Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 2.djvu/37

 IN THE WAR AOAIXST UUSSIA. 7 known or imagined that France was keen, and CIIAP. that England was lagging behind. '. — When M. de la Cour's account of his sensations reached Paris, it produced so deep an impression that the French Emperor, either feeling genuine alarm, or else seeing in his Ambassador's narra- tive an opportunity ibr the furtherance of his designs, determined to insist, in cogent terms, violent o ' ' o urgeiioy or that the English Government should join him in theFreuc!. o ^ hinperor lor overstepping the treaty of 1841, and ordering ana^vw'ce^ llie Allied squadrons to pass the Dardanelles J^J;',™*^""^^- and anchor in the Bosphorus. On the 23d of September, Count Walewski had an interview with Lord Aberdeen and Lord Clarendon at the same time ; and then, after speaking of the crisis at Constantinople which JI. de la Cour's despatch had led the French Government to expect, lie said that his Government thought it ' indispensably necessary that both fleets should ' be ordered up to Constantinople;' and his Excel- lency added ' that he was directed to ask for the ' immediate decision of Ller IMajesty's Govern- ' sending instructions to the Ambassadors and ' Admirals.' * Now, at the time of listening to these peremi)- Neediess- tor}'' words, the English Government had received mt-asure. no account from their own Ambassador of the apprehended disturbances ; but they knew that the fleets at the mouth of the Dardanelles, being already under orders to obey the requisitions of • ' Eastern Papers,' part ii. p. 114.
 * ment, in order that no time might be lost in