Paris was the center of these pernicious movements which periodically shook Europe to its foundations.

It had overthrown his ally Charles X., and had been the direct cause of the insurrection in Poland which had cost him thousands of rubles and lives; and now nowhere else was such sympathetic welcome given to the Polish refugees, thousands of whom were in the French army.

His relations with Louis Philippe became strained, and he was looking about for an opportunity to manifest his ill will.

In the meantime he addressed himself to what he considered the _reforms_ in his own empire.

He was going to establish a sort of political quarantine to keep out European influences.