196 MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY 



those Lucy Ellen (Mrs. Maury's sister-in-law) used to 

 give us in our summer visits to Fredericksburg. 



"After dinner — say three-quarters of an hour — we, 

 the gentlemen, led by the Emperor, went into the 

 smoking-room. Gilt cigars were handed round; the 

 Emperor did not smoke. Here he drew an armchair up 

 into the corner, and seated me again, he and the others 

 standing until their cigars were nearly finished. Then 

 he took a seat, and commanded the others to be seated. 

 Dispatches were handed him, some of which he handed 

 to me to look into. Presently he dismissed the gentle- 

 men, and said, 'Mr. Maury, you have something to say 

 to me?' 'Yes, sire; I can't manage immigration through 

 the Ministers. I must transact business with you di- 

 rectly, and not through them ; nor must they have any- 

 thing to do with it'. That's what I intend', said he". 

 A short time afterwards colonization was placed entirely 

 in Maury's hands and unlimited power to draw on the 

 treasury was also intrusted to him; this indeed was a 

 mark of great confidence. 



During the latter part of October, Maury's son 

 Richard with his wife and young son came to Mexico 

 to assist his father and also to prepare himself to take 

 over the work in his absence, for Maury was then plan- 

 ning to make a visit to England to meet his wife and his 

 four younger children. Mrs. Maury had been unwilling 

 to come to Mexico, — indeed to leave Virginia at all ; but 

 she at last consented to go to England where the children 

 might enjoy better educational advantages. Maury and 

 his son worked along energetically on the immigration 

 project, but he had already begun to have his doubts as 

 to its success. This feeling of uncertainty was caused, 

 not by the lack of immigrants but by the unreadiness 



