Page:Harper's, "Diplomatic society" (1907).djvu/2

Rh King of Prussia, who is at nice at present, and who drives about a great deal. Another dangerous person is Count Stakelber, the Russian minister at Turin. who is here just now with his wife on account of the Empress."

"March 8. "We went to a musical party the other day where there was some good singing and Mendelssohn's wedding' march was played in our honour. A Prussian there who was introduced to C. bothered him with an account of a violent article against Prussia in the Avenier de Nice. which paper he thought ought to be prosecuted. C. thanked him very much for his valuable information, agreed in his views, and got rid of him as soon as he could. I must say there is an alarming degree of humbug about my 'Gemahl.'

"Yesterday we all drove to Villa Franea, a little neighboring seaport in a lovely bay. There were two Russian men-of-war in the harbor which created great excitement, and the whole quay of the little town was crowded with carriages and donkeys that we had brought from Nice.  We went on board one Russian which was very like any other ship, rather dirtier than some perhaps. The Russian sailors have round. stupid, good-humored faces, and were biting, into oranges through the rind like an apple, the juice, of course squirting about in all directions. A little mid-shipman who could speak some French and English took us about. Villa Franca is much more Italian looking than Nice, very picturesque particularly with all the Russian boats moving about in the bay. There were Sardinian soliders, with the Crimean medal on their gray uniforms, gazing very peacefully at the Russians from the shore, in apparrent oblivion of the recent war.

"This morning' C. had a letter from our 'libehenswürdige Chef.' :a M. Uebel systematically calls him in all his letters. M. Brassier says he is 'geguüalt' a ball. and that as Madame Ubel, for family reasons, will not be able to be present, he thinks I should be there to represent the female part of the legation. I don't particularly enjoy the idea, but C. seems pleased, and says it will give a great éelat to our arrival, and that I shall at once see and be introduced to the whole Turin world.

"Meantime I have seen one member of the society there in the person of Count Stakelberg, the Russian minister who was at Pilatte's church this morning, and came up to C with the usual 'Ich gratulire' which has greeted us everywhere till now. He was afterwards presented to me and mane me a very stiff bow. He is tall and spare and distinguished looking. He was talking amiably with Pilatte, and is. it  seems, a Protestant, coming from the Russian-German provinces. Several off the  Russian  Empress's ladies were at the French Church I was so glad to see Pilatte, who reminded me of old times, and to hear a French sermon again that I could have hugged him! C. is in a great state about his Incog. He must call on Stakelberg and thinks I ought to call on the Countess, too: then he has been seen by the ladies of honour, and has, moreover, various commissions from some of them and for aides-de-camp so that evidently every one must end by knowing that he is here, although he imposed the utmost secrecy on the Unfortunate Prussian at the party.

"Just now a tremendous official despatch was brought to C., which I thought must be his nomination as 'ministre pléniporture' at the very least. When opened it turned out to be a letter from the King of Prussia to his sister the Empress announcing the birth of a little Prussian princess, enclosed in a copy of the same, with an official letter form Brassier in the third person, stating that as C. was on the spot he would ask him to deliver the latter so save himself the long journey from Turin to Nice. The whole was enclosed in a note from Avigdor, the Prussian consul. Poor C. was 'in fits' to use his own expressions. He has no uniform with him, and has been carefully avoiding all the Russians! He is going tomorrow to Stakelberg to consult."