THE AMOURS OF GAMBETTA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4419, 12 July 1884, Page 5

THE AMOURS OF GAMBETTA.

Tho Shot Which Cloned on Eventful Caroor. A ooßßiisi'oxiiENT writes to tlio " San Francisco Chronicle,"unilor date Paris, April 23, ISS4 :— " No, I cannot lot you boo any of them," said Mmo. Lconio Leon in answer to my request to bo pormitted to look at somo of tho letters from the lato Leon (lambotta which she in known to lmvo in her possosaion. " Pray, why not?" I asked. " liecauso at n spiritualistic wnnco tho other night tho spirit of my dear frlond informed me that it I allowed any moro of hia letters to bo made jmblic it would cause him preat pain." "Now, I am going to tell on Loon Gambetta's liaison with this lady and of that with a certain other person just for that. While ho was still n student over in tho Latin quarter ho rando tho acquaintance of this Leonie Loon, then a very handsome person, as sho Is yot for that matter. Sho becamo his mistress and shared tho Boliomian, dissipated life ho led. She loafed with him in tho cafes and billiard-rooms, and she accompanied him and his frionds when they went out on a hurrah time to the environs of Paris. "This glass," said Gambotta ono day to a small group of us who wore in his rooms at tho Palais Bourbon—" this glass belonged to the woman I lovod when I was over in tho Quartior Latin. In our crowd all of us had one liko this, and at tho hourfordrinking absintho each "would fill his glass, empty it at the word of command, and as wo eot them down again we would shout "Hurrah !" That fiort of thing amusod us in those days. AN' AFFAIR WITH A COUNTESS. A timo came whon ho concluded to break off this liai(ion,and for a whilo ho had no one to take tho placo of Mmo. Leon. Ono day, in ISO 9, when ho was beginning to grow famous as an orator and as an opponent of tho empire, ho received a lettor from a certain Jeanne Mario, who called herself a countess. Sho had monoy, and was at an ago whon a sonsible vklle garde begins to think of " secueipg a position." Captivated by tho growing fame of tho young republican, she wrote asking for an intorviow. Oambotta took no notice of this request, but it was repeated again and again, until his curiosity was aroused, and ho answered, appointing a rondozvous at his apartment in the Rue Bonaparte. It was not a very nice place to receivo a lady, for, as one of his frionds has said, speaking of it, " You had to put on groen spectacles in order not to see tne dirt which was on everything." Ho received his visitor wrapped up in an old flannel dressing-gown and with a silk cap drawn over his ompty eye-socket. He had ft slate in hia hand, and when his risltor oxplained that e'.ie wanted to eecure his sorvices in a law-suit to which sho was a party, he wrote on it : I have a soro throat, and will leave to-night for Amelie les Bains. " May I write to you there ?" inquired the lady. " Anybody may write to me," was the curt reply Gambetta' again wrote on his slate, and then ho arose and bowed his visitor out. Tho next day when the Countess returned from a shopping expedition, her maid informed that a gontleman had called in her absence and left word that he would be back soon. At that moment tho bell rang, and without waiting to be announced, Gambetta entered the parlour. "Here I am," said he. The liaison which began that same day lasted until the end of 1876. The Countess was fifteen years older than her lover, but she acquired a great influence over him. He used to spohd all his evenings with her at her apartments playing besique— :he used to cheat outrageously—or stretched out on a sofa Bmoking a large meerschaum pipe and caressing a white cat which he had picked up in the street and to which he was groatly attachod, Three times a woek ho dined with the Countess, paying her 10 franca for his dinner, and in the morning when he went away, sho used to put a daisy in his button hole. Sho was fond of that flower, and always had quantities of them growing in her windows. THE ESCArE FKOM PARIS. When things began to look serious in Paris after the 4th of September, Gambotta sont his mistreES to Tournay, and when ho escaped from the besieged city by balloon she joined him at Tours, accompanied him to Bordeaux, and after the war was with him during his trip through Spain and at St. Sebastian. Whilo there he had his photograph taken, and he presented her with a largo copy, under which he wrote, over his signature : " What I lotfe the most is Franco and my wife, the Countess Jean Marie." Although she made no pretensions to understand anything about politics, Bho was always an attentive listener, which suited Gambetta, for he was fond of hearing himself talk; and when he asked her advice she would answer " Yes"or "No" at random—answers which Gambotta, who was inclined to be superstitious, regarded as oracles. His frionds objected to the Countess on the ground that she took up too much of his time, and his aunt, Mile. Marsabie, thought that he dined too often with "that person." On the morning of the 30th of December, 1878, Gambetta, on leaving his mistress, told her that he would return that evening for dinner; but at 9 o'clock he sent word that he was going to Holland on a political mission, and the Countess never saw him again. One of his friends and his aunt had arranged to throw Mmo. Leonio Leon in his way, and as that old mistress of his Quartier Latin days had left a deep impression on his mind, it was in her company that he left for the Haguo. The old liaison was resumed, and as Leonie allowed her lover a great deal of liberty,and I closed her eyes to all his carryings on with a real countess, with a pretty danseuse of the opera, and to "one or two other passing infidelities as well, it lasted until the day of bis death. <

THE FATAL SHOT, But when Uambottn began to think about getting married his mistress was more shnrpsighted, and when she hoard that a match botween a certain wealthy marchioness nnd tho republican leader was being arranged, sho took the first train out to Ville d'Avray, and tho following is tho scone which followod exactly ns it occurrod : "You are going to got married?" said the lady. "Enough of that; 1 am my own master," was Gatnbotta'a reply. Mino. Leon picked up a little revolver which was lying on the mantel-pieco, and with whicli G.unbotta used to shoot the sparrows that infested tho garden of his country residence. " MalhoiireußO I" ho exclaimed, grasping her by tho arm. Tho pistol was discharged, and, although it was not intended for him, tho bull struck him in tho hand,nnd a long illnesH and itfi fatal result followed. One day beforo this sccno Mme. Loon heard that a match was being arranged between Gaml)ottn and Mme. Edmond Adam. She called en tho editress of tho "Kouvollo Revue," who ro-assurod hor with the declaration : " I adoro Oambotta, but I do notlovo him." In tho course of the conversation which followed, Mme. Leon promised to lot Mmo. Adam have all tho lottors that alto had received from her lover. This promise was only partially kort, and I suppose for tho samo reason which she gave to mo.