An Empress Incognita.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 978, 28 November 1890, Page 5

An Empress Incognita.

A DISMAL ACCOUNT OF THE BEAUTIFUL ELIZABETH OF AUSTRIA. Old-fashioned royalists are shocked at the fin de siecle incognita of the Empress Elizabetb. ‘ Mrs Nicholson ’ was very bad but 'Miss Simpson’ was too awful. The Empress’ will was that everybody should let her be. No exception was made for Couut and Countess Hoyos, who rnshed back from England to pay her their duty. Her let meba determination was shown in orders to concierge, clerk, lift mao, and waiters at Maurice’s. Her Imperial Majesty meant to be simple * Mrs Nicholson ’ and not to be pestered with officiousnesß. No visitor wa3 to be allowed to her rooms, whioh were those occupied during a course of nearly thirty years by T. B. Potter and his late wife when they came to Paris. Empre.-s Elizabeth was ‘ let be ’ when *he wanted to go out alone. She preferred calling cabs in the street to going about in a hotel carriage. A friend of miue who was on the same floor went- down with her in . the lift, and thus describes her: ‘ The “gure, having stiffened, has lost the flexible elegance whioh was so admired at the Melton Mowbray meets. Bat it is still lauy.like. The faoe betrays infinite suffering, and haß the drawn expression of dryeyed grief, which is the worst of any. i was also struck with the darkened colour of the hair and the pale reddish streaks— certain signs of silver gray. Her •* eS i* re lo vely, but have a dazed and startled expression. I fancy she hardly realized the canses of the grief from which *ne tries to esoape. As to ber dress, it was tne plainest and commonest mourning. A ® un °°nld not have been more unadorned. As the fit was not perfect, I dare say it was ought ready.made. When the Empress went into the street she went and stood at * print-shop window, to be, I dare say, quite *® r ,® •’“at she was not followed, and then »v»lked down a side street to St. Roche. ~*® r step is now nnelastlc, and she seemed ■Tiki * ee * *ke ground under her feet, Troth! 8 *' if they were asleep.’— London