EUGENIE. In the month of January, 1853, a perplexing rumor startled the Parisians. The Emperor Louis Napoleon had lately been at Compiègne, hunting the stag and paying court to a Spanish countess. At this period, the private life of their sovereign was such as to afford the inhabitants of the metropolis plentiful topics of scandal, and to exert a decidedly unfavorable effect upon the character of any woman to whom he showed attention. Little was known of the Spanish lady who was now the object of his suit ; she was said to be of mixed parentage, and it was asserted that her Scottish and Spanish descent were plainly indicated, the one by her blue eyes, the other by her olive skin. Her character was disparagingly spoken of, not that anything whatever to her discredit was known, but because she was the guest of an unmarried man, and one whose dissolute habits were matter of notoriety. The public regarded her, however, with little interest, supposing her merely a candidate for a dubious honor, and not for an instant supposing that his majesty was this time in earnest. Suddenly, the report was spread that Louis Napoleon was to marry the lady in question, whom, still according to report, he was unable to win upon other terms. The Parisians will long |