THE TRAGIC WIDOW.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143808, 5 June 1912, Page 7

THE TRAGIC WIDOW.

MADAME STEINHEIL’S BOOK. “Court Memoirs” of France are generally of deep personal interest, and there is, el coarse, a certain amount of persona! interest in those of Madame Steinhcil, the friend of President Faure, and the heroine of the j tragedy in the Impasse Konsin. .Marguerite Japy was oorn about forty years ago at Beaueourt, in tno Belfort territory. She was very beautiful, met and ieurued to know various types of men, and at seventeen made her debut in society. 1 here was not an officer in the garrison who did not fall a victim to her beauty, and when M. Sloinheil came to ask her hand, the list ol her suitors included “two olfi- j eens, a barrister, a wealthy nobleman, | and’a stout manufacturer. ” For the I artist she rejected them ail, ami lonmi 1 her way to tlic famous Impasse Konsin, [ the scene of her many triumphs and j her one discomfiture. IN THE , SALON. Habitues of iter salon thenceforward included nli tne lanious men el trance France, Pierre Loti, Bumiai, Francois Coppee. Sim even met Ring Edward—then, ol course, Pnaee oi Males. “He .iskcu mu, one Uav, quite uiicxpeete iiy, .wait X tnougnt OI nis F renell. ‘Four Highness, i replied, h-q.eaks our language unusually well.'' “ 'For one who is not French!’ " 'For one who is not always in F’raucc. But, perhaps, your uiguiu»s speaks it too grammatically. “ T see, said tlie prince- cheerfully, 'my French is Lou peneet to be—perfoot.’ ” “Among others, 1 often visited Bartholdi in ms stuoio. Ibe scaiptor ol tho colossal statue of 'Lioerty illuminating the World’ ou Bedloe s island iu New York Harbour was an old friend of my husband. He was a man of keen intellect, and had much originality ol thought, but his conceit was as colossal as his famous statue. Showing mo once the small model of 'Liberty, lie .mid quietly: 'The Americans believe that it is Liberty that illumines the world, but, in reality, it is my genius.’ “.Massenet, the composer of 'Manou,’ •Thais, -Sapho,' •Worlhcr,’ and so many other delightful operas, did me, for many years, tlie great honour of calling iuniscif my ‘respectful, obedient, and faithful accompanist.' i always found him whimsical, enthusiastic, mischievous, and fond of jokes.” THE “EVENT” OF HER LIFE. But so far her life was “uneventful.” She knew Felix F’aure, but /‘beyond tlie hours of depression and the everyday troubles that fall to the. lot oi al,i human beings—disappointed dreams, thwarted ambitions, shattered illusions, financial cares, and family worries--there happened nothing particularly eventful in my life until Lite day that 1 became the friend and confidante of F’elix Faure, elected President of the Republic in January, 1895.” Then, it seems, she became Queen of France. Through F’aure she governed FTance. According to her own accounts the President consulted her on all matters of State. She was his guide ami counsellor. “How often was 1 able to warn tho President,” she-writes, “in time against a dangerous mistake, llow often 1 prevented him Horn appointing to some responsible position a man . . . .under whose mask of impassivuuoss I had been able to detect a man without scruples or principles, all arriviste, ready to sell everything and even himself to achieve ambition. ■ ■ Felix F’auro had the fullest confidence iu me, and 1 went for him, when he could not go himself; to tho sittings of tlie Chamber of Deputies or of the .Senate, to certain receptions ami parties. He was surrounded by enemies, and he knew it. Ho made use of my intuition, of my knowledge of people. 1 met him after' all tbo Cabinet councils, and he told mo what had been discussed and decided. “On August 14 the President goes to Havre, whore ho intends to spend a lew weeks. 1 have a villa there, where i stay with ray mother and my young sister, A naval review is held—in my honour, I am told.” THE PRESIDENT’S INFATUATION In tho midst of all his difficulties, the Presklent turned to Madame Steiuhoil, with whom ho was infatuated. Ou one occasion, she says, he had an extraordinary idea. Once while at llavre the President invited her, her sister, and a friend to take an afternoon sea trip on his yacht. When some way from shore ho led Madame Steinhcil aside and said; “There aro supplies and coal on this vessel for many days. We aro going to cruise for a week cr so Let those who arc responsible for the present state of affairs extricate themselves as best they can from tho disgraceful position in which they -have placed themselves —and me.” The “present slate of affairs,” was the Drevfus Affair—and F’elix Faure, a confirmed anti-Drcyfusard, was “blind with anger.” It needed all Madame Steinheil's powers of persuasion to induce Felix Faure to return to harbour. She told him “A President cannot disappear for a week,” Unkind tongues have said that the President died in her rooms. She denies it. According to her story, Faure meditated a coup d’etat to establish a military • Government and make the President independent of Parliament. It was only defeated by another coup d'etat arranged by a greater Power. “Towards midnight,” writes Madame Steinhcil, of February 16, 1890, “I was awakened by the hell of the telephone in my roof. ‘W hat s tho matter?’ I asked. And then I heard the news, the dreadful nows, ‘The President is dead.’ ”