Attitude of the Hungarians towards Francis Joseph—They denounce him as a traitor, and banish him from Hungary—Contempt of Austrians for Hungarians—The conquest of Hungary with Russian help—Repression and atrocities—Women flogged by order of Marshal Haynau—Marshal Haynau himself flogged by Barclay and Perkins’ draymen in London, and spat upon by women in Brussels—Popular song written on that occasion 51 CHAPTER VII Why Francis Joseph was called “The child of the gallows”—His affront to Napoleon III., and its consequences—The Bach system and the objections to it—Francis Joseph’s _bonhomie_—The attempt on his life—Impressions formed of him by the King of the Belgians, and Lady Westmorland—The story of his romantic marriage 64 CHAPTER VIII The failure of the marriage—Difficulty of explaining it—The two conflicting personalities—Francis Joseph’s personality obvious—The Empress Elizabeth’s personality mysterious—Her sympathy with the Hungarians, and its political importance—Her confession of melancholy 77 CHAPTER IX Francis Joseph’s Egeria—Elizabeth’s mother-in-law—Elizabeth’s quarrels with etiquette—The beginnings of estrangement—The functions of Countess Marie Larisch in the imperial household—Captain “Bay” Middleton—Nicholas Esterhazy—Elizabeth’s fairy story—Her cynical attitude towards life 86 CHAPTER X “The Martyrdom of an Empress”—Correction of inaccuracies contained in that popular work—Francis Joseph’s friends—“A Polish Countess”—Frau Katti Schratt—Enduring attachment—Rumour of morganatic marriage—Interview with Frau Schratt on that subject—“Darby and Joan” 99 CHAPTER XI Francis Joseph’s passion for field sports—Enthusiasm of a nation of sportsmen for a sportsman Emperor—Anecdotes of sport—Estrangement of the Emperor and the Empress—The Empress’s departure for Madeira—Her _wanderjahre_—Her attitude towards life—The keeping up of appearances 113 CHAPTER XII Francis Joseph’s snub to Napoleon III.—Proposal to address him as “Sir” instead of “Brother”—The consequences—Napoleon asks: “What can one do for Italy?”—Austria at war with France and Italy—The crimes committed by Austria in Italy—Battles of Magenta and Solferino—Francis Joseph compelled to surrender Lombardy, but allowed to retain Venetia 122 CHAPTER XIII An interval of peace—Beginnings of trouble with Prussia—Habsburg pride precedes a Habsburg fall—Refusal to sell Venetia to Italy—Italy joins Prussia—The war of 1866—The disaster of Sadowa—Benedek’s failure—Shameful treatment of Benedek by the Empire—Vain attempts to conciliate him—His widow’s comments 132 CHAPTER XIV