Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 137.djvu/846

840 riage, of course, had been sent for me to the station.

The suite live in pavilions and palaces scattered in all directions about the park. The Emperor and Empress live at Alexandrie in a "cottage," with garden and farm attached, and altogether very little larger than an English villa. They like the retirement naturally. After tea and a good toasting before a fire, for it was cold, I drove off to the "cottage," and found myself with four or five ministers and generals in a little ante-room – they were waiting, I think, for the Emperor. I was soon sent for, and most graciously received by her Majesty in her own little room, where, surrounded by flowers and pet dogs, she looked very nice and homely. After a few minutes she said, "Pray come back to luncheon at one o'clock, and you will see the Emperor." I of course bowed acceptance, and went off with Tchitchakoff, who was waiting outside, to see Peter the Great's house and the laboratory for working malachite and other stones, and so passed the time till one, when I returned alone to the "cottage," and found myself in the midst of the family party, Emperor and Empress and all the children, Duke of Leuchtenberg (A.D.C. in waiting), Prince and Princess Obolensky, and a dear old lady whose name I could not catch, but who talked to me after luncheon a great deal about General Gordon, in whose career she took much interest. Everything in the arrangements was simple and homely, and the manner in which the children behave to the Emperor and Empress quite perfect. We talked of all sorts of people and places, from the Shah to the street-boys of London. Afterwards a cigarette in the drawing-room and a quiet chat with the Empress about England. She has sent me a letter to give or send to the Princess of Wales, and then she gave me her photograph; and so I made my bow, kissing her hand, and receiving a very friendly shake from the Emperor, – and so off to the train.

The Baltic, Sept. 8, 1884 – Sunday, 12 o'clock.

We hope to be at Stockholm in two hours' time; and as there may be a difficulty about writing when I get ashore, or, at any rate, a chance of my losing a post, I write while we are steaming up this lovely archipelago, through which the latter part of our journey has lain.

I sent you a letter from Helsingfors on Friday night; very likely you will not get that much before this arrives, as it had to go round by St Petersburg. The weather has been most propitious, and the sea perfectly calm. Our voyage to Aboe lay through such a multitude of islands and rocks, that the sight of granite boulders and dwarf pine-trees became at last monotonous. Scarce a habitation to be seen, and those we did see only the huts of fishermen. The entrance to Aboe, however, is very picturesque; and as we closed in on the town, the estuary became only a narrow river, and wharves and quays and timber-yards lined its banks. We passed six hours at Aboe. So we went ashore and saw the old church, and walked to some gardens, and visited the town, dining at a nice little cafe on a wooded hill. The town looks modest and respectable, and has been almost entirely rebuilt, since a great fire which occurred in 1827. Our party has increased by one – Mr Nordenfeldt, of great-gun celebrity, having joined us at Aboe. I knew him formerly, and he is a very agreeable man, besides being a Swede by birth, and therefore