The Sunny Side of Diplomatic Life, 1875-1912 Part 28

I went into a shop while the brilliant _cortege_ was pa.s.sing and, feigning ignorance, asked the woman at the counter:

"What is this procession?"

"_Oh! C'est un de ces diplomates_" she said, shrugging her shoulders.

I left the shop without buying anything--a paltry revenge on my part; still it was a revenge.

We have found a suitable apartment in the rue Pierre Charron, and I have just now begun to look up some of my old friends. Alas!

there are not many left, but those who are seem glad to see me. My first official visit was to Madame Faure. This was easily managed.

I simply went on one of her reception-days. An Elysian master of ceremonies was waiting for me, and I followed him into the _salon_ where Madame Faure sat, surrounded by numerous ladies. A servant wrestled in vain with my name, "Crone" being the only thing he seized, but the master of ceremonies announced to the President that I was the Danish Minister's wife, after which things went smoothly. To leave no doubt in the other guests' minds that I was a person of distinction and the wife of a Minister Madame Faure asked me innumerable questions about _Monsieur le Ministre_.

We were scarcely settled when there came the awful catastrophe of the burning of the _Bazar de Charite_, about which you have probably read. I had promised to go to it, and I can say that my life literally hung on a thread, for if my _couturiere_ had kept her word and sent my dress home at the time she promised I should certainly have gone and would probably have been burned up with the others. Marquise de Gallifet also owed her life to my not going. She came to make me a visit and lingered a little. This _little_ saved her life. She entered the fated bazar just a moment before the fire broke out, and therefore managed to escape.

Frederikke and I drove to the offending dressmaker. (How I blessed her afterward!) When we pa.s.sed the Cours la Reine we were very much astonished to see a man without a hat, very red in the face, waving two blackened hands in the most excited manner. He jumped into a cab and drove away as fast as the horse could gallop. Then we saw a young lady, bareheaded, in a light dress, rus.h.i.+ng through the street, and another lady leaning up against the wall as if fainting. The air was filled with the smell of burning tar and straw, and we noticed some black smoke behind the houses. I thought it must come from a stable burning in the neighborhood. We had been so short a time in Paris that I did not realize how near we were to the street where the bazar was held.

At half past five we drove through the rue Francois I'er on our way home and saw a few people collected on the Place, otherwise there seemed nothing unusual. When we pa.s.sed through the avenue Montaigne we met Monsieur Hanotaux (Minister of Foreign Affairs) in a cab, looking wildly excited. He stood up and screamed to me, "_Vous etes sauvee_." What could he mean?

I thought that he was crazy. I screamed back, "_Que dites vous_?"

but he was already out of hearing. It was only when we reached home that we learned what had happened and understood what he had meant.

How dreadful were the details!

The bazar was in a vacant lot inclosed by the walls of surrounding houses, from which the only exit was through the room where a cinematograph had been put up. This, being worked by a careless operator, took fire.

The interior of the bazar consisted of canvas walls, of which one part represented a street called _Vieux Paris_.

The bazar was crowded; the stalls were presided over by the most fas.h.i.+onable ladies of Paris, and there were many gentlemen in the crowd of buyers.

When the fire broke out a gentleman whose wife was one of the stall-holders stood up near the door and cried out, "_Mesdames, n'ayez pas peur. Il n'y a pas de danger_," and quietly went out, leaving people to their fates.

Then came the panic.

Young ladies were trampled to death by their dancing-partners of the evening before. One of them was engaged to be married, and when her _fiance_ walked over her body, in his frenzy to escape, she cried to him, "_Suivez moi, pour l'amour de Dieu!_" He screamed back, "_Tout le monde pour soi_," and disappeared.

She was saved by a groom from the stables opposite. She was horribly burned, but probably will live, though disfigured for life. Under the wooden floor were thrown all the _debris_--tar, shavings, paper, etc. This burned very quickly, and the floor fell in, engulfing those who could not escape; the tarred roof and the canvas walls fell on them. What an awful death!

The kitchen of a small hotel, which formed one side of the vacant lot, had one window about four feet from the ground. This was covered with stout iron bars. The cook, when he realized the disaster, managed to break the bars and, pus.h.i.+ng out a chair, was able to drag a great many women through the window. He and the stable-boy were the only persons who seemed to have done anything toward helping.

Of course, around the uprooted and demolished turn-stile was the greatest number of victims, but ma.s.ses were found heaped together before the canvas representing the street of _Vieux Paris_. The poor things in their agony imagined that it really was a street.

It was all over in an hour. It seems almost incredible that such a tragedy could have taken place in so short a time. And to think that the whole catastrophe could have been averted by the expenditure of a few francs! When the architect heard that there was to be a cinematograph put up he pointed out the danger and begged that some firemen should be engaged. The president of the committee asked how much this would cost and, on being told twenty francs for each fireman, replied, "I think we will do without them."

The d.u.c.h.esse d'Alencon and the wife and daughters of the Danish Consul-General were among the victims. The dead were all taken to the Palais de l'Industrie and laid out in rows. Through the whole night people searched with lanterns among the dead for their loved ones. It was remarked that, though there were many men's canes and hats, there was not one man found among the burned. Not one man in all Paris acknowledged that he had been to the Bazar.

Within an incredibly short time subscriptions amounting to over a million francs were collected. From America came many messages of sympathy and a great deal of money. But no one could be found except the cook and the stable-boy who had done anything to merit a reward. After giving them large sums the rest of the money went to form a fund for the building of a chapel in commemoration of the disaster.

PARIS, _1897_.

Dear L.,--Social life here is very confusing and fatiguing; physically, because distances are so immense. People live everywhere, from the ile St.-Louis to the gates of St.-Cloud.

Hardly a part of Paris where some one you know does not live. The very act of leaving a few cards takes a whole afternoon.

In reality there are three societies which make life for a diplomat, whose duty it is to be well with every one, very complicated and unending. The official season for dinners, receptions, and _soirees_ is in the winter; French society, just returned from the Riviera and Italy, has its real season in spring, when Longchamps and Auteuil have races and Puteaux has its sports. The autumn is the time when strangers flock to Paris; then commence the restaurant and theater parties. How can any lady have a reception-day where people of all countries, all politics, and all societies meet? Impossible! I have tried it, and I am sorry to say that my receptions are dead failures. Still, I persevere, as I am told it is my duty to receive.

When our first invitation to the ball of the elysees came I was most anxious to see what it would be like. Is it not strange that the cards of invitation are the same used in the Empire. "_La Presidence de la Republique Francaise_" stands instead of "_La Maison de l'Empereur_." I have the two before me, the old and the new, and they are exactly alike, color, paper, and engraving!

The Diplomatic Corps has a separate entrance at the elysees. We were met and conducted by a master of ceremonies to the room where the President and Madame Faure were standing. M. Faure is called _un President decoratif_. He is tall, handsome, and has what you might call princely manners. The privileged ones pa.s.sed before them and shook hands, quite _a l'Americaine_. I was named by M, Crozier and got from M. Faure an extra squeeze by way of emphasizing that I was a new-comer.

We then pa.s.sed into the _salon_ where our colleagues were a.s.sembled, and did not move from there until the presidential pair came in at eleven o'clock. At these b.a.l.l.s there are a great many--too many--people invited. I have been told that there are six thousand invitations sent out. To one gentleman is a.s.signed the duty to stay in the first _salon_ and pa.s.s in review the toilets of the promiscuous guests and judge if they are suitable.

When he sees a lady (?) in a high woolen dress with thick and soiled boots in which she has probably walked to the ball, he politely tells her that there must be some mistake about her invitation, and she walks meekly back to her _comptoir_.

When M, and Madame Faure had finished receiving, they came into the room where the diplomats were; and the President, giving his arm to the lady highest in rank (the _protocole_ arranged the other couples) we marched through the crowd of gazers-on, through the ballroom, where some youths and maidens were whirling in the dance, through the palm-filled winter garden, where the people were crowded around a buffet, and through all the _salons_ until we reached the last one, quite at the end of the palace, where a sumptuous buffet awaited us. At one o'clock we returned home. It amused me to see old Waldteufel still wielding his _baton_ and playing his waltzes as of old. I wanted to speak to him, but, being in the procession, I could not stop.

Yesterday I had a visit from Adelina Patti. I had not seen her for a long time. It seemed only the other day that I had written a letter condoling with her on the death of Nicolini, her second husband. This time she was accompanied by her third husband, Baron Cederstrom, a very fine-looking Swede whose family we knew well in Sweden. The _diva_ looked wonderfully young, and handsomer than ever. When they came into the _salon_ together one could not have remarked very much difference in their ages, though he is many years younger than she is.

Ma.s.senet comes often to see me. He is a great man now. He and Saint-Saens are the most famous musicians of France at the present moment. Ma.s.senet has never forgotten old kindnesses; and, no matter where he is, whether on a platform at a concert, or in a drawing-room full of people, he always plays as a prelude or an improvization the first bars of a favorite song of his I used to sing. He sends me a copy of everything he composes, and always writes the three bars of that song on the first page.

Among others we find our friend Marquise de Podesta. She is a sort of lady in waiting to Ex-Queen Isabella of Spain. I went to see her at the Queen's beautiful palace in the avenue Kleber. I was delighted when she asked me if I would like to make the acquaintance of the Queen. I went two days later to what she called an "audience." The Queen received me in a beautiful room lined with old Gobelin tapestry and furnished with great taste.

She is rather heavy and stout and wears a quant.i.ty of brown hair plastered over her temples, which does not give her the height a Queen ought to have. She was very amiable, asked many questions about places and people I knew, and before I was aware of it I found myself spinning out lengthy tales. I should have much preferred she do the talking.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JULES Ma.s.sENET AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS CAREER From an autographed photograph taken in 1894.]

The Empress Eugenie is now here. And fancy! living at the Hotel Continental, right opposite the gardens of the Tuileries. I have not seen her for six years (since Cap-Martin). Baron Petri, who always accompanies her, answered my note asking if I might come to see her, saying that the Empress would receive me with pleasure.

You may imagine my emotion at seeing her again. I found her seated at the window facing the Tuileries. How could she bear to be so near her old home? As if reading my thoughts, she said: "You wonder that I came here to this hotel. It is very sad. There are so many memories. But it seems to bring me nearer _mon fils bien aime_. I have him always before me. My poor Louis! I can see him as a little boy, when he used to drive out in his carriage, always surrounded by the _cent gardes_." She told me of the terrible journey she had made to South Africa. She had wished to go over the same route that the Prince had taken on his way to Zululand.

How dreadful it must have been for her! Can one imagine anything more tragic? Her only child, whom she loved beyond anything in the world, whom she hoped to see on the throne! The future monarch of France! a Napoleon! to be killed by a few Zulus, in a war not in any way connected with France. The Empress appeared weighed down with grief; nevertheless, she seemed to like to talk with me. I wish I could have heard more, but the arrival of the Princess Mathilde interrupted us, and I left.

The papal _nonce_ (Amba.s.sador of the Pope) had his official reception last week in his hotel, rue Legendre, which is far too small to hold all the people who went there. All Paris, in fact.

No one is invited to these receptions, but every one thinks it a duty and a politeness to attend; consequently, there are a great number of people who walk in, are presented, and walk out.

The _nonce_ is a charming man, simple in his manner, kind and gentle. I felt very proud the other evening to be on his arm after the dinner at the Minister of Foreign Affair's, and walk about with him. When we pa.s.sed by some of the unclothed Dianas and Venuses the dear old man held up his hand to cover his eyes: "_Non devo guardare!_" Nevertheless I caught him peeping under his eyelids. He came on my Thursday to see me, accompanied by Monsignore Montagnini, his secretary, and sat a long time lingering over his teacup, and made himself very agreeable to the many ladies present.

The _nonce_ accepted our invitation to dine on the 26th (he fixed the day himself). That evening I received a note from the secretary to say that the _nonce_ had forgotten that the 26th was Ash Wednesday, and, naturally, could not have the pleasure, etc.

Prince Valdemar, the youngest son of the King of Denmark, and Princess Marie, his wife, were dining yesterday with us, with Prince George of Greece, who is extremely agreeable and handsome.

She (the Princess Marie) when in Paris stays with her parents, the Due and d.u.c.h.esse de Chartres, in their beautiful palace, known In Paris for its artistic architecture and its onyx staircase.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A NOTE FROM Ma.s.sENET This was a reply to a letter of introduction which Madame de Hegermann-Lindencrone had written Miss Geraldine Farrar to Ma.s.senet. He taught her subsequently _Manon_.]

The Princess desired to meet President Faure for some reason, and, as she could not do that In her father's house, she desired us to arrange a meeting on the neutral ground of the Legation. On the day fixed they met here In the afternoon. I remained out of the _salon_, and only returned when the tea-table was brought in. The President partook of his tea with graceful nonchalance.

PARIS, _1897_.

Dear L.,--You ask, "What are you doing?" If you had asked what are we _not_ doing I would have told you, but what we _are_ doing covers acres of ground. We are in a whirlwind of duties and pleasures, dinners, _soirees_, and b.a.l.l.s. It would bore you to death to hear about them. Many of my old friends are still in Paris; those _you_ knew are Countess Pourtales (just become a widow); Marquise Gallifet, who is more separated from her husband than ever. She remains Faubourgeoise St.-Germain, and he favors the Republic.

I find Christine Nillson here. From Madame Riviere she has become Countess Casa-Miranda. She has a pretty little hotel near us, where she sings not, "neither does she spin." I meet her at dear old Mrs. Pell's Sunday-afternoon ladies' teas. Nillson and I are the youngest members of the club. You may imagine what the others must be in the way of years. Mrs. Pell gives us each (we are twelve) a gold locket with a teacup engraved on its back, and a lock of her once brown hair inside, and we a.s.semble and eat American goodies made in an ultra-superior manner by her _chef_.

Our occupations or amus.e.m.e.nts depend very much upon whom we are with. A whole army of doctors has just descended on us, and we are doing the medical side of Paris. One day we went to see Dr. Doyen, the celebrated cutter-up of men. He said that operations other doctors spent an hour over _he_ did in ten minutes. It sounds a little boastful, but after what I saw I am sure that it is true.

He has a very large hospital where he preaches and practises and gives cinematographic representations of his most famous operations. It was very interesting, because at the same time that we were looking at him in the pictures he was sitting behind us explaining things. Strange to say that one or two of the doctors with us fainted away. The ladies did not faint, neither did they look on. The operation which took the most time was the cutting apart of the little Indian twins, Radica and Dodica. This last one (poor little sickly thing) was dying of tuberculosis, and the question was whether the well one should be separated or die with her sister. While this was going on the little survivor came to the door and begged to be let in (she was tired of running up and down the corridor); therefore we knew that the operation had succeeded, which helped to make it less painful to witness.