were the daughters of the late James Wilson, Minister of Finance in India. The eldest, Mrs. Bagehot, writes

*

We spent the winter of 1854-55 in Paris, and Mr. Greg, who had known Madame Mohl for some time, gave us a letter of introduction to her. I remember that, after seeing her two or three times, Julia and I called on her one day and found her alone. She advanced towards us beaming, and said, "My dears, I have just been writing to Parthy, and told her that at last I have found two young ladies whom I like as I do her and Flo." M. and Madame Mohl showed us about Paris, the studios, etc., and sometimes kept us to dinner en famille. Ida stayed with us in London the next season, and the following winter I stayed in the Rue du Bac. When I had known my husband † a short time, I found that he had been an habitué of Madame Mohl's salon a few winters before we knew her, having been introduced by Mrs. Reid and Miss Sturch.

Madame Mohl wrote the following interesting letter to Mrs. Bagehot on her marriage:

MY DEAR ELIZA,

November 29, 1857.

You can't think how much I feel your kindness, and how agreeable it is to me to find your friendly sentiments towards me; for, as you say yourself, you are not given to show them, and I have lived so long and seen such a variety of people, that I am not given to imagine such friendship. I am not only rejoiced at the kindness, but also at the communication. Marriages of affection and suitability are so rare that, even if I take no interest in the parties, I am delighted with them, and how much more when I have so warm a feeling to one party, and which, I doubt not, time will give me for both! Mr. Mohl, who is not given to over-esteem, said, "Well! it shows Mr. Bagehot to be a man of sense." As this was not meant for your ear, I think its plainness is of some value. I think as he does, and that you will make an excellent wife. From the article on Lord Brougham, it is evident that Mr. Bagehot is very clever, and that is a great element of happiness en ménage-at least, I think so. When one finds one's mental amusement at home, every day is a day of festivity, and if one is poor one don't mind it, for what could one The late Walter Bagehot.

Lady Verney.

get better for any money? if one is rich, ça ne gâte rien, but it is not necessary to be rich, as I know. In short, the whole is completely satisfactory to my mind, and I rejoice greatly at it, and hope to see you in your new position when I go to England. I only wish it took place in 1857 instead of 1858, as I hate useless delays.

Believe me, dear Eliza,

Yours ever,

MARY MOHL.

CHAPTER VII.

1858-1861.

The attentat-Free speaking in salons-Madame Mohl visits her grandfather's tomb-Music-meeting at Hereford-Julius Mohl's delight in London--Violent fancies-Carlyle-Wordsworth-Browning-Madame Roland and the French Revolution-Marriage of Ida Mohl-Cats-Julius Mohl president of the Academy-Peace of Villafranca-Commercial treaty-Madame Mohl's article -Mrs. Gaskell-Madame Mohl at Oxford-Visit to Hungary-The Ober Ammergau.

THE celebrated attentat (Orsini's attempt to assassinate the emperor) took place in January, 1858. The emperor showed courage at the time, but his nerves were considerably shaken, and a series of arbitrary decrees was the result.

These were freely spoken of in Madame Mohl's salon. Mr. Senior wrote

Monday, March 8, 1858.

I spent the evening at Madame Mohl's. I spoke of the unpopularity, or worse than unpopularity, into which Louis Napoleon seemed to have fallen, as far as I could judge from the conversation of the few people whom I had seen.

Mohl. It is much greater in the class of society which you do not see. The ouvriers have been principally struck at. They were already angry at the high price of apartments and of food. Like all uneducated persons, they exaggerate the power of a government, and think that the emperor could give them cheap lodgings, and bread and wine, if he liked. Instead of doing so, he inflicts imprisonment and banishment on persons who, perhaps, were émeutiers in 1848, but have been for years well-conducted pères de famille. The number so treated is, of course, enormously exaggerated. These arrests, and the law which has sanctioned them, have produced, as it was intended

they should, much fear; but they have excited more irritation. I do not think that he was ever so unpopular among the working classes in Paris. The natural effects of that unpopularity will not be prevented by compression. He is compressing an elastic gas. Some day the resisting force will be greater than the compressing force, and then woe to those who are near to the explosion.

Julius Mohl to Miss Bonham Carter.

MY DEAR HILLY,

Paris, March 12, 1858.

There is not a shadow of truth in the story of our having been warned by the police. We wag our tongues as freely as ever. Their actual line of policy is to appear indifferent about tongues, and only to care for revolvers, of which we are not suspected. I hear stories of people being warned, but do not believe it. It is a most curious state of things, and not unlike what one hears of Naples, only that the official people here are not so barbarous; but I mean the state of lawlessness and the entire separation between government and the public. I will give you some examples. There is a small monthly paper defending the Gallican Church theories, particularly contesting the pope's right to make single-handed dogmas. The editor was called to that devout man Espinasse, Minister of the Interior, and the following dialogue ensued :—

Minister. You are always attacking the immaculate conception, but we will not allow you to go on attacking dogmas.

Abbé. But it is no dogma in France. This is precisely our stronghold. The liberties of the Gallican Church allow of no dogmas to be declared by the pope without an Ecumenical Council.

Minister. I am not going to dispute about theology. You are not to speak against the immaculate conception.

Abbé. But the Protestants laugh at it in all their journals; why should not we too attack it?

Minister. The Protestants? That is quite another affair. The emperor has ordered me to suppress your paper if you talk any more of this business.

Exit Abbé in despair, and meditating to let his paper drop.

Here is another dialogue, dramatis personæ an ex-councillor of state and an actual deputy.

Ex-Councillor. I have been at Mazas to examine the state of the

heating of the prison, and have found that the prisoners must be better warmed.

Deputy (languishingly). Really?

Ex-Councillor. You don't seem to take an interest in it; but I took this trouble in your interest, and you will be the better for it when this government tumbles down, and you are sent to Mazas.

Deputy. Alas! it is not to Mazas they will send me in that case, as I have voted for the law on the suspects.

Another-persona Old Biot and I.

Biot. So you were not at the College of France yesterday during the emperor's visit?

I. I did not know that he had gone there.

Biot. I was just going out, but remained until he was gone in great anxiety, and waiting impatiently.

I. Why, what could you be anxious for ?

Biot. I was afraid some student or so might cross his path and do him a mischief. Fortunately nothing happened.

These little things are nothing to people who do not know this country; but to you they will show what a happy family we are here, and how liberty, confidence, and security flourish.

After her annual visit to London, Madame Mohl went to stay with her relations in Sussex. She gives the following description to Miss Bonham Carter, who was staying in the Rue du Bac, of her pilgrimage to the tombs of her ancestors. Her reflections on the character of the English upper classes must be taken as an outbreak of petulance. Indeed, both

M. and Madame Mohl saw very clearly, and spoke and wrote their minds with a certain amount of exaggeration and great impartiality of the shortcomings of the various nations with whom they came in contact. English, Germans, French, Americans, Italians, Hungarians, all suffer in their turn.

DEAR HILLY,

St. Leonard's, June 4, 1858.

We left Thursday morning. We went by Brighton to Chichester to see the tomb of my grandfather, Captain Hay, of my