262 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



me before I started, and that it was a well known fact 

 that since my mission to Borne, I had had no dealings 

 with the Emperor or his Government. He added, 

 with much dignity, however, that if the report which 

 he had just heard for the first time turned out to be 

 a fact, he should personally be very delighted, and 

 should be fully prepared to support the undertaking. 



"Lord Cowley then addressed himself to the Em- 

 peror, whose attitude of reserve was interpreted as 

 being favourable to the views of the English cabinet. 

 One of my friends, feeling somewhat uneasy on that 

 score, instituted inquiries, and he writes me : c The 

 Empress asks me to say that, upon her again ques- 

 tioning the Emperor, the latter told her not to be 

 alarmed, adding these words, " The affair will be car- 

 ried through. 77 She insisted on being allowed to keep 

 the letters and documents, and said that she was 

 anxious to peruse them all and thoroughly understand 

 the whole question.' 



"The Emperor, who has also transacted business 

 with M. Thouvenel, in the absence of M. Drouyn de 

 Lhuys, spoke in very favourable terms on the subject. 

 He instructed M. Thouvenel to write to Count Walew- 

 ski in London, so that he might explain the matter 

 to the English cabinet, and give them to know how 

 much he was interested in it, with the intention of 

 himself discussing the subject in higher quarters 

 when he goes to England with the Empress, as he 

 will do shortly, on a visit to the Queen. 



