Aix-les-Bains [ 1886].
. . . Princess Louise sent for me and took me a couple of drives. The Hotel was much interested. One drive was in a little carriage with a lady in waiting on the back seat.
The Princess very handsome, very quaint and certainly very charming. "Allons! houp! houp!" she said to the coachman when he got sleepy. She drove me along a dusty road to a little farm where she got out. "They don't know who I am. I often come and see the old woman." We went into a low kitchen where the table was spread for supper. An old woman was stirring potatoes over the fire in the big fire-place. "I'll stir the potatoes," said the Princess. "You can go to your business.""Very well I'll finish laying the supper," said the old woman.
Then the carts laden with Indian corn passed the windows and the twilight began to fall, and there was a sound of distant thunder. A little boy came in from the fields carrying a kitten. The Princess left off stirring potatoes, and began to play with the kitten. The old woman lit the lamp, and her son came in and looked at the table hungrily but the Princess took no notice. The lady-in-waiting saw that they wanted to begin supper, the Princess got up to go. "Goodbye--au revoir" she said nodding.
I thought to myself this is a fairy tale, a real cottage, and a real Princess stirring potatoes and me looking on.
Aix-les-Bains [ 1886].
. . . I can hardly write for listening to the French people. "Dites-moi, Monsieur, avez-vous vu un livre qui est publié dernièrement, Lettres d'une Inconnue?"
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