After finalizing the protocol for the return of Louis Napoleon’s body, Tocqueville prepared to return to the hotel.
At Jerome Bonaparte’s "cordial invitation," Tocqueville and Lale stayed at the Louvre Mansion for a luncheon.
During the meal, Tocqueville introduced Lale’s resume and background to Jerome Bonaparte. Lale modestly expressed that it was a great honor to learn alongside Mr. Tocqueville.
After learning about Lale’s background, Jerome Bonaparte raised his glass and half-jokingly asked, "Mr. Lale, would you consider coming to work for me? I promise you’ll earn more than at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!"
Lale showed a flattered expression, also raising his glass, "Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Prince! Please forgive my refusal, as my work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs allows me to better utilize my talents! Your team is full of talent, surely not lacking someone like me!"
"That’s really unfortunate!" Jerome Bonaparte showed a "disappointed" expression as he took a sip of his wine.
"Should there be an opportunity, I will definitely serve you, Mr. Prince, with all my efforts!" Lale boldly downed the wine in his glass.
As the banquet drew to a close, Jerome Bonaparte asked Tocqueville when he would be leaving.
Tocqueville, dabbing his mouth with a handkerchief, gently suggested, "Mr. Prince, could we depart in the next couple of days? We don’t have much time left!"
"Certainly!" Jerome Bonaparte, equally apprehensive about the unpredictable winds in Paris, agreed that it would be best if his cousin’s body could reach Paris as soon as possible: "Let’s depart tomorrow!"
Tocqueville looked at Jerome Bonaparte in astonishment; he hadn’t expected such decisive action from Prince Jerome Bonaparte regarding Prince Louis’s body.
Originally planning to leisurely tour London, Tocqueville left with regret.
"That’s perfect then!" Tocqueville said.
After the meal, Tocqueville and Lale left the Louvre Mansion.
Jerome Bonaparte personally escorted them to the steps and ordered Fleury, who was driving the carriage, to send them back to the hotel.
Under Jerome’s enthusiastic hospitality, Tocqueville and Lale had no choice but to ride the carriage back to the hotel.
Jerome watched the carriage depart with a smile, then turned and returned to the mansion, his expression returning to seriousness.
Sitting back on the sofa, Jerome Bonaparte called Percy over and ordered, "Percy, take Talan and Fleury tomorrow to escort our cousin’s body back to France ahead of us! Remember to have the Bonaparte Party members in France welcome it; an appropriate show of strength will make our Governor value us even more!"
Jerome Bonaparte deliberately emphasized the word "value."
Though Lamartine’s conditions for Jerome Bonaparte were not harsh, his overbearing demeanor was displeasing to Jerome Bonaparte.
It was not yet the right time to confront Lamartine, so Jerome could only keep these feelings to himself.
"Your Highness, what about you?" Percy was a bit worried about Jerome Bonaparte’s safety in Britain.
After all, this Prince was known for taking risks, no less than the late His Majesty Napoleon.
"As for me!" After a moment of deep thought, Jerome Bonaparte decided, "Since the French Government isn’t allowing me to enter for the time being, I will take a trip to Rome!"
Upon hearing this, Percy turned pale, his tone becoming firm: "Your Highness, absolutely not! I adamantly oppose you going to Rome alone!"
"Percy, I am not alone! Once you leave, won’t Letty still be here? The two of us will go to Rome together!" Jerome Bonaparte tried to reassure Percy, hoping he would not worry about his safety.
"Your Highness, I really don’t understand what you have to do in Rome. You should know that since the February uprising, the entire Italian region has been in turmoil!" Percy’s fingers gestured in the air as he expressed reluctance to let Jerome Bonaparte be in danger, especially at such a crucial moment in a crisis-ridden area.
Should anything happen, the Bonaparte Faction might lose two leaders in just one year.
Then where would they find a third leader? They couldn’t very well go to the United States to invite the Joseph lineage, who "betrayed" the Bonaparte mission!
"Percy, listen!" Jerome Bonaparte said seriously to Percy, "Going to Rome is not for leisure; there’s something important I must do!"
"What can’t wait until the turmoil is over? You only need to stay in London for two more months!" Percy advised Jerome Bonaparte earnestly.
"No, this must be done now; it may determine whether I can become President!" Jerome Bonaparte replied resolutely.
"Forgive my impudence in asking, Your Highness, but what is your plan?" Percy inquired of Jerome Bonaparte.
"Percy, let me ask you, what occupation composes the majority of the French population?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Percy.
"Farmers!" Percy answered without hesitation.
"What is the predominant religion in France?" Jerome Bonaparte asked again.
"Catholicism!" Percy responded once more to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Exactly!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded in satisfaction, answering, "Catholicism influences the silent majority of France, and Rome influences French Catholicism, so I must go to Rome to meet Pope Pius IX!"
"But Your Highness, considering Napoleon’s actions towards the Pope in the past..." Percy expressed his concern.
Back then, His Majesty Napoleon had unceremoniously detained Pope Pius VII in Savona.
To Percy, the feud between the Roman Curia and the House of Bonaparte was deeply entrenched.
"People’s joys and sorrows are not the same! Pius IX cannot feel the suffering experienced by Pius VII; his animosity towards us will not be as relentless." Jerome Bonaparte said confidently, "Moreover, Pius IX needs a strong power to protect Rome! The entire Italian region is now in a nationalistic fervor, and the only way to curb it is with bayonets. Previously, Pius IX had hoped for support from Austria, but now Austria is gridlocked! They must consider powers beyond Austria!"
Jerome Bonaparte believed that in the face of fervent nationalism, Pope Pius IX would reconsider his stance towards the House of Bonaparte.
Compared to the fervent Republicans and French Republican elements, Bonaparte seemed notably more agreeable.
If he could win over Pope Pius IX in Rome, dealing with the Church Faction in France would be much easier.