The Argosy — page 129: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

bree a | t a warn: - | | , | | | | | Two Days in the Life of the late Emperor. 115 gold ornaments, and long pendent ear-rings ; and their dresses, mostly of chintz, looped up in festoons like a court lady’s of former times, displayed petticoats of damask moreen, blue, red, and various colours. The train: came in, to the ringing of bells and firing of cannon ; and the Emperor and Empress made their state entrance into the town. It was a gracious act, on that fearfully windy day, to use an open carriage, leaving the close ones to their attendants. Louis Napoleon—sitting low in the carriage, and looking so much smaller than the public had pictured him—seemed very cool and quiet; his’ beautiful wife bowed repeatedly. She wore a dark silk dress, a warm shawl, and a fancy straw bonnet. The Emperor was in uniform ; and he looked, {in his cocked-hat, as unlike the portraits then out of him as he could well look. There was little cheering; and perhaps that may account for the Emperor’s froigeur: I think the people were so preoccupied, looking for the Empress, that they did not recollect to cheer; certainly it was not from lack of loyalty. They proceeded to the sous-préfecture, which was made the Mairie and the Imperial Palais for the day. As the carriage was tuming in at its gates, an English lady at an adjoining window called out in her own tongue, “Long live the Emperor!” and Louis Napoleon looked laughingly up, nodded, and bowed. Meanwhile, the dames and the demoiselles d’honneur had arrived at the sous-préfecture, with numbers of other French ladies, residents of the town, and were waiting to be presented to the Empress. If the stately carriages, attending a court at St. James’s, could but have seen the vehicles (omnibuses amid them) brought into requisition for this! But the poor Empress, completely worn out with all the journeying and the sight-seeing, was much more thankful to repose a little while upon her bed, than to do the honours of a court. The ladies, however, got presented later. The Emperor, after the presentations to himself were over, quitted the sous-préfecture in his carriage, attended by M. de Paillard the sous- préfet, and went to inspect the Exposition. From thence he proceeded to the port on foot, braving the wind, where he examined the works going on in the harbour. He had no idea previously that the port and town of Dunkerque were of so much size and importance. English ships, American ships, Russian ships, Turkish ships, besides native vessels, crowded the harbour, some three hundred of them, all carrying their national colours. But the Emperor was suddenly interrupted. The deputation of fishwomen, in their handsome costumes, came up at this moment, more than thirty of them; and, joining their hands, inclosed his Majesty in the midst of their circle. It 1s-an old;custom of the town when honoured with the presence of ‘its sovereign. —_) “What would you?” inquired the Emperor, in surpris#, = a) ve co mn