The News For Parrots ~ Who's That Poodle In My Skirt?

" The second inamorata of the Emperor since his marriage was the noble and beautiful Countess de Castiglione. This lady was a native of Milan in Lombardy, and she belonged to one of those ancient and distinguished Lombard families, a portion of whom reside in Piedmont. Both at Turin and at Milan the ladies of the Castiglione family have long been renowned for their great beauty. Madame Castiglione had a good-natured husband, with whom she lived apparently on the best possible terms. She was not only a beautiful woman, but was also highly intellectual, accomplished, and refined. She never assumed the airs of a mistress, or the authority of a favorite, during the period of her connection with the Emperor. Her high birth and breeding prevented any such display of vulgarity; but certain it is that, for a time, the spell which she cast upon the Imperial mind and fancy was powerful in the extreme. The gentle Eugenie strove in vain to conjure against the fascinating Italian magician. Time at length accomplished for the Empress what her own charms had failed to do; and an incident occurred on the 30th of April, 1857, which showed publicly that the reign of the haughty daughter of Italy, for some mysterious and unknown reason had terminated. The Emperor and Empress were present at the revival of a well-known and admired opera written by Etienne and Nicolo, called Joconde. A popular romance closes with these words :

" * On devient infidele

On court de belle en belle,
Mais on revient toujours,
A ses premiers amours.'"

 

Which may be rendered as follows:

" ' Oft we turn from fair to fair,
Faithless as the summer air,
But wherever we may rove,
Still we turn to our first love.'

 

" When this couplet was recited, Louis Napoleon looked significantly at the Empress, and nodded his head so decidedly, that the audience at once remarked and applauded the act. Eugenie blushed profusely, yet smiled sweetly in token of her joy. The very next day the fair and proud Countess de Castiglione started, with her complacent husband, for Italy."

I heard a story connected with the reign of this same Countess, which is worth repeating, though I cannot vouch for its truth. A State ball was given at the Tuileries. The Countess was present, and was the object of the marked attentions of-the Emperor. Suddenly there was a commotion in the throng of guests, and in an instant they gave way as if some grand dignitary was approaching. The Emperor and his fair companion naturally turned to see the cause of this movement, and the lady beheld a sight which set her Italian blood on lire. A small poodle dog was advancing up the hall, clad in the exact counterfeit of the costume worn by the Countess. The imitation was perfect, and the dog seemed highly delighted with its good fortune. The insult was keen, and went straight to the mark, as was meant. The Emperor at once set on foot an investigation to discover the author of the " outrage," but soon dropped it, as he found that the affair was gotten up by order of the Empress, who had adopted this means of humiliating her rival.

From Paris by Sunlight and Gaslight by James D. McCabeGoogle ebook