Chapter I: Front Matter

_From the painting by Cabanel._

NAPOLEON III.]

France from Behind
the Veil: Fifty Years
of Social and Political Life

BY
COUNT PAUL VASSILI

Illustrated

FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY
New York and London
1914

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE

While this volume has been passing through the press certain of the personages still living at the time Count Vassili was at work on the manuscript of “France from Behind the Veil” have passed away.

Also, incidents have occurred which are a reflex of matters mentioned in these pages.

In such instances the publishers have thought well to bring the manuscript right up to date, leaving the reader to understand that events happening in 1914, and therefore subsequent to the Count’s death, have been so treated.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

1. LAST DAYS OF THE EMPIRE: NAPOLEON AND EUGÉNIE 1

2. THE SURROUNDINGS AND FRIENDS OF THE SOVEREIGNS 13

3. FONTAINEBLEAU AND COMPIÈGNE 25

4. POLITICAL MEN OF THE TIME 38

5. BEFORE THE STORM 52

6. THE DISASTER 63

7. LETTERS FROM PARIS DURING THE SIEGE 73

8. THE COMMUNE 87

9. M. THIERS 99

10. THE COMTE DE CHAMBORD AND HIS PARTY 112

11. THE ORLEANS PRINCES 123

12. THE DUC D’AUMALE AND CHANTILLY 133

13. THE PRESIDENCY OF MARSHAL MACMAHON 144

14. TWO GREAT MINISTERS 156

15. PARIS SOCIETY UNDER THE PRESIDENCY OF MARSHAL MACMAHON 166

16. A FEW PROMINENT PARISIAN HOSTESSES 177

17. MADAME JULIETTE ADAM 190

18. A FEW LITERARY MEN 205

19. THE 16TH OF MAY AND THE FALL OF MARSHAL MACMAHON 218

20. LEON GAMBETTA 231

21. THE ADVENTURE OF GENERAL BOULANGER 244

22. THE PANAMA SCANDAL 257

23. TWO PRESIDENTS 271

24. IMPERIAL AND PRESIDENTIAL VISITS 285

25. THE FRENCH PRESS 297

26. THE PRESIDENCY OF M. LOUBET 308

27. THE DREYFUS AFFAIR 318

28. PARISIAN SALONS UNDER THE THIRD REPUBLIC 332

29. THE PRESENT TONE OF PARIS SOCIETY 343

30. M. FALLIÈRES AS PRESIDENT 358

31. M. BRIAND AND THE SOCIALISTS 366

32. A FEW LITERARY MEN OF THE PRESENT DAY 372

33. A FEW FOREIGN DIPLOMATS 382

L’ENVOI 389

INDEX 391

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

NAPOLEON III. _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

EMPRESS EUGÉNIE 10

M. ADOLPHE THIERS 118

MARSHAL MACMAHON 118

COMTE DE CHAMBORD 118

LEON GAMBETTA 118

MADAME JULIETTE ADAM 212

ALEX. DUMAS (PÈRE) 212

ANATOLE FRANCE 212

OCTAVE MIRBEAU 212

CAPTAIN DREYFUS 246

GENERAL BOULANGER 246

EMILE ZOLA 246

M. DE LESSEPS 246

M. M. F. SADI-GARNOT 310

M. J. P. P. CASIMER PÉRIER 310

M. F. F. FAURE 310

M. E. LOUBET 310

M. A. FALLIÈRES 360

M. R. POINCARÉ 360

M. A. BRIAND 360

M. G. CLEMENCEAU 360

THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES SITTING 370

France from Behind the Veil