Nor did Hortense now think of contradicting the calumnies that had been circulated concerning her.  Her mind was occupied with other and far more important matters.

An ambassador of her husband, who resided in Florence, had come to Paris in order to demand of Hortense, in the name of Louis Bonaparte, his two sons.

After much discussion, he had finally declared that he would be satisfied, if his wife would send him his eldest son, Napoleon Louis, only.

But the loving mother could not and would not consent to a separation from either of her children; and as, in spite of her entreaties, her husband persisted in refusing to allow her to retain both of them, she resolved, in the anguish of maternal love, to resort to the most extreme means to retain the possession of her sons.

She informed her husband’s ambassador that it was her fixed purpose to retain possession of her children, and appealed to the law to recognize and protect them, and not allow her sons to be deprived of their rights as Frenchmen, by going into a compulsory exile.

While the Duchess of St. Leu was being accused of conspiring in favor of Napoleon, her whole soul was occupied with the one question, which was to decide whether one of her sons could be torn from her side or not; and, if she conspired at all, it was only with her lawyer in order to frustrate her husband’s plans.

But the calumnies and accusations of the press were nevertheless continued; and at last her friends thought it necessary to lay before the queen a journal that contained a violent and abusive article against her, and to request that they might be permitted to reply to it.

“With a sad smile, Hortense read the article and returned the newspaper.

“It is extremely mortifying to be scorned by one’s countrymen,” said she, “but it would be useless to make any reply.  I can afford to disregard such attacks—­they are powerless to harm me.”

But when on the following morning the same journal contained a venomous and odious article levelled at her husband, Louis Bonaparte, her generous indignation was aroused, and, oblivious of all their disagreements, and even of the process now pending between them, she remembered only that it was the father of her children whom they had dared to attack, and that he was not present to defend himself.  It therefore devolved upon her to defend him.

“I am enraged, and I desire that M. Despres shall reply to this article at once,” said Hortense.  “Although paternal love on the one side, and maternal love on the other, has involved us in a painful process, it nevertheless concerns no one else, and it disgraces neither of us.  I should be in despair, if this sad controversy were made the pretext for insulting the father of my children and the honored name he bears.  For the very reason that I stand alone, am I called on to defend the absent to the best of my ability.  Therefore let M. Despres come to me; I will instruct him how to answer this disgraceful article!”