I told him that I would value it more than any one possibly could, and did
not know how to thank him enough.
He told me a great deal more about the Empress, her hardships and trials,
and how brave she had been through them all. She never uttered a word of
reproach against any one, except against Trochu, whom she called an arch-
traitor. He told me also of the last time he had seen her Majesty at
Chiselhurst, and how sad this interview had been. The beautiful and adored
Empress of France now a widow and an exile! I was sorry that our
conversation was interrupted--I could have listened for hours; but tea was
announced, and we were obliged to leave the library.
The next day the Prince and his friends were deeply engaged in making a
kite; they tried everything imaginable to coax it to fly, but it refused.
The Prince even mounted a ladder, hoping to catch the wind by holding it
higher; but all in vain. The moment he let go, down flapped the kite with
almost human spitefulness.
After the Prince had said _saperlotte!_ twenty times, they gave up the
kite and played tennis, a new game, over which he is as enthusiastic
as he used to be over croquet, until the blast of a horn announced the
arrival of the archducal four-in-hand, which they were expecting.
Then there was a hurried putting on of coats and wiping of perspiring
brows, and they all went forward to receive the Archduke Louis, who had
driven over from Wiesbaden to spend the day, bringing with him some
younger gentlemen.
Prince Metternich immediately proposed their playing tennis. Some of them
were eager to do so, but the Archduke, being fatigued by his long drive,
begged to go to his room until luncheon.
Then, while the gentlemen were playing tennis, the Princess took me to the
kitchen-garden to show me the American green-corn, planted from seeds
which we had given to her at Petit Val four years ago. She told me, with
great joy, that we were to have some for dinner.
After luncheon we were invited to visit the famous wine-vaults. The
intendant appeared with the keys, and, accompanied by a subordinate, we
followed him down the stairs to the heavily bolted oak door, which he
opened with a flourish. The first thing we saw, on entering, was
_Willkommen_ in transparencies in front of the entrance.
These cellars had the same dimensions as the castle, one hundred feet each
way. Rows and rows of large casks placed close together lined the walls,
and each cask had a lighted candle upon it embedded in plaster. Lamps hung
at intervals from the vaulted ceiling, giving a weird look to the long
alleys, which seemed to stretch out for miles through the dim vista.
We walked on. Every little while we came to what the Prince called a
_cabaret_, and what the Princess called more poetically a _bosquet_, but
which literally was a table and chairs surrounded by plants. The smell of
the wine was overpowering. When we reached _bosquet_ No. 1 the intendant
handed each of us a full glass of Johannisberg, the same that was served
at the table; at _bosquet_ No. 2 we received only half a glass of a finer
quality. At _bosquet_ No. 3, on the walls of which were the initials of
the Duchess d'Ossuna (E. O., formed by candles), we only got a liqueur
glassful.
The farther we went the older, and therefore the more valuable, the wine
was, and the less we were given. When we reached _bosquet_ No. 6, the
last stop, we were allowed a discreet sip from a sherry glass, which was
passed on from one to the other like a loving-cup.
We were told that the wines from the years 1862 and 1863 are considered to
be the best. It is strange that they are entirely different from each
other; the first is very sweet and the second is very dry.
What was my surprise to see here, "I know a Lillie fair to see," against
the walls designed in candles. The Princess told me that the Prince had
been a long time making this, and I hope I showed due appreciation of the
compliment. I was immensely flattered.
The wine is the color of amber, or pale yellow, according to the year, and
tastes delicious; the aroma reminds one of sandalwood.
The wines of the best years are only sold in bottles bearing the cachet of
the Prince's arms, and the autograph of the intendant; the color of the
seal denotes the quality. _Cabinet bleu_ is the best that can be bought;
the less fine qualities are sold in barrels.
You will be interested to hear how they gather the grapes. It is very
carefully done: each bunch is picked like a flower, and each grape is
selected with the greatest care; any grape with the slightest imperfection
is discarded. They remain longer on the vines here than anywhere else, so
that the sweetness of the grape is doubly concentrated.
A good year will produce from sixty to eighty thousand bottles, and bring
in an income of one hundred and fifty thousand marks.
The company which built the railroad through the grounds had to pay an
enormous sum for the land, every inch of which is worth its weight in
gold.
You may imagine the despair of the intendant when he sees so much of this
valuable land taken for the croquet and tennis games; but the last straw
is--the corn!
One of the guests here, Duchess d'Ossuna, is a very striking and handsome
lady who has been a great beauty and is still, though now about forty
years old. Her husband is one of the richest men in Spain, but is in such
wretched health that she has expected hourly to be a widow for many years.
Coming away from the insidious fumes of the wine into the hot air, and
leaving the dark cellars for the glaring broad daylight, made us all feel
a little lightheaded. I noticed that the Archduke had to be gently and
with due discretion aided up the steps.
He dropped into the first available bench and said, solemnly and with
conviction: "To see this wine makes one want to taste it; to taste it
makes one want to drink it; to drink it makes one want to dream."
I hope that you appreciate this profound saying; it ought not to be lost
to posterity.
We left him, thinking he would prefer the society of his adjutant to ours.
I knew that I preferred mine to any one else's, and went to my room,
mounting its winding staircase, which I thought wound more than was
necessary. Taking guests into wine-cellars is the great joke here, and it
never fails.
Every one was in exuberant spirits at dinner. I wish I could remember half
of the clever things that were said. The corn came on amid screams of
delight. Our hostess ate thirteen ears, which, if reduced to kernels,
would have made about one ordinary ear, there was so much cob and so
little corn. The Princess enjoyed them hugely.
Coffee was served on the terrace. Later we had music in the hall, and
before the departure of the Archduke there was a fine display of fireworks
sent off from the terrace, which must have looked splendid from a
distance.