Audience luitk President Juarez. 189 



I told M. Juarez all that had happened in Mexico, and what 

 I intended to do in order to bring the horrible bloodshed to 

 an end, and requested him to permit me to go to Queretaro. 



The President said that he had not received any details 

 from General Porfirio Diaz, but he supposed that I must have 

 done something very dangerous as I had been ordered so 

 suddenly to leave the country. He could not give me an 

 answer until he was better informed. If I would return with 

 Lieut.-Colonel Aspirez to M. Rubio, and wait there for his 

 answer, I was at liberty to do so, or to remain in San Luis. 



I told him that I would reflect on it, and give him an answer 

 next morning. The President gave me his arm, and accom- 

 panied me through all the rooms to the head of the staircase, 

 where he dismissed we with a low bow. 



As I could not get permission to enter Queretaro, I thought 

 it better to remain near the President, where I should hear 

 always the freshest news, and be on the spot to act accordingly. 

 When, however, Lieut.-Colonel Aspirez had left, and the day 

 approached when the diligence was to start again, I changed 

 my mind, and resolved to return to M. Rubio. Accordingly; 

 I went again to the President and told him so, but he desired 

 me to remain at San Luis, as Queretaro must fall in a kw days. 

 I remained here therefore as was required, but heard no news 

 until the loth of May, when the ringing of all the bells and 

 the firing of guns announced some great event. 



The next morning a gentleman called upon me, wh ^ told 

 me that Queretaro had been sold to the Liberals for three 

 thousand 'ounces,' by a certain Colonel Lopez and a man 

 from San Luis, Jablowski ; that the Emperor was a prisoner, 

 and my husband wounded. Of course this news distressed me 

 very much, and I immediately went to the President to obtain 

 his permission to go to Queretaro. He was, however, at a 

 dinner-party, and I was not able to see him. Under ^ese 

 circumstances I thought it best to travel without his permis- 

 sion. This I did, and I arrived without any accident at 

 Queretaro on the 19th of May, four days after the fall of that 

 city. 



I alighted at the Hotel de Diligencias, where my husband 

 was well known. It was between six and seven o'clock in the 

 evening, and too late to see General Escobedo, who had his 

 quarters in the Hacienda de Hercules, which is some distance 

 rom Queretaro. 



