There was a time, my dear, when I would have given you anything but it seems that desire has left me. I want to and wishing that strange hold would grab me again, darling, but no it will not come to me again.
Of the many pleasantries given that evening the old lady of the York estate was plentiful and gracious. That being said it was full of public school people who went in two directions Oxford and Cambridge. The night was long for those who did not know what the rules were but quite pleasant for the intended guest. The little girl, who had grown up, sat stifled and mystified. It was something that was hard to place the exact meaning or customs to. Regardless, she was there. Her father’s mother was the host.
In the cities the sickness spread quickly down the streets. The quarantine was tempted but failed to deliver the promised desires from the officials. The days when the plague came the quarantine was said to be problematic. She heard the men argue about the various effectiveness of each protocol. It did not matter much because to enact each policy would have to go before the Parliament. Her father was always reticent on the Parliament. The rich and poor all fell ill, and time was ticking for all of the cities.
The boat arrived in Normandy long after midnight. A dark hair woman, with fancy curls and a dress that could only be described as Parisian greeted her. The stayed for a few months in the Norman coast before word had it that “King Cholera” had abated in the city. That was hardly the truth but the grand arcades had been calling Isabelle and Catherine. The air of the city was quite chilling, as it was dry but frigid. The men rattled about with top hats and rage of a thousand venders pushing back and forth halting for nothing. The chapels came to life occasionally of lost archaic Catholic proceedings that Catherine was quite unaware of. Then more men rushed in the Blue coats and rifles. All the merchants decided to join the fray constructing barricades; the banquet was squashed but the city of Paris decided to revolt. What a time to visit!
The fires and the random gunshots seemed to contradict the angry jubilation. The Parisian were jollier than normal and greeted anyone with out a guardsman uniform with a smile and, “Bonne nuit Citizen!” There was drinking and building all throughout the city. The girls took their wills and help build the fortification. Then the crowd swept them towards toward the palace with the National Guard waving the flag of the republic. The vigil in front of the Palace lasted for days with news streaming in and out. “Á bas Guizot!” Guizot was sacked. Then with in day the Bourgeois King abdicated himself.
Catherine was rich with reading of the policies of her father and the memories of reading the Putney debates talked to the gatherings the best she could for an English woman. The French minded little that she was English but they lacked the decorum of the English gentry gently pushing her aside. But it was the revolution, unexpected for the wintertime and she was too curious! See if they could stop her! There was a debated about the flag at the Hotel Mangtigon, Blanqui fresh from he release from prison led a few hundred people over the gates, then denounced the reliance of the Nation Guard and proclaimed only the Red Flag should be considered and then climbed over gates again. The Fledgling republic picked the tri-colour flag.
The participation of the republic was difficult and only a nom de plum allowed her participate. She had George translate her writings and they quickly went to press. Marx was only two buildings down publishing pamphlets. Then Prouduhn would walk about with a crowd of people talking excitedly about the various possibilities. The Germans and the Italians had joined the revolution fever. The Second Republic was named the “Democratic and Social Republic.” Then work houses were created and then quickly slavery was abolished.
When the demonstrations of May happened Catherine was quite curious on the new phase. The worker lined the streets and assembled together demanding small things. Blanqui was arrested quickly and a few other arrest, about a hundred happened with in a span of two weeks. The printing house of her paper was set ablaze. The workers quickly assembled with riffles and their numbers putting together a defense. Work stopped in much of the city. The National Guard arrived in mass. They fired with out hesitation. The workers were far outmatched and quickly succumbed to the volleys. Then to top it off Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte the Third was elected president.
Catherine wounded in pride returned to London. Her father had no questions for her but welcomed her home. He had a fine meal made for her. He had purchased books for her to read, all the classics of the Greeks. She was despondent by the fog of London but quickly grew her spirits. She took the midday strolls and visited as many parts of London she could think of. It was humdrum and nice but missing the vital element. There was something… Something… something…
The epidemic reemerged vigorously. The blocks that were affected the most seemed to be hit especially hard this round. The effects were slow the first few outbreaks but this time it was immediately. Her father spent nights and days meeting with the various governments and doctors. They had no clue. Houses were abandoned and fumigated but still there was no abating the epidemic. Then her father became gaunt and died very quickly. She rode with his body to York to meet the hostess. She stayed only one night/ The old duchess said:
There was a time, my dear, when I would have given you anything but it seems that desire has left me. I want to and wishing that strange hold would grab me again, darling, but no it will not come to me again.
The Praxis Polis 