348 COUESE TAKEN BY LOUIS NAPOLEON. CHAP. XII. his words; their sud- den effect. duced, and the Emperor begged Drouyn de Lhuys to explain the grounds of his arrangement. Drouyn de Lhuys did so at considerable length. ' I think/ said Lord Cowley, ' that he talked nearly ' half an hour. The Emperor seemed to go along ' with him, and, when he had finished, said to me, ' Are you not satisfied ? ' ' My only answer,' said Lord Cowley, ' is to beg • your Majesty to ask Marshal Vaillant whether ' he thinks that this arrangement will really effect ' the purpose of the war — the putting an end to ' the preponderance of Eussia in the Black Sea ' and the Bosphorus.' ' The Emperor turned to Vaillant. " I am not ' " a politician," said Vaillant, " but I know the ' " feelings of the army. I am sure that if, after ' " having spent months in the siege of Sebasto- ' " pol, we return unsuccessful, the army will not 1 " be satisfied." ' 'The Emperor then turned to Drouyn de Lhuys ' and said : " Write to Vienna and break off the ' " negotiation." ' Thus in less than a minute the Emperor re- versed his decision. 1 All turned,' said Lord Cowley, ' upon Vaillant's ' presence. Louis Napoleon was pleased with the ' peace, and would have adhered to it, if Vaillant ' had not frightened him.' * Resignation of De Lhuys. M. Drouyn de Lhuys from the first had been closely identified with the measure thus suddenly
- Senior's Conversations, vol. i.
