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animals　〃ating　each　other　all　up　but　their　TEELS；　and　that's　what

you　and　Imparial　Pop　yondther　will　do；　blazing　away　as　ye　are；〃

added　the　jocose　and　royal　boy。



〃Je　prie　votre　Altesse　Royale　de　vaguer　a　ses　propres　affaires；〃

answered　Prince　Henri　sternly：　for　he　was　an　enemy　to　anything　like

a　joke；　but　there　is　always　wisdom　in　real　wit；　and　it　would　have

been　well　for　his　Most　Christian　Majesty　had　he　followed　the

facetious　counsels　of　his　Irish　ally。



The　fact　is；　the　King；　Henri；　had　an　understanding　with　the

garrisons　of　some　of　the　forts；　and　expected　all　would　declare　for

him。　　However；　of　the　twenty…four　forts　which　we　have　described；

eight　onlyand　by　the　means　of　Marshal　Soult；　who　had　grown

extremely　devout　of　late　yearsdeclared　for　Henri；　and　raised　the

white　flag：　while　eight　others；　seeing　Prince　John　Thomas　Napoleon

before　them　in　the　costume　of　his　revered　predecessor；　at　once

flung　open　their　gates　to　him；　and　mounted　the　tricolor　with　the

eagle。　　The　remaining　eight；　into　which　the　Princes　of　the　blood　of

Orleans　had　thrown　themselves；　remained　constant　to　Louis　Philippe。

Nothing　could　induce　that　Prince　to　quit　the　Tuileries。　　His　money

was　there；　and　he　swore　he　would　remain　by　it。　　In　vain　his　sons

offered　to　bring　him　into　one　of　the　fortshe　would　not　stir

without　his　treasure。　　They　said　they　would　transport　it　thither；

but　no；　no：　the　patriarchal　monarch；　putting　his　finger　to　his　aged

nose；　and　winking　archly；　said　〃he　knew　a　trick　worth　two　of　that；〃

and　resolved　to　abide　by　his　bags。



The　theatres　and　cafes　remained　open　as　usual：　the　funds　rose　three

centimes。　　The　Journal　des　Debats　published　three　editions　of

different　tones　of　politics：　one；　the　Journal　de　l'Empire；　for

the　Napoleonites；　the　Journal　de　la　Legitimite　another；　very

complimentary　to　the　Legitimate　monarch；　and　finally；　the　original

edition；　bound　heart　and　soul　to　the　dynasty　of　July。　　The　poor

editor；　who　had　to　write　all　three；　complained　not　a　little　that

his　salary　was　not　raised：　but　the　truth　is；　that；　by　altering　the

names；　one　article　did　indifferently　for　either　paper。　　The　Duke　of

Brittany；　under　the　title　of　Louis　XVII。；　was　always　issuing

manifestoes　from　Charenton；　but　of　these　the　Parisians　took　little

heed：　the　Charivari　proclaimed　itself　his　Gazette；　and　was　allowed

to　be　very　witty　at　the　expense　of　the　three　pretenders。



As　the　country　had　been　ravaged　for　a　hundred　miles　round；　the

respective　Princes　of　course　were　for　throwing　themselves　into　the

forts；　where　there　was　plenty　of　provision；　and；　when　once　there；

they　speedily　began　to　turn　out　such　of　the　garrison　as　were

disagreeable　to　them；　or　had　an　inconvenient　appetite；　or　were　of　a

doubtful　fidelity。　　These　poor　fellows　turned　into　the　road；　had　no

choice　but　starvation；　as　to　getting　into　Paris；　that　was

impossible：　a　mouse　could　not　have　got　into　the　place；　so　admirably

were　the　forts　guarded；　without　having　his　head　taken　off　by　a

cannon…ball。　　Thus　the　three　conflicting　parties　stood；　close　to

each　other；　hating　each　other；　〃willing　to　wound　and　yet　afraid　to

strike〃the　victuals　in　the　forts；　from　the　prodigious　increase　of

the　garrisons；　getting　smaller　every　day。　　As　for　Louis　Philippe　in

his　palace；　in　the　centre　of　the　twenty…four　forts；　knowing　that　a

spark　from　one　might　set　them　all　blazing　away；　and　that　he　and　his

money…bags　might　be　blown　into　eternity　in　ten　minutes；　you　may

fancy　his　situation　was　not　very　comfortable。



But　his　safety　lay　in　his　treasure。　　Neither　the　Imperialists　nor

the　Bourbonites　were　willing　to　relinquish　the　two　hundred　and

fifty　billions　in　gold；　nor　would　the　Princes　of　Orleans　dare　to

fire　upon　that　considerable　sum　of　money；　and　its　possessor；　their

revered　father。　　How　was　this　state　of　things　to　end？　　The　Emperor

sent　a　note　to　his　Most　Christian　Majesty　（for　they　always　styled

each　other　in　this　manner　in　their　communications）；　proposing　that

they　should　turn　out　and　decide　the　quarrel　sword　in　hand；　to　which

proposition　Henri　would　have　acceded；　but　that　the　priests；　his

ghostly　counsellors；　threatened　to　excommunicate　him　should　he　do

so。　　Hence　this　simple　way　of　settling　the　dispute　was　impossible。



The　presence　of　the　holy　fathers　caused　considerable　annoyance　in

the　forts。　　Especially　the　poor　English；　as　Protestants；　were

subject　to　much　petty　persecution；　to　the　no　small　anger　of

Jenkins；　their　commander。　　And　it　must　be　confessed　that　these

intrepid　Footmen　were　not　so　amenable　to　discipline　as　they　might

have　been。　　Remembering　the　usages　of　merry　England；　they　clubbed

together；　and　swore　they　would　have　four　meals　of　meat　a　day；　wax…

candles　in　the　casemates；　and　their　porter。　　These　demands　were

laughed　at：　the　priests　even　called　upon　them　to　fast　on　Fridays；

on　which　a　general　mutiny　broke　out　in　the　regiment；　and　they　would

have　had　a　FOURTH　standard　raised　before　Parisviz。；　that　of

Englandbut　the　garrison　proving　too　strong　for　them；　they　were

compelled　to　lay　down　their　sticks；　and；　in　consideration　of　past

services；　were　permitted　to　leave　the　forts。　　'Twas　well　for　them！

as　you　shall　hear。



The　Prince　of　Ballybunion　and　the　Irish　force　were　quartered　in　the

fort　which；　in　compliment　to　them；　was　called　Fort　Potato；　and

where　they　made　themselves　as　comfortable　as　circumstances　would

admit。　　The　Princes　had　as　much　brandy　as　they　liked；　and　passed

their　time　on　the　ramparts　playing　at　dice；　or　pitch…and…toss　（with

the　halfpenny　that　one　of　them　somehow　had）　for　vast　sums　of　money；

for　which　they　gave　their　notes…of…hand。　　The　warriors　of　their

legion　would　stand　round　delighted；　and　it　was；　〃Musha；　Master　Dan；

but　that's　a　good　throw！〃　　〃Good　luck　to　you；　Misther　Pat；　and

throw　thirteen　this　time！〃　and　so　forth。　　But　this　sort　of　inaction

could　not　last　long。　　They　had　heard　of　the　treasures　amassed　in

the　palace　of　the　Tuileries：　they　sighed　when　they　thought　of　the

lack　of　bullion　in　their　green　and　beautiful　country。　　They　panted

for　war！　They　formed　their　plan。





CHAPTER　VIII。



THE　BATTLE　OF　THE　FORTS。





On　the　morning　of　the　26th　October；　1884；　as　his　Majesty　Louis

Philippe　was　at　breakfast　reading　the　Debats　newspaper；　and　wishing

that　what　the　journal　said　about　〃Cholera　Morbus　in　the　Camp　of　the

Pretender　Henri；〃〃Chicken…pox　raging　in　the　Forts　of　the　Traitor

Bonaparte；〃might　be　true；　what　was　his　surprise　to　hear　the

report　of　a　gun；　and　at　the　same　instantwhiz！　came　an　eighty…

four…pound　ball　through　the　window　and　took　off　the　head　of　the

faithful　Monsieur　de　Montalivet；　who　was　coming　in　with　a　plate　of

muffins。



〃Three　francs　for　the　window；〃　said　the　monarch；　〃and　the　muffins

of　course　spoiled！〃　and　he　sat　down　to　breakfast　very　peevishly。

Ah；　King　Louis　Philippe；　that　shot　cost　thee　more　than　a　window…

panemore　than　a　plate　of　muffinsit　cost　thee　a　fair　kingdom　and

fifty　millions　of　tax…payers。



The　shot　had　bee