THE EMPRESS. Unoknown AND MRS. HOWARD.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 868, 26 November 1853, Page 4

THE EMPRESS. Unoknown AND MRS. HO WARD.

1 The Parispcorrespondent of the P^^ Register gives the following F/ench raotJ*™ """*, ' The -papers by this week's^reamer wi' v announce to you the great affliction which h&s J befallen the Imperial family — le grand i Mtalhtlfr* que vient /rapper la famttle imperiale-^bvttyfoa the very good reason that they dare not, tfifejw .will not tell you of the circumstances which lcd s to this misfortune. You ard your readers wilt* perhaps scarcely credit what I relate, but I assure you that 1 here it is not only believed, butvouched for by persons whose veracity it is impossible to doubt. -In the saloons, in the clubs,* in the'ateliers,, nothing else is talked of; and^ the police is daily arresting persous imprudent, enough to discuss the matter in the streets. Your ' arc-probably aware, that- a few days before his- • marriage, Louis Napoleon dismissed Mrs.Ho'wardi th'e mother of his three little'gfrls, and ' •h K e took refuge in England. He had offered her a residence and a pension jo France, but this, ; she refused. Two weeks ago,,. she returned to ' Paris, on business, probably, though many say she came by the Emperor's request,' 5 Be that asit may, , the "Empress heard of j hep arrival, andl\ was highly indignant, that she should have been, allowed to enter France. , Thereupon a conjugal Caudle" scene tookl' place, at the end of which her Majesty'declafed that if she met Mrs. 'Howard she ( >wo,uld.,punreh< her for her presumption, aad give her a lesson ; which she would remember." His ' Majesty merely shrugged his shoulders at this threat, doub.tless^, thinking it nothing raor,e than "an .ebullition 'of, words, which would be forgotten with th«_excitement which caused it. He wwars r too confident'; and the Empress. t was^ as good as her promise.. , The very next day, while riding' in 'the Bois de- . Boulogne on her spirited Andalusian," and accompanied only by her ladies and grooms, she wasstopped in a by-road by a carriage. At first the Empress was about to turn aside, , and let the v carriage pass ; but," glancing at its occupant, sherecognised Mrs. Howard, and, determining not. to give her the road, she reined vp s her horse i.nd.' waited for the carriage to turn out of the wayBut Mrs. Howard had recognized her. rival also, and calling up her pride and spirit, she ordered ( her coachman not to give the road. A few words were exchanged between the latter and ther Empress' attendants, but he refused to go con- , trary to his orders. After a moment's, suspense,., during which the two ladies "fasaient dcs grands - yeux"-~-ma.Ae big eyes at each other, the Em- . press galloped to the side of the carriage, and in a most impolite manner struck Mrs. Howard with her riding whip. The other raised her parasol, and before the attendants could interfere* a regular battle began between the whip and the parasol, and the tongues of the owners, until the.whip) being the stronger of the two, broke the- • parasol, and Mrs. Howard sauk back, fainting, on the carriage cushions, her toilette and curls in . "a, deplorable state,* while the Empress, who bad;« received no visible, damage,, gave a triumphant , little laugh, struck ,ber, spur into herhorse's side,, v Wd galloped away,, followed by her s,uite, every, : member'pjf which- ,was stupefied by j.b\e scene* 'which they had been forced to. witness. , w , Jv^.But a crowd had already collected; and, a.feM? { ,f, f igjsns d'armes coming up, Mrs. Howoijd was carried^ » into tt bouse neat by, where, her wounds— for thfr 'lash had left more, than, one mark .upon her, facet-A 'and hands— were v dressed r and;the-dis ) qrder;of her toilette repaired!; and, when the idlers had all de-., .parted,-, she repaired to P f aris, whflre. shejisstUlh 'quite ill. |As -to,^he,, Empress, she.Snisßedrher-.L ride, and returned to the- TuileridS jas.jif^nothio'g^ » had happened; but that very, nig hjt .Mr. Duboisio who had received the appointment of accoucheurto her Majesty only a'fewr days/ before, was sent, .for, and forty-eight hours afterwards the Empress became so ,unwell thati , there was"! no'i longed any * doubt.,that Lo.pis Napoleon's; --hopes of an heir were going to be destroyed. ' .The, mattej' was as. ' ,much as possible kept , secret,, and t - her, Majesty .was, reported ,as merely/ -.suffering- .urrde.r a slight" indisposhion, ,^But ahe '.whole,: citv «.-„„. ii POn ,i ' .*•"- * * ' ' • ' i n • i J aireauy talkingof Jbe scenes jtbe.Bois c , Boulogne, a'ixd theretult.of the, indispositj^; Was , several days before it actually took' pVace. 6a Friday.lasi the'Empr^g.g life 1b^ atiger for , several hours j b»^ than ' kg t0 lhe s Vilfal ueaN ' mejDt.and the, mass the EmpeTor ordered to besaid, m, the im perial Chapel, shb became bettei\ W r; '8 h ' l i* and ' isffoVVapidly cpnvale'scing. ,; > I .' :1 :. # ! -ue. EmpCrdr h'as : been '• to see Mis. HowardV •' is said; to express hrs : sy'mpa'tliy, and'se.nds an ' aid-de-camp Wicet "a'^ay ' to 'in'qoife' after her t healths Whether 1 tWis* i^y proof ibat : £e* tik'est 1 sides< witb t;t his l fprhie'r=favourite, it ; is h'aid to'say^"* for'he is repo r rted aar"being very' attentive at the,', •bedside 'of J Empress also; '"His anger at the!' scandal caused, by his j»ife|a conduct must be< > cohsiderabPy^ rtfoinfie^''%4h^ :r relaection r that lovfr' for hiro was the 'mo'tivVj'ar^a^ 'gratified vanity will, probably prevent 'His Abiding euhe^lady.focber.^ imprudence.- ' ' '• ' " J '-\f ]' /"'' J t ' J' r \ t( , / f 'The'.difierent little* trips to\tlie. nor tli of JFrance;^ which were proje l cted"for^n l e* sumfner.-'wilf no^r be"ab"andoned*,and S(. "Cltou J d'/wilt"j>e ~ise Imperial < reiidebc'e'.l'or- J " tHe 'season,' ''the; pb < / yiieian& • having 'prescribe'd'quier/ "and" ' regpse,for Iher 1 her Ma- -_, 'jipsVw* ' J ' ' 1 - L ' ' ?i -.l. l ■ ' ' J " ° . -