Produced by Tom Allen, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
By EUGENE SUE
[Illustration: THE RECITATION]
Brain, or heart of the land, which you will, as large cities are, Parismay claim to have nerves, muscles, and arteries centering in it, whichbut few capitals, by right of size, passions, horrors, loves, charms,mysteries, in a word, can reveal. To trace its emotions, impulses,secrets, wounds, cankers, joys, the following pages are devoted.
We must begin by taking up the further ends of threads which will soonlead us deep into its labyrinths, not without events on the way, onlysurpassed by those we shall meet in the mazes themselves.
In the year 1819, a singular project, incited by the current stories ofleft-handed marriages and loving episodes, as in the case of the Princeof Capua and Miss Penelope Smith, was put into operation by one SarahSeyton, widow of the Earl of M'Gregor. Her brother, the Honorable TomSeyton, assisted her to the utmost, fully prepared to aid his sister inmatrimonially entangling any crown-wearer whomsoever; he was perfectlywilling to participate with her in all the schemes and intrigues thatmight be useful toward the success of her endeavor to become the wife ofa sovereign, however humble in possessions and power; but he would farrather have killed the sister whom he so devotedly loved, than he wouldhave seen her become the mistress of a prince, even with the certaintyof a subsequent marriage in reparation.
The matrimonial inventory drawn up by Tom, with the aid of the Almanachde Gotha, had a very satisfactory aspect. The Germanic Confederation,especially, furnished a numerous contingency of young presumptivesovereigns, the first to whom the adventurers meant to pay attention beingthus designated in the diplomatic and infallible Almanac of Gotha for theyear of 1819:
Genealogy of the Sovereigns of Europe and their Families.
Grand-Duke MAXIMILIAN RUDOLPH, born December 10th, 1764.
Succeeded his father, CHARLES FREDERIC RUDOLPH, April 21st 1785.
Widower January, 1808, of Louisa, daughter of Prince JOHN
AUGUSTUS of Burglen.
GUSTAVUS RUDOLPH, born April 17th, 1803.
Grand-Duchess JUDITH, dowager widow of the Grand-Duke
CHARLES FREDERIC RUDOLPH, April 21st, 1785.
Tom had sense enough to inscribe first on his list the youngest of theprinces whom he desired for his brother-in-law, thinking that extreme youthwas more easily seduced than riper age.
The Countes M'Gregor was not only favored with the introduction of theMarquis d'Harville (a friend of the grand-duke, to whom he had renderedgreat services in 1815, and a little of a suitor of the lady's while shewas in Paris) and of the British Ambassador in Paris, but with that of herown personal appearance. To rare beauty and a singular aptitude ofacquiring various accomplishments, was added a seductiveness all the mored