Page:The Letters Of Queen Victoria, vol. 3 (1908).djvu/56

42 FOREIGN OFFICE, 22nd September 1854. Lord Clarendon presents his humble duty to your Majesty. . ..

Count Walewski told Lord Clarendon to-day that the Emperor had spoken with enthusiasm of the Prince, saying that in all his experience he had never met with a person possessing such various and profound knowledge, or who communicated it with the same frankness. His Majesty added that he had never learned so much in a short time, and was grateful. He began his conversation with reproaching Count Walewski for not having written to him much oftener respecting the Prince, and endeavoured to ascertain the opinions of His Royal Highness upon all important subjects.

With respect to the invitation, the Emperor’s account of it to Count Walewski was that he had apologised to the Prince for the bad reception he had given His Royal Highness, and expressed a hope that he might have an opportunity of doing better at Paris, if your Majesty and the Prince would honour him with a visit; and that His Royal Highness had then said, “the Queen hopes to see your Majesty at Windsor, and will be happy to make acquaintance with the Empress.” The Emperor, however, had only taken this as a courteous return to his invitation, and not as intended for a positive invitation.

Lord Clarendon told Count Walewski that he believed the matter had passed inversely, and that the Prince had first communicated your Majesty’s message.

Be that as it may, Count Walewski said the Emperor will be delighted to avail himself of the Queen’s gracious kindness; nothing will give him so much pleasure. . ..

BALMORAL, 24th September 1854. The Queen returns the two letters from Lord Cowley. She is very sorry to see doubts arise as to the correctness of the intelligence about the safe debarkation of our whole expeditionary force in the Crimea, but still clings to the hope of its being true.

Count Walewski’s account of the Emperor’s version of his conversation with the Prince explains what the Prince suspected at one time himself, that the Emperor had not understood the Prince’s remark as conveying a direct invitation, but merely as a general term of civility. What the Prince intended to convey was something between the two, making it clear that he would be well received, and leaving it entirely open to him