Page:Wives of the prime ministers, 1844-1906.djvu/121

LADY JOHN RUSSELL "Quelle est la différence entre toi et un miroir?" She replied that she did not know. "Le miroir réfléchit; tu ne réfléchis pas," explained Napoleon with more wit than politeness. But his Consort retorted, "Et quelle est la différence entre toi et un miroir?" The Emperor could not tell. "Le miroir est poli, et tu ne l'es pas," was the witty answer to that riddle. In the course of their visit the Russells met many distinguished persons.

On her return to England and English society. Lady Russell was struck with the superiority of its best to that of other nations, but at the same time she found that there was in all classes in this country a larger proportion of vulgarity—ostentatious, aristocratic, and coarse. She was much disturbed by the Franco-German War; considered France was in the wrong at first, but that both France and Germany were in the wrong after Sedan, when peace ought to have been made. She hated war, and looked forward to a day, scarcely closer now than it was in 1870, when an arsenal would be an object of curiosity, and people would thank God that they did not live in an age "when sovereigns and rulers could command man to destroy his brother-man."

The autumn was spent in Switzerland and 91