johann, 6

Bengal Artillery, 29

Bengal Native Infantry, 27

Benkendorff, Count, 73

Berkeley, Colonel, 156

Berks, Herr, 116, 144, 149

Berlin, Lola Montez at, 7, 61, 62, 73

Berlin, Royalty at, 61

Berne, 152

Bernhard, Gustav, 6

Bernstorff, Count, 110, 134, 135

Bernstorff, Countess, 135

Berri, Duchesse de, 20

Bertrand, Arthur, 77, 89

Berryer, Maître, 84, 87

Berrymead Priory, 168, 180

Best, Captain, 158

"Betsy Watson, " 123, 124

"Betsy James, " 54

Bhurtpore, Battle of, 18

Bibliothèque d'Arsenal, 8

Bingham, Peregrine, 172-175

Bishop of London, 245

Bismarck, Prince, 120

_Black Book of British Aristocracy_, 153, 170

Black Forest, 263

Blake, Rufus, 257

Blanchard, Edward, 46

Blessington, Countess of, 20, 245

Bloomer, Mrs. , 191, 250, 274

Bloque, M. , 133

Blot-Lequesne, M. , 186

Blum, Hans, 6

Bluthenberg, 142

Bodkin, William, 172, 175

Boignes, Charles de, 77-79, 81, 84

Bois de Boulogne, 80

Bonaparte, 14, 253

Bonn, 63-82

Bonny, King of, 245

Booth, Edwin, 200

Bordeaux, 185

Borrodaile, Mrs. , 56

Boston, Lola Montez in, 193

Boston Public Library, 8

_Boston Transcript_, 193

Bright, John, 241

Brighton, 159, 171, 242

Bristol, Lecture at, 242

"British Raj, " 30

Brooks, Preston, 205

Brougham, Lady, 51

Brougham, Lord, 51, 165, 173

Brown, Mrs. General, 17

Browning, Robert, 250, 253

Bruce, General, 251

Bruckenau Castle, 108

Brussels, 61, 120

Buchanan, Mrs. , 258, 259, 260, 261

Buckingham Palace, 166

Buffalo, 194

Bülow, Prince von, 122

Bulwer, Edward, 168

Burns, Robert, 104

Burr, Rev. Chauncey, 6, 194, 230, 237, 248

Byron, Lord, 5, 20, 264, 277

Café Anglais, 139

Calcutta, 5, 16, 29, 38, 42, 72, 174, 213

Calcutta, Bishop of, 17

_Calcutta Englishman_, 31

Calcutta, Government House, 22

California in the 'Fifties, 192-210

_California Chronicle_, 206

_Californian_, 201

Californian Pioneers, Library of, 8

Californian State Library, 8

Calvinism, 19, 21, 260

Cambridge, Duke of, 56

Canitz, Freiherr zu, 119, 122

Cannibal Islands, King of, 5

Canning, Sir Stratford, 63, 246

Cape of Good Hope, 29

Capon, Victorine, 75

Cardigan, Earl of, 89

Carl, Prince, 160

Carlos, Don, 123

Carlsbad, 94

Caroline-Augusta, Queen, 112

Cassagnac, Granier de, 77, 83, 88

Castle Oliver, 14

Castlereagh, Lord, 158

Catalini, Angelica, 20

Cavendish, Frederick, 143

Cayley, Edward, 151

Cerito, Mlle, 65-66

Champs Elysées, 182

Chanoines de St. Thérèse, 102, 265

Charles X, 20

Chartist Riots, 163

Chase, Lewis, 8

Chatham, 16

Chester Cathedral, Visit to, 242

Chevalier, Émile, 236

Cholera at Dinapore, 16, 17

Chudleigh, Elizabeth, 168

Churchill, Arabella, 156

Claggett, Horace, 158

Clarence, Duke of, 156

Clark, Mary Anne, 156

Clarkson, William, 172-176

Claudin, Gustave, 71, 72

Clayton, Henry, 199

Clutton, Colonel, 168

Coates, "Romeo, " 20

Cole, Henry, 158

_Cologne Gazette_, 125

Combermere, Lord, 97

Comédie Française, 356

"Comic Aspects of Love, " Lecture on, 250, 275-277

Conciergerie Prison, 90

Congress of London, 95

Consistory Court, Action in, 43, 176

Constantinople, 16, 63, 246

"Corinthians, " 46, 52

Corneille, Pierre, 86

Costa, Michael, 54

Cotta, Baron, 97

Coules, M. , 53

"Countess for an Hour, " 153

Covent Garden Hotel, 41

Covent Garden Opera House, 54, 60, 163

Cowell, Sam, 252

Coyne, Stirling, 165

Craigie, David, 39, 41

Craigie, Misses, 19

Craigie, Mrs. , marries Ensign Gilbert, 14; early widowhood, 17; marries Patrick Craigie, 17; returns to England, 23; collapse of ambitious schemes, 24; quarrels with Lola, 26; partial reconciliation, 34; visit to New York, 258

Craigie, Patrick, 17, 19, 23, 39, 40, 43, 260

Cremorne Gardens, 243

"Crim. Con" action, 42

Crimean Campaign, 213

Crosby, Henry, 227

Crosby, Mrs. , 227

Cumberland, Duke of, 156

Cuyla, Madame de, 156

Dacca, 17

D'Agoult, Madame, 64, 117, 278

_Daily Alta_, 198

Daly, Joseph, 194

_Dancing Times_, 7

"Daniel Stern, " 64, 117

Daughrity, Professor, 8

D'Auvergne, Edmund, 7, 15

Davenport Brothers, 252

Dawson, Nancy, 168

"Day of Humiliation, " 119

DeBar, Anna, 264

D'Ecquevillez, Vicomte, 77, 83-85, 90

Delta State Teachers' College, 8

Denman, Lord, 42

Derby, Countess of, 250

Deschler, Johann, 6

Desmaret, Maître, 186

"Desperado in Dimity, " 234

_Deutsche Zeitung_, 154

Devereux, Alice, 264

Devismes, M. , 83, 85

Devonshire, Duke of, 156

_Die Deutsche Revolution_, 6

Diepenbrock, Archbishop, 111, 119

Dinapore, Cholera at, 16

Disraeli, Benjamin, 167

Disraeli, Sarah, 167

Döllinger, Dr. , 130, 144, 162, 263

Dost Muhammed, 30

"Down Under, " 211-227

Dresden, 62-63

Drury Lane Theatre, 46, 163, 243

Dublin, 16, 27, 124, 240, 241

_Dublin Daily Express_, 241

Dujarier, Charles, lover of Lola Montez, 71; restaurant brawl, 76, 77; fatal duel with de Beauvallon, 80, 81; burial at Montmartre, 82

Dumas, Alexandra, 71, 78, 81, 86, 91, 209, 249

Dumas _fils_, 183

Dumilâtre, Adèle, 65

Durand, Colonel, 33

Duval, M. , 84, 88, 89

East India Company, 18

_East India Voyage_, 28

Ebersdorf, 91

Ecclesiastical Court, proceedings of, 173

Eden, Hon. Emily, 31, 32, 34

_El Oleano_, 51-53, 60

_Elegant Woman_, 7, 113

Elephant and Castle Theatre, 243

Ellenborough, Lady, 106

Ellenborough, Lord, 32, 33

"Elopement in High Life, " 26

Elphinstone, Lord, 40

Elssler, Fanny, 54, 65, 73, 190

Elysium Hill, 35

Englischer Garten, 104

Enriques, Don, 181

_Era_, Criticism in, 247, 248

Erdmann, Dr. Paul, 6

Erskine, Lady Jane, 106

Estafette, 227

_Examiner_, Comment in, 58, 121

"Eton Boy, " 221, 229

Eugénie, Empress, 245

Ezterhazy, Count, 51

"Fair Impure, " 93, 114

Falk, Bernard, 7

Fane, Sir Henry, 32

Fay, Amy, 183

Feldberg, 131

Fenton, Frank, 8

Fiddes, Josephine, 211

Field, Kate, Letter from, 194

Fitzball, Edward, Benefit Performance, 59-60

"Flare of the Footlights, " 49

Flaubert, Gustave, 84

Flers, Comte de, 77, 84

Folkestone, 180

Follard, Charles, 217

Follett, Sir William, 42

"Follies of a Night, " 229

Fontblanque, Albany, 168

Foote, Maria, 156

"Fops' Alley, " 52

Foreign Office, 151

Forster, John, 168

Fort William, 16

Forty-Fourth Foot, Regiment, 16

Fox Sisters, 252

Frankfort, Rothschilds' Bank at, 154

Frays, Herr, 98, 101

Frederick William III, 63, 126

Frederick William IV, 61, 134

Frenzal, Fräulein, 98, 101

Frères-Provençaux Restaurant, 75

Fuchs, Eduard, 6, 103

Fulda Forest, 108

"Gallantry, " Lecture on, 237, 238

"Gallery of Beauties, " 105

Garsia, Manuel, 20

Gautier, Mlle, 256, 257

Gautier, Théophile, 66, 71

_Gay and Gallant Ladies_, 263

Geelong, 221

Geneva, 5, 152

_Gentleman's Magazine_, 180, 262

George IV, 62, 156

Georges, Mlle, 156

Gilbert, Ensign, runaway marriage, 14; service in India, 16; death from cholera, 17

Gilbert, Mrs. , 15, 17

Gillingham, Harold, 8

Gillis, Mabel, 7

Girardin, Émile de, 81, 181, 227

Giuglini, Antonio, 243

_Globe_, 171

Glyptothek Gallery, 96

"Golden West, " 196

Goodrich, Peter, 187

Görres, Joseph, 109, 137, 162

Gougaud, Dom, 144

Granada, 47

Granby, Marchioness of, 51

Granby, Marquess of, 51

"Grand Sebastopol Matinée, " 213

Granville, Earl, 164

Grass Valley, Life in, 201-210

_Grass Valley Telegraph_, 210

Graves _v. _ Graves, Divorce action, 43

Gray, Police-sergeant, 173

Great Exhibition of 1851, 179

Green, Miss, 157

Green-Wood cemetery, 260

Grisi, Carlotta, 55

Guadaloupe, 75, 90

"Guermann Regnier, " 64

Guéronniere, de la, M. , 231

Guillen, Manuel, 204

Guise, Dr. De, 80, 81

Guizot, M. , 71

Gumpenberg, Colonel von, 128

Hagen, Charlotte, 105

Halévy, Jacques, 65

Half Moon Street, 164, 173

Hall, Mrs. Lillian, 81

Hamon and Company, 133

Hanover, King of, 51

"Hans Breitmann, " 114

Hardwick, William, 175

Harré, T. Everett, 38, 120

Harrington, Countess of, 157

Harte, Bret, 203

Harvard Theatre Collection, 8

Harvard University, 253

Hastings, Lord, 18

Hastings, Warren, 16

Haussmann, Baron, 70

Hawks, Rev. Francis, 259, 260, 261

Hayden, Mrs. , 252

Hayes, Catherine, 212

Haymarket Theatre, 153, 165

Hayward, Abraham, 168

Heald, George, 169

Heald, George Trafford, Cornet of Horse, 166; bigamous marriage with Lola Montez, 167; deprived of commission, 170; family interference, 171; police-court proceedings, 172-176; matrimonial jars, 178; separation, 178; death, 180

Heald, Susannah, 171, 173, 174

_Heavenly Sinner_, 38

Heber, Bishop, 17

Heenan, John Camel, 251

Heine, Heinrich, 97

Henry LXXII, Prince of Reuss, 91, 94, 105

Her Majesty's Theatre, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 243, 260

"Heroines of History, " 237, 249, 274-275

Hesse-Darmstadt, 94

Hirschberg, Count von, 116, 140, 152

_History of Theatre in America_, 7

Hodgson, Miss D. M. , 15

Hof Theatre, Munich, 98, 100, 161

Holden, W. Sprague, 8

Holland, Canon Scott, 111

Homburg, 94

Home, Daniel Dunglas, 252

"Hooking a Prince, " 91, 104

Hope Chapel, Lecture at, 234

Hornblow, Arthur, 7

Home, R. H. , 218, 220

Horse Guards, 169

Hotel Maulich, 102

Hotham, Sir Charles, 218

Household Cavalry, 166, 169

Howells, W. Dean, 192

Hugo, Victor, 202, 205

Hull, Patrick, 198, 204, 210, 260

Huneker, James, 63

_Il Barbiere di Seviglia_, 49

_Il Lazzarone_, 65

Imperial Hotel, 41, 44

India, Garrison life in, 30-38

India, Voyage to, 28, 29

Inferiority-complex, 254

Ingram, Captain, 45, 174

Ingram, Mrs. , 45

Ireland, 26-28, 240, 241

_Irish Ecclesiastical Record_, 144

Irving, Washington, 238

Jacguand, Claudius, 179

James, Rev. John, 27

James, Lieutenant Thomas, accompanies Mrs. Craigie to England, 24; runaway marriage with Lola Montez, 26; garrison life in Dublin, 27; service in India, 28; drink and gambling, 37; crim. Con. Action, 42; judicial separation, 43; police-court proceedings, 174

James _v. _ James, Consistory Court Trial, 43

James _v. _ Lennox, 42

Janin, Jules, 66, 249

Jesuits, Activity of, 114, 122, 141, 231

Joan of Arc, 234

Jobson, Henry, 232, 233

_John Bull_, 172

"John Bull at Home, " Lecture on, 251

John, Cecile, guest at tragic supper party 75; evidence at Rouen trial, 85

"John Company, " India under, 18, 37

Joly, Antenon, 231

_Journal des Débats_, 66

Judd, Dr. , 192

"Judge and Jury Club, " 244

Judicial Separation, 43, 45

Justinian, Emperor, 120, 257

"Just and Persevering, " 162

Karr, Alphonse, 75

Kean, Mrs. Charles, 165

Kean, Edmund, 20

Keane, Sir John, 32

Keeley, Mrs. , 165

"Keepsake Annuals, " 20

Kelly, Fanny, 47

Kelly, William, 227

Kemble, Fanny, 20

Kemble, John Philip, 20

Kerner, Justinus, 147

Khelat, Khan of, 32

King of Sardinia, 200

Kingsley, Charles, 250

Kingston, Duchess of, 168

Kingston, Duke of, 168

Kirke, Baron, 204, 205

Klein, Dr. Tim von, 147

Knapp, Mrs. Dora, 197, 203, 206

Kobell, Luise von, 6, 99, 100

Kossuth, Louis, 188

Krüdener, Baroness, 105, 119

Kurnaul, 29, 36, 37

La Biche au Bois, 74

_La Presse_, 71, 77, 227, 228

"Lady of the Camelias, " 71, 183

Lahore, 30

Lamartine, de M. , 231

Lamb, Charles, 47

"Lamentation, " 148

Landon, Letitia, 168

Landsfeld, Countess of, 131

Landshut, 116, 131

Larousse, Pierre, 77

Lasaulx, Professor, 109, 121, 123

Lavallière, Eve, 257

Lawrence, Henry, 29

Lawrence, Sir Walter, 40

_Le Constitutionnel_, 66

Lecouvreur, Adrienne, 204

Le d'Hoefer, 256

_Le Droit_, 83

_L'Estafette_, 227

_Le Figaro_, 231

_Le Globe_, 77

_Le Pays_, 185, 230

_Lectures of Lola Montez_, 250

"Left-handed Marriage, " 167

Legge, Professor J. G. , 92

Leigh, Francis, 70, 134, 265

Leiningen, Prince, 116

Leland, Charles Godfrey, 114, 239

Leningrad, 7

Lennox, Captain, 40-44, 56, 58, 260

Leen, Don Diego, 48

_Les Contemporains_, 232

_Les Débats_, 66

Lesniowski, M. , 69

_Letters from Up-Country_, 34-37

Lever, Charles, 16

Leveson-Gower, Hon. Frederick, 164

"Liberation of Greece, " 96

Lichenthaler, Herr, 112

Liévenne, Anais, 75-76, 85

Life Guards, 166, 170

Limerick, 5, 14, 15, 72

Lind, Jenny, 110

Lindeau, Flight to, 142

"Lion of the Punjaub, " 30

Lisbon, 179

Lister, Lady Theresa, 35

Liverpool, Lecture at, 241

Liszt, Abbé, _liaison_ with Lola Montez, 62-65; Opera House, Dresden, 63; life in Paris, 71, 183; visit to Bonn, 63; correspondence with Madame d'Agoult, 117

Loeb, Herr, 151

"Lola in Bavaria, " 194, 211, 229

Lomer, Adjutant, 38

Lomer, Mrs. , 38, 45

London, Lola Montez in, 41-47, 49-60, 163-177, 242-250

Londonderry, Marquess of, 169, 171

Lord Chamberlain, 153, 166

Lord Milton, 8

Louis XV, 156

Louis Napoleon, 163, 198, 244

Louis-Philippe, 70, 82, 159

Lovell, John, 236

Lucerne, 16

Lucknow, 29

Ludwig I, architectural aspirations, 96; lured by Lola Montez, 99-148; poetry and passion, 101, 105, 137; dissentions with Cabinet, 120, 127-129, 149, 159; abdication, 160; death and burial, 162

Ludwig II, 6

Luitpold, Prince, 146, 160

Lumley, Sir Abraham, 22, 24, 25

Lumley, Benjamin, 49-55, 58, 65, 260

Lushington, Dr. , 43

Luther, Martin, 96

Lyceum Theatre, 243

Lytton, Lord, 168

Macaulay, Lord, 30

Macready, W. C. , 20, 190

Madeira, 29

Madras, 40, 42, 45

Madrid, 14, 47

_Maga_, 162

Magdalen Asylum, 256

Mahmood, Sultan, 33

"Maidens, Beware!" 221

"Maîtresse du Roi, " 118

Malmesbury, Earl of, 46, 48, 49, 59, 262

Maltitz, Baron, 94

Manchester, Free Trade Hall, 241

Mangnall, Mrs. , 20

Marden, Caroline, 45

Marie-Antoinette, 94, 95

Marlborough Street police court, 171-177

"Married in Haste, " 27

Marseilles, 177, 227

Marsh, Luther, 264

Martin, Mrs. , 44

Marysville, 202

_Marysville Herald_, 207, 208

Mathews, Charles, 243

Mathews, Mrs. , 157

Mauclerc, M. , 220

Maurer, Georg von, 128, 129

Maurice, Edward, 151

McMichael, Captain, 199

McMullen, Major, 43

McNaghten, Mrs. , 30

Maximilian, Prince, 160

Max Joseph, Prince, 94

Mazzini, 151

Mélanie, Princess, 112, 136

Melbourne, 214, 216-221

_Melbourne Argus_, 216, 218, 219

_Melbourne Herald_, 217, 219, 220

Melbourne, Theatre, 217, 220

Mellen, Ida M. , 8

_Mémoires de M. Montholon_, 76

Menken, Adah Isaacs, 6, 165, 211

Méry, Joseph, 71, 81, 86, 209

_Mes Souvenirs_, 72

Metternich, Prince, 120, 159, 163

Metzger, Herr, 106

Milbanke, Sir John, 141

Milbanke, Lady, 106

Milnes, Menckton, 250

Milton, Dr. , 219

"Ministry of Dawn, " 149

Minto, Earl of, 18

Mirecourt, Eugéne de, 20, 65, 67, 179, 231, 232

Mission Dolores, Church of, 198, 199

Molière, Jean Baptiste, 88

Moller, Baron, 154

Monmouth, Duke of, 156

Montalva, Oliverres de, 14

Montez, Francisco, 14

Montez, Jean Francois, 46, 61, 197

Montez, Lola, birth and parentage, 15; childhood in India, 19; sent to Montrose and Bath, 19, 20; "Love's Young Dream, " 25; runaway marriage, 26; garrison life in Dublin, 27; return to India, 29; _liaison_ with Captain Lennox, 41; Consistory Court proceedings, 43; disastrous début at Her Majesty's, 54; Continental wanderings, 61; _liaison_ with Liszt, 62; fiasco at Académie Royale, 66; mistress of Dujarier, 71; evidence at Rouen trial, 87; "hooking a prince, " 91-93; career in Munich, 98-152; "Maîtresse du Roi, " 118-135; created Countess of Landsfeld, 131; expelled from Bavaria, 150; adventures in Switzerland, 152-155; bigamous union with Cornet Heald, 167; prosecution for bigamy, 171-177; life in Paris, 181-187; theatrical career in America, 187; marriage with Patrick Hull, 198; life in California, 197-210; theatrical tour in Australia, 211-227; returns to America, 229; from stage to platform, 234-239; lectures in London, 244-250; returns to America, 251; new role as "Repentant Magdalen, " 255; illness and death, 257-260; funeral at Green-Wood Cemetery, 260; obituary notices, 261-263

"Montez the Magdalen, " 255

Montmartre Cemetery, 81

Montmorency, Major de, 265

Montrose, 5, 18, 21, 22, 115, 258, 260

"Morning Call, " 223

_Morning Herald_, 53

_Morning Star_, 246

Morrison, Colonel, 16

Morton, Savile, 184

Moscheles, Ignatz, 63

Mulgrave, Earl of, 27

Munich, Ludwig I, maker of, 94; Lola Montez in, 94-250; Hof Theatre, 98; public buildings, 96; Residenz Palace, 98, 105; revolution in, 160; flight from, by Lola Montez, 151; funeral of Ludwig I at, 162

_Music Study in Germany_, 183

Naked Lady, 7

Napier, Sir Charles, 30

Naples, 177

Naussbaum, Lieutenant, 152

"Necrology of the Year, " 13

_Nélida_, 64

Nesselrode, Karl, 95

Nevada City, 202

Newcastle, Duke of, 168

New York, 187-193, 209-240, 251-262

_New York Herald_, 188

_New York Times_, 208

_New York Tribune_, 234

Niagara, 194

Nice, hiding at, 161, Nicholas I, 61, 67, 73, 95

Nicolls, Fanny, 19, 20, 231

Nicolls, Sir Jasper, 19, 20, 22, 25, 260

Niendorf, Emma, 147

Nightingale, Florence, 213, 249

Nilgiri Hills, 38

Normanby, Marquess of, 27

Norton, Hon. Mrs. , 20

Nuremberg, 125

Nussbaum, Lieutenant, 152

Nymphenburg Park, 104, 108

Ole Bull, 200

Olga, Princess, 94

Olridge, Mrs. , 232

Opserman, Herr, 101

Osborne, Bernal, 27

Osborne, Hon. William, 31

Otto, King of Greece, 95

Osy, Alice, 75

Palatia Corps, 116, 138

Palmerston, Viscount, 95, 111, 120, 141, 143, 151

Papon, Auguste, 102, 106, 152, 154-158

Paris, 7, 14, 20, 21, 65-70, 181-187

Parthenon, 95

_Pas de Fascination_, 165

Paskievich, Prince, 68, 69

Patna, Cantonments at, 16

Pavestra de, Marquise, 231

"Pea Green Hayne, " 157

Pechman, Baron, 109, 111

Peel, Robert, 153

Peissner, Fritz, 114, 116, 147, 152, 204

Pennsylvania Historical Society, 8

Perth, 39

Petersham, Lord, 157

Pfaff's Restaurant, 192, 193

Philadelphia, 193

Phoenix Park, 27

Pillet, Léon, 65, 67

Pinakothek Gallery, Munich, 96

Pitti Palace, 96

Plessis, Alphonsine, 71, 183

Poland, Lola Montez in, 67, 68

Porte St. Martin Theatre, 74, 133, 140

Potsdam, 61

Pourtales, Guy de, 64

Preysing, Countess, 142

Price, Harry, 7, 264

Prince Consort, 63, 153, 169

Prince of Wales, 251, 252

Princess Victoria, 20

Prussia, Queen of, 110

Psychical Investigation, Council for, 7

_Punch_, References to Lola Montez, 102, 132

Punjaub, Garrison life in, 37

Queen Victoria, 62, 63, 97, 153, 169

Queen's Bench Division, Court of, 42

_Questions for the Use of Young People_, 20

Rachel, Madame, 56, 248

Rae, Mrs. , 44

"Raffaelo, the Reprobate, " 223

Raglan, Lord, 213

Ranelagh, Viscount, 52, 54-56, 260

Ranjeet Sing, 30, 31

Rathbiggon, 27

Ratisbon, 96

Rechberg, Count von, 98, 99, 136

Reisach, Count, 118

_Reminiscences of the Opera_, 58

Residenz Palace, 98, 105, 121, 138, 152

Reuss-Lobenstein-Ebersdorf, Principality of, 91

_Rhyme and Revolution in Germany_, 92

Richardson, Philip, 7

Richter, Jean Paul, 162

Rieff, M. , 84

_Rienzi_, 63

Rio, Madame, 144

Roberts, Browne, 43

Roberts, Emma, 28, 29

Rogers, Cameron, 263

"Romanism, " Lecture on, 237, 238, 279, 280

Rothmanner, Herr, 140

Rothschild, Baroness de, 51

Rotterdam, Embarkation of Prince Metternich at, 163

Rouen, Assize Court, 83-90

Rourke, Constance, 7

Roux, M. , 185-187

_Ruff's Guide_, 178

Russell, W. H. , 196, 197

Russia, 67, 69, 70

Sacramento City, 199

_Sacramento Union_, 207

"Sahib Log, " 30

Saint-Agnan, M. De, 75, 76

Sala, George Augustus, 6, 164, 247

Sale, Mrs. Robert, 30

Salveton, M. , 86

Salzburg, 94

San Francisco, 197-199

_San Francisco Alta_, 198, 200

_San Francisco Whig_, 198

Sand, George, 183, 250, 277

Sandeau, Jules, 278

Sandhurst, 227

_Satirist_, 163, 166, 170

Saunders, Beverley, 199

Saxe, Marshal, 256

Saxe-Weimar, Prince Edward of, 51

Sayers, Tom, 209

"Scarlet Woman, " 115

Schönheitengalerie, 105

Schneider, Rudi, 264, 265

Schrenck, Count von, 128

Schröder, Fräulein, 161

Schulkoski, Prince, 73

Schwab, Sophie, 148

Schwanthaler, Franz, 162

Second Empire, 70

Sedley, Katherine, 156

Seekamp, Henry, 225, 226

Senfft, Count, 112, 129

Seinsheim, Herr von, 128

Seville, 5, 14, 50, 51, 53, 57, 61, 72, 123

Shah Shuja, 30

Sheridan, Francis, 27

Shipley, Henley, 207, 209

Shore, Jane, 118

Sicklen, Mrs. Putnam van, 8

Simla, 31, 34, 36

Sister Augustine, 257

_Sketches by Boz_, 20

"Sludge, the Medium, " 252

Smith, E. T. , 242-244

Somnauth, Temple of, 32

"Song of Walhalla, " 108

Sophie, Archduchess, 105

Sorel, Agnes, 118

Soule, Frank, 207

Southampton, 48

_Southern Lights and Shadows_, 212, 213

Spence, Lady Theresa, 106

"Spider Dance, " 209, 218, 219, 223

Spiritualism, 252, 253, 264

"Spittalsfield Weaver, " 223

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, 254

Staël, Madame de, 238

Stahl, Dr. , 141

_Standard_, 169

Stanford University, 8

Stanhope, Colonel, 157

Starenberg, 148

Stedman, Edmund Clarence, 252

Steinberg, Otto von, 126

Steinkeller, Mme, 68

Stewart, William, 202, 206

Stieler, Josef, 105

Stocqueler, J. , 33

_Story of a Penitent_, 259

Stowe, Mrs. Harriet Beecher, 222

Stubenrauch, Amalia, 94

Sturgis, Mrs. , 40, 41

Stuttgart, 94

St. George's, Hanover Square, 167

St. Helena, 14, 29

St. James's Hall, 244

St. Jean de Luz, 228

St. Louis, 193, 194

St. Petersburg, 60, 61, 67, 69, 72, 246

Sue, Eugéne, 71, 194, 249

Sultan of Turkey, 5, 63, 246

Sumner, Charles, 230

_Sunday Times_, 243

Sutherland, Duchess of, 245

"Swedish Nightingale, " 165

Swiss Guards, 141

_Sydney Herald_, 212

Sydney, social life in, 212

Sydney, Victoria Theatre, 211, 212

Taglioni, Marie, 54, 65, 73

Talleyrand, Baron, 51

_Temple Bar_, 262

Tennyson, Alfred, 97, 184

Thackeray, W. M. , 184, 190, 192

Theatiner Church, 141

Theatrical Museum, Munich, 8

Theodora, Empress, 120, 257

Theresa of Saxe-Hildburghausen, Princess, 95

Thesiger, Frederick, 42

Thiersch, Friedrich, 139, 162

Thirsch, Wilhelm, 162

Thirty-eighth Native Infantry, 17

Thompson, Edward, 32

Thynne, Lord Edward, 158

Tichatschek, Josef, 63

_Times_, 43, 122, 123, 177

Titiens, Teresa, 243

Tom Thumb, General, 190

Tourville, Letendre de, 84-86

Treitschke, Heinrich von, 6, 103, 143

_Troupers of the Gold Coast_, 7

"Trousers for Women, " 191

_Troy Budget_, 194

Tugal, M. Pierre, 8

Tupper, Martin, 97

Twenty-fifth Foot, Regiment, 16

Tyree, Mrs. Annette, 8

_Ulner Chronik_, 127

Ultramontane Policy, 115, 121, 126, 127, 143

_Uncle Tom's Cabin_, 243

"Uncrowned Queen of Bavaria, " 120

University, Munich, 116, 121, 130, 139, 145

University Students at Munich, 114, 116, 121, 129, 138, 144, 145

_Up the Country_, 34

Valley, Count Arco, 142, 143

Vandam, Albert, 84, 182, 183

Vanderbilt, Commodore, 192

_Vanity Fair_, 192

Variétés Theatre, St. Louis, 194

Vaubernier, Jeanne, 232

Vaudeville Theatre, 186

Vestris, Madame, 51, 157, 158

Victoria Theatre, Ballarat, 222

Vienna, 112, 117, 143, 159

Villa-Palava, Marquise, 231

Vine Street Police Station, 174

Vrede, Prince, 140

Wagner, Martin, 96

Wagner, Richard, 63, 162

Wainwright, Governor, 199

_Walhalla's Genossen_, 97

Walkinshaw, Mrs. , 156

Wallerstein, Prince, 140, 141, 144, 150

Wallinger, Antoinette, 105

Walters, Mrs. , 44

Ware, C. P. T. , 194

Warsaw, 7, 67, 68

_Warsaw Gazette_, 69

Washington, George, 57

Waterloo, Battle of, 14

Watson, Mrs. , 26, 44

Weimar, 71

Weinsberg, 147, 148

_Welcome Guest_, 250

Wellington, Duchess of, 51, 245

Wellington, Duke of, 51, 169, 213

"Whiff of Grapeshot, " 140

Whitbread, Samuel, 243

Whitman, Walt, 193

Wilberforce, Edward, 101

William I, of Germany, 91

William IV, 20

Willis, N. P. , 187

Willis, Richard Storrs, 187

Wills, Judge, 199

Wilson, Rev. John, 209

Windischmann, Dr. , 118

Windsor Castle, 62

"Wits and Women of Paris, " 237, 249, 277-279

Wittelsbach, House of, 96

"Woman of Spain, " 105

Wurtemburg, 94

Würzburg, Bishop of, 141

Ziegler, Rudolph, 6

"Zoyara the Hermaphrodite, " 200

Zu Rhein, Freiherr, 128

 * * * * *