ROME SUEZ PANAMA. 1 39 



of the Suez Canal. The French Government had left 

 me to act without giving me a word of reply. I was 

 being deceived behind my back until the time came to 

 betray me openly. I sent my four secretaries of the 

 Embassy to Paris, but got no reply. Those in authority 

 were very well satisfied to compromise me, and it was 

 intended to react against the policy of the Xational 

 Assembly. Seeing this, I determined not to play a 

 double part. I was at last recalled, and when every- 

 thing was ready the attack on Home took place. I 

 accordingly returned to Paris. The Government tried 

 to make out that I was mad, and that has happened 

 once since. I could not stand this, and I resigned my 

 functions in the diplomatic service. 



It was upon this that, having a very worthy 

 mother-in-law, who was as attached to me as I was 

 to her, a mother-in-law who had a large fortune while 

 I had none, I became her land agent. She owned 

 in the neighbourhood of Paris a property which was 

 of some value, but which involved a heavy expen- 

 diture ; so I induced her to buy a large tract of 

 uncultivated land in the Berry district, and had it put 

 into cultivation. I built a model farm, which is still 

 in existence, and restored an ancient castle which had 

 belonged to Agnes Sorel. 



While I was superintending all this, I learnt that 

 Abbas Pasha, the Yiceroy of Egypt, was dead. He 

 was a very cruel and deceitful man, and had suc- 

 ceeded Mehemet Ali and Ibrahim Pasha in the 



