Life of the last Earl of Stirling

PRISONER OF WAR. 15
Royalty to his adopted son — Eugene — the beautiful kingdom
of Naples to his brother-in-law Murat, and had created his
young heir King of Rome. The Pope was humbled, and
all Europe — England only excepted — trembled at his name."
Thus wrote Alexander Humphrys, the orphan son, after
he had closed the eyes of his gentle and venerated father,
who was followed to his last resting-place on earth by the
entire body of those amongst whom he had lived, suffered and
worked during three years of detention. The bereaved
orphan now felt himself alone indeed — a prisoner in a foreign
land, overwhelmed with the tottering affairs of his late father,
and barely able to pick up the shattered threads of business
so often interrupted by the great drama which was being
enacted on the stage of Europe. He exerted all the influence
of his Parisian friends to obtain his removal from the scene
of his last intercourse and sad offices of filial affection.
A passport arrived with a permit for him to take up his
residence at Tours, and thither he proceeded, not without
hopes of being allowed to divert his course to the Capital
as soon as the necessary arrangement for his journey could
be made.
The journey was eventful. An evil-looking man, who
had given him much cause for uneasiness on his arrival
at Chalons-sur-Marne, attacked him during the night, but
was repelled by young Humphrys, who secured the villain's
poniard as a trophy, to be kept as a little memento for many
a long day. In those days the principal Inn at Chalons could
not boast a lock which would act, and Humphrys' escape
was no doubt owing to a sort of booby-trap, which he
had contrived out of the scanty furniture of his bedroom.
The next stage was La Fert^-sous-Jouarre, where
accommodation was somewhat better. Humphrys liberally
rewarded the different post-boys with a view to shake off all
chance of further collision with his Chalons friend. In
consequence, and partly owing to an undress military cloak
his friends had forced him to adopt, his importance became
magnified at every stage, and associated with returning
officers from the seat of war. His promotion was rapid.
Commencing with Major at La Ferte" he was dubbed
" mon Colonel " at the next stage and " M. le Comte " long
before he reached Versailles. His route was via the
exterior boulevards, the heights of Montmartre, and the
Barriere de l'Etoile. Skirting the Bois de Boulogne, Passy
and Auteuil, the Park of St. Cloud, Bellevue, Meundon and
Sevres. According to instructions from the authorities he
was forced to abide a fortnight at Versailles without touching
Paris on his further travels to Tours. His friends from