audience. His plaque and grand cordon came in time from the jeweller,
so he was quite proper. I shall go and see about the trunks, and as soon
as W. comes back we shall start again for some last sightseeing, the
Museum, churches, etc. We dine at 6 and start at 8 from the hotel.
Richard has decided to wait a day longer and go and see the Falls of
Upsala, which are quite worth seeing. Mathias will go with him, and
he will join us at Copenhagen Thursday. The Baldwins have just come in
to say good-bye. They, too, are leaving to-morrow.
I will finish, as I have a quiet hour before dinner. I left the
gentlemen at the Museum, as I was not very well, and thought better to
rest a little before starting this evening. W. came in a little after
two, having enjoyed the hour with the King very much. He says he is a
tall, handsome man, very intelligent, and well up in everything. He
received him quite informally in his cabinet de travail, which he said
had also been Bernadotte's. There was a good picture of him on the
walls. He was much interested in the Coronation, though he had heard all
about it already from his son, but he was anxious to have W.'s
impressions. He said _he_ personally had never been very anxious about a
Nihilist plot at that time. He didn't think they would choose that
opportunity. He was much interested in everything French, literature,
politics, theatres, and asked W. if he was going back to Petersburg as
Ambassador. He also asked him if he had ever been in America, as he
believed he had married an American, and was much surprised to hear he
had never crossed the big pond. He told him too just what some of the
Swedish diplomats told me, that all his best young men went to America.
They got such high wages, and got on so well, that they were all
leaving Sweden. I remember Sandford telling us years ago in Paris, that
all the workmen on his orange plantations in Florida were Swedes.
[Illustration: M. William Waddington From a copyright photograph by
Russell & Son]
W. had just time to get out of his dress clothes, and send back his
order when Mathias appeared, and we went for a last tournee. First to
the Church des Chevaliers, where all the Swedish Kings are buried, up
and down some old streets where there are curious old houses, and
wound up at the Museum. I only stayed there half an hour, saw some of
the pictures and souvenirs of Charles IX, and then came home, leaving
the others.
Now we have finished packing, I have on my travelling dress, and am
seated quietly at the window with my book, Tolstoy's "La Guerre et la
Paix," but I don't make much progress--I am always looking out. A
big steam yacht has just come in--ran straight up the river alongside of
the "Lancaster." About twenty little boats have immediately started out,
going close up to the yacht, and they have sent off a steam launch,
which has come up to the wharf in about five minutes.
Patenotre and his secretary have come to say good-bye, and to say that
all the orders are given for this evening, and we shall have our
sleepings. I wonder if you have seen Pontecoulant. He said he would go
at once to find you. He has been saving up all he heard about the
Americans and their frock coats and grey trousers (when everyone else
was covered with gold embroidery and orders) for you, and hopes to get a
good rise out of you.
My next letter will be from Copenhagen--then Hamburg and home. The
gentlemen have come in--found the Museum very interesting, and we shall
dine in a few minutes, so this must stop and will go off from here by
the evening courier.
_To H. L. K._
#Copenhagen#,
Wednesday, June 27th, 1883.
We arrived at one o'clock to-day, Dear, not tired at all, as our journey
was easy. We had a capital waggon, a large sleeping carriage, a bed on
each side, and a good toilette. We started punctually at 8.30, through
fairly pretty country, nothing very picturesque, but a general
impression of verdure. At 10.30 we stopped somewhere, had tea, and the
man came and made the beds. I slept quite well. We took the steamer at
Malmo, breakfasted on board, and enjoyed the crossing. The sea was
beautiful and there were quantities of boats of all kinds. There was a
thick fog for about half an hour, which was very uncomfortable, for we
knew how many boats there were all around us, and as soon as our own
whistle stopped, we heard many others unpleasantly near. However it
lifted as we neared Copenhagen.
The approach is good, but not nearly so fine as Stockholm. There are no
islands and the country all about is very flat. The quantity of boats of
all kinds made it a very pretty sight. We found M. de Kergorlay, Charge
d'Affaires, waiting for us on the quai with a carriage, and drove at
once to the hotel. We wanted a little time to change, read our letters
(we found a quantity, two from you), which you may imagine I was glad to
have. I am so glad the boy has kept well--I am getting very homesick for
him now that our faces are turned homewards. M. de Kergorlay said he
would come back at 4 and take us a drive. W. too found various letters
and papers. We started again at 4 and had a beautiful drive to the "Deer
Park" for some distance along the sea, with quantities of villas,
casinos, cafes with music all the way. There were some very pretty
carriages, officers riding, and every description of pleasure boat, big
and small, on the sea. Just as we were leaving the sea and turning into
the forest we met a big break, with the Prince Royal driving himself and
his family. The carriage was full of children. He recognized of course
Kergorlay, then W.--however they are all in the country. We shall have
no visits nor audiences of any kind. I am rather sorry not to see the
Prince. He was in Paris and dined with us the Exhibition year, when W.
was at the Quai d'Orsay, and I found him most sympathetic, and very
good-looking.
It was so pretty driving through the deer park. We had tea in one of the
casinos, standing high over the sea, with a splendid view. We dined
quietly at the hotel at a small table in the dining-room. We saw there
General Appert and his family dining. They had come to Copenhagen
to see their son, who is military attache here (Madame Appert is a
Dane), also Harry Whitehouse, who said they were in the country, but not
far, and would certainly come in and see us. I have written a few notes
since dinner, and W. has also sent one to be given early to-morrow
morning to the Conservateur des Medailles at the Museum. The hotel is
very comfortable, we have an enormous salon on the front, and good
bedrooms. Adelaide has fraternised with the Apperts' maid, and is
delighted to have a compatriote to go about with. I was interrupted, as
W. suggested we should go out and make a little turn in the streets
while he smoked a cigar. The town is much less gay than Stockholm. All
the houses are built of grey stone, and are high and narrow, rather like
New York. There are a good many people in the streets and in the trams,
of which there seem plenty.
Thursday, June 28th.
It is again a beautiful day, and at 10 o'clock W. and I started. I took
Adelaide, for I knew W. would be absorbed at once by the medals, and I
didn't care to come home alone. We were received with much empressement
by the Director. As I supposed, the Conservateur des Medailles carried
off W. at once, and a sub. of some kind was deputed to show me the
Historical Museum, which really is very interesting, costumes and
interior groups of figures of the whole world. They say it is very
exact, but what a work it must have been. We saw it very well and fairly
quickly, as it wasn't a public day, and the young man only showed us
what was worth seeing. We walked home. It wasn't far, and he explained
the route to us. I really needed the exercise. The town is decidedly
gloomy, even in the bright sunlight, and might be any Northern town
anywhere.
I breakfasted alone at a small table in the dining-room, and had the big
room almost to myself--two gentlemen were breakfasting at one end.
Almost as soon as I got upstairs I had some visits. First Richard
appeared, very pleased with his excursion, said it would have been a
pity not to see the Falls, being so near; then came Col. Wyckham Hoffman
and Whitehouse. Hoffman was much interested in hearing about the
Coronation, as he was five years secretary in Russia and knew all the
people. He and Mrs. Hoffman are at Elsinore for the summer and want us
very much to come down and dine and stay over night, but I am afraid we
can't. W. wants all his time here for the coins, and it would take quite
a day to really see the place. Kergorlay came with a carriage at three,
and he and I and Richard started again for the same drive. It seems all
Copenhagen does it every afternoon. The sea looked enchanting, and I
think there were more boats than yesterday--several big steamers,
English bound they tell us--and such quantities of pleasure boats. We
drove rather further into the forest, as we had more time. It is really
very lovely--had tea in another casino with the same view of the sea. We
met various private carriages with good horses, a certain number were
breaks full of nurses and children; and some rather smart-looking
officers well mounted. We didn't meet the Royal break again. It seems
they are all (a big family party) at one of their chateaux near
Copenhagen, and come into town very often. Kergorlay seems to like
Copenhagen--not the climate, he says it is cold and foggy, there are
days when one never sees the sun. It makes rather a gloomy impression
on me. If I lived here I too would want to come every day to the Deer
Park, which wouldn't be convenient perhaps for domestic arrangements.
The streets are curiously banal--I wonder why? Of course one didn't
expect to find the colour and half-Eastern look of Moscow, nor the gay
half "bains-de mer" impression of Stockholm, but I am disappointed. One
thinks of Danes as descendants of the Vikings, heroes, enormous men with
long limbs and yellow hair. Do you remember the poem we were so mad
about in the days of our youth, "Word was brought to the Danish King
that the love of his heart lay dying"? I can see Mrs. Lawrence sitting
at the table, and reading it in her full rich voice. I don't remember
now who wrote it, but I am sure you will--and Copenhagen looks
singularly unpoetical and modern. We found W. on the balcony when we got
back, with his papers and his cigar, just tired enough after a long
day's work in the Museum to appreciate a quiet hour. It has been warm
all day, and is still. We felt the difference as soon as we turned into
the streets, and we haven't the river under our windows as we had at
Stockholm, and always a breeze.
4 o'clock.
Richard and I are just back from an expedition to Tivoli--the great
garden here. We dined quietly at home, and I tried to persuade W. to
come with us to the garden, but he declined absolutely, so we left him
talking and smoking with General Appert, and we two started off in a
fiacre. We were rather pleased with ourselves and the way we got along
in a strange place and a strange tongue. We even made out strawberries
and cream--"med" and something else I forget now. I don't know which was
strawberries and which was cream, but we got them, and _med_ was
evidently one or the other. The garden is very pretty, very well
arranged, with every variety of entertainment. We sat and listened to
the band (a very good one, military) while we had _med_ and ----, and
then went into one or two of the small theatres and concert halls. All
this too was modern, might have been Paris or London. We saw one or two
of our diplomatic friends disporting themselves at one of the theatres
where there were "poses plastiques" very well done. I think they were
"en garcon"--the pink flower hats they were alongside of didn't give me
a family impression.
We rather enjoyed our evening lounging about. A fortune teller, a rather
pretty girl, evidently wished to tell our fortunes, _that_ we made out
by signs and the cards she had spread out before her, but we didn't
think our knowledge of the Danish tongue was sufficient to understand
all she would tell us of a brilliant future. Richard is delightful to go
about with. He likes to see everything and know about everything, and
certainly succeeds in some curious way getting all the information he
wants. W. was poring over his notes when we got back. We told him all
our experiences, and then talked a little about our day to-morrow.
Friday, June 29th.
It has been frightfully hot all day. I stayed at home all the morning.
W. and Richard went off early to the Museum. I had a visit from
Kergorlay. He has an interesting face, is a widower, poor fellow, with
four children, one boy of two and a half. They say he is so devoted to
the children. I told him I should like to see them, and he will send
them--at any rate we shall see them to-morrow night, as we dine at the
Legation. Richard came back to breakfast. He said it was cool enough
in the Museum, and we started off for the Thorwaldsen Gallery. Of course
some of the statues and has reliefs are very fine, but they are
enormous, almost more than life size. We went on to the Frauen Kirche to
see his statues of the 12 Apostles which are there. They were strangely
familiar. We must have seen them reproduced in plaster at home. Both St.
Peter and St. John I knew quite well, and didn't like them much. While
we were loitering about the church the suisse told us a wedding was just
going to take place, it might perhaps amuse us to see it, so we stepped
into one of the side aisles and saw the cortege. The bride was the
regulation white-veiled figure, I think she had a _green_ wreath (it may
have been myrtle like the German brides), the man was in uniform. What
was really interesting was the dress of the two pastors. They wore black
coats with white ruffles, just as they did in Luther's time. That
reconciled me a little to this very uninteresting town.
It was still very warm, but we did a little shopping, photographs and
one or two trifles. Richard leaves to-night at 7.30, and we shall dine
early with him. He is to stop a day or two with Mary at Meiningen, pick
up his mother who is there, and bring her back to France. Mary wanted us
to come, and I wish we could have managed it. It would have been nice to
have been there all together, and they would have enjoyed hearing all
our impressions while they were so absolutely fresh, particularly
Charles, who leads a very quiet life now ever since his accident at the
Quai d'Orsay. It is extraordinary how the last thing seen remains in
one's memory. Already Moscow and that splendid pageant is fading a
little, and I see Stockholm, and the green islands, and the dancing
river.
Saturday, June 30th.
It is still frightfully hot--not a breath of air. I have made as much of
a draught as I can by opening the door into the passage. It isn't very
convenient, as we are just at the head of the big staircase, but I have
put a high-backed arm-chair between me and the passers by. It was really
very warm until 11 o'clock last night. We dined downstairs with Richard,
and were very sorry to see him go. Then we went to Mrs. Baldwin (the
Admiral had gone off for two days) to ask her if she would drive with
us. We made the usual turn, the only variety being our tea place--we
take a new one every time. The gerant of the hotel explains to the
coachman where to go, and he chooses very well. It was lovely driving,
and so cool on the top of the cliff that we walked about a little after
tea. There is always a long, clear evening, not like Russia, but still
very pleasant and pretty, such a soft light over everything. The moment
we turned away from the sea back into the town we felt the difference,
but the long drive had cooled us. I have asked for my breakfast upstairs
in the salon. I really can't dress and sit in that hot room in this
weather. W. is at the Museum, but comes back at 4 with the Director, who
is to show us some of the treasures of the town. I am getting on very
well here with "La Guerre et la Paix," as I am not distracted all the
time as I was at Stockholm. I think you would like it, the _Russian_
side of Napoleon's great campaign is so interesting, also the
pictures of the society of Moscow at that time, which they say is
extremely well done.
W. came in about 4, not very warm, as he says the rooms of the Museum
are cool, with such thick walls, and while we were waiting for Monsieur
Warsoe, the Directeur, Mr. Vivian, English Minister, paid us a visit. He
is very anxious we should come and see them at Elsinore, says it is most
interesting (all memories of Hamlet). I should like it extremely, but W.
thinks we must get home. I liked Vivian very much. He talked very easily
about everything--he is going to dine with us at Kergorlay's, says all
the colleagues are most anxious to hear about the Coronation. M. Warsoe
appeared about 4.30 and we drove at once to Rosenburg, an old chateau
where there is a fine collection of all sorts of things. Some of the
Danish porcelain was lovely, also some fine tapestries. They showed us
with much pride their tresor, jewels, and gold and silver services, but
really after Moscow and the quantities of gold, silver, enamel, crowns,
and jewels of all sorts that one had seen the others made no effect,
though of course there were some handsome stones, rubies. What I did
like was the 4 lions (couchant) of massive silver, which are always put
at each side of the throne whenever there is a great ceremony at Court.
They must look splendid.
We went again to the Frauen Kirche, as W. had not seen it, and the
second time I liked the Apostles better, a little better. I think it was
too hot, and I was too tired when I was there before. We drove out to an
old bridge, which was curious, and in some old street where I had never
penetrated. The trams worry me, they are so frightfully civilized and
up-to-date, however they were crowded, so evidently the Danes are not of
my way of thinking.
Our dinner at Kergorlay's was very pleasant and handsome. Adelaide was
again frightfully put out at my garment, and she is right, it is really
a street dress, and this time there are several women. I don't know why
I didn't keep out _one_ evening dress. It was rather stupid to send
everything back. However, I made my excuses to the ladies, and said I
was "en touriste." They were all very elegantes, though they were all
already settled in the country, and went off about 10 o'clock by the
last train. Kergorlay's children came in before dinner. The eldest girl
is 10, and the baby two and a half. It was so pathetic to see them in
their white dresses and black sashes and to think whom the mourning was
for. The dinner was very gay. We had Count and Countess Toll (he is
Russian Minister here, and a brother of Countess Pahlen), Marochetti
(Italian Minister) and his wife (a Frenchwoman, nee Grandval), Vivian
(she didn't come, was in the country and rather exhausted with the great
heat), General and Madame Appert, and two secretaries. Count Toll was
very keen to hear all about Moscow, and what we thought of the great
show (he speaks English quite well). I told him we were enchanted, and
that one of the great features was Comte Pahlen with his velvet coat and
white staff of office with a big sapphire at the top. He certainly took
no end of trouble, and looked his part very well. They all seem to like
Copenhagen pretty well, except for the climate, which seems most trying.
Countess Toll was in white with handsome pearls. I felt rather like a
pensionnaire in my simple little dress--foolish, too; I ought to have
known better.
We got home quite early, so I can still have a little Tolstoy before I
go to bed. Adelaide instantly inquired what the other ladies had on and
was much put out. "C'etait Madame l'Ambassadrice qui etait le plus
mal"--"oh! cela oui, et de beaucoup." I suppose it reflects upon the
femme de chambre when the mistress is not up to the mark.
Sunday, July 1st.
It is still frightfully hot. I did not go out all morning, though they
sent a notice of services at the English Church. We shall leave
to-morrow night for Hamburg. W. says two days more of medals will give
him all he wants. After breakfast I went to see Mrs. Baldwin, whom I
found gasping, sitting with open doors and windows; also Madame Appert,
who looked quite cool and comfortable, as did her two daughters, pretty
girls; however, they said they didn't feel cool. When I got back to our
rooms I found several cards, and then Mrs. Hoffman appeared. She was
very nice and friendly, sent all sorts of messages to you and Anne, and
wished Anne would come and stay with her at Elsinore. She likes
Copenhagen very much, says the people are friendly and hospitable and
invite the diplomats; also that some of the country places are very
fine, quite in the English style. She made a great appeal to me to come
to Elsinore with her this afternoon, I could come back to-morrow in
plenty of time for the night train, but I couldn't manage. W. was still
at the Museum, and would have been in a great state of mind if he had
come home and found not me but a note saying I had departed for
Elsinore. While she was still here, young Moltke appeared, our compagnon
de voyage from Helsingfors to Stockholm. He hopes to be sent to Paris or
London. I told him if it was Paris he must look us up. He is a very nice
young fellow, very good-looking, tall, and fair.
We have had our usual drive. We dined at 5 and started out rather
earlier. If possible there were more people than we had ever seen
before, as it was Sunday and fete. All Copenhagen, high and low, were on
their way to the Deer Park. A stream of conveyances of all descriptions,
some peasants' carts with straw at the bottom filled with women and
children, everybody in a good humour. There were fewer officers riding,
and fewer big boats on the sea, but endless little pleasure yachts. As
we came back it was really a pretty sight, all the cafes, casinos, etc.,
brilliantly lighted, all the villas, too, and people sitting on the
verandas, some playing cards, some at tea tables, some walking about in
the gardens, we could see the light dresses fluttering about in the
shrubberies; animation, laughter, voices, music everywhere. We stopped
as usual for tea at one of the high casinos--the sea blue and calm at
our feet some distance down, and the whole summer out-door life of
Copenhagen behind in the woods and hills. It was delicious driving back,
and even the streets were pretty to-night, so many people, and the cool
air such a relief after the terrible heat of the day. We have decided to
start at 8.30 to-morrow evening.
I tried to glean some information from a Danish paper this afternoon.
Col. Hoffman told me that if one knew English or German one could read
Danish quite well, giving oneself a little trouble, but I can't say that
was my experience. It might have been Hebrew for all I made out. I
suppose I didn't keep at it long enough. It doesn't sound easy when one
hears the language spoken all about one, rather harsh. I mastered a
little Swedish (to understand it) much more easily.
_To H. L. K._
#Copenhagen#,
Monday, July 2d, 1883.
The heat is something awful to-day,--I think the worst day we have had.
I was up early, as the salon is cooler than the bedroom, more doors and
windows. W. is off to his medals until 5, and we leave to-night for
Hamburg. The trunks are made (almost for the last time), as we shall
stay only one night in Hamburg, and arrive in Paris Thursday morning. I
had a nice visit from Kergorlay. He can't come to the station to see us
off, as he dines with the King in the country, but will send his
chancelier to see about places, luggage, etc. We talked a great deal
about his children. He feels such a responsibility, and it is hard for a
man to have such a young family to look after. He said their mother was
so devoted to them--it seems hard she couldn't have been left to them a
little longer.
I breakfasted downstairs, had a little talk with the Apperts, and then
went to the reading-room for a little while to see if there was any
news. The Comte de Chambord is very ill, dying they say. I wonder if his
death will make any difference now--I suppose not. He has been only a
memory practically all these years, as he never came to France, and only
a few, a very few fideles clung to him in his exile. I must say I rather
admired him always. According to his lights (limited I grant), he was
absolutely consistent.