NAPOLEON AT WATERLOO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7688, 24 April 1903, Page 2

NAPOLEON AT WATERLOO.

* WHAT A WOMAN SAW. Everything that throws any new light upon so great a figure as Napoleon must be of interest, particularly in these days in which we are attempting to build him up as the man he was, and not as the terrific bogey which he appeared to our greatgrandfathers. It is, therefore, a pity that intending out "Tho Memoirs of a Contemporary" (Grant Richards) the editor and translator has not given us some facts as to the character of "Ida Saint-Elme, Adventuress," and as to the sources of the manuscript or material. The lady was born of the Eussian house of Tolstoy, and on her mother's side was of Dutch parentage. She married a Dutchman, whom she discreetly veils under an initial, and apparently did" not treat him too well. In turn she was the mistress of several of Napoleon's generals, including Moreau and iNey. She confesses that she did not feel for Napoleon the same ardent affection with which others inspired her. But for Ney she cherished a sentiment until the end. If we are to gather anything from hints and innuendos, not even the Emperor himself was impervious to her attractions. He dubbed her "Fama volat," and when she went to visit him in his exile at Elba he renewed the nickname. She went to the island for a mysterious purpose, which she will not disclose, and Napoleon met her by appointment. AN ASTONISHING PROGRAMME. "Behold my empire!" said Napoleon, with a scornful smile. " Why," I answered, scanning^the whole round of the horizon at a glancep "it is as large as the world! Over there is Prance, and over there is Itxily, and is not Africa in that directioJiV" " Africa? Ah, Africa was the dream of my childhood ! I was in love with it when my mother used to toll me about King Theodore. I sometimes thought J would like to be King of the Mediterranean islands. What a beautiful dream ! I might, have de- f inolished the pirates, like Pompey ; driven back the people of the Barbary Spates into the interior • crushed aufc $6 slave ira.de ; civilised Egypt; pushed' the Turks back into Asia; given the Greeks a" Government and a country of their own> maintained the balance between the marine Powers of the world in humbling the pride of England. But it was only a dream." Madame witnessed Waterloo from the rear of the French^ troops on horseback, where Ney had stationed her. After the victory of the English, which the lady at* tributes to the arrival of Blucher, we have tha following 1 picture of Ney: — " Ney, his clothes riddled with shot, his face streaming with bloody threw himself into the middle of a square 1 composer! of h&roes of the Old Guaird, surrounded by corpses, exclaiming: 'France is lost! We must die here !'" Mme. Saint-Elme's story ceases with the death of Ney. But she / evidently lived to •be iifty, as there is a portrait of her at that age. That we do nofc learn, wfyat became of her shows some remissne*ss on' the part of someone. She was clearly an interesting woman.