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21 August 1899 — Plombières | |
Monday. 21st [August 1899]. Having finished our baths—& waters—we paid our bills packed and departed. Our Dr Bottentruit sent us in preposterous bills 200 fcs for Ivor, 150 for me. I went to Bss Mercier de l’Ostende & consulted her– She said 50 each was the proper charge but now he asked 60– She advised our not paying more. However we ended by giving him 250 between us. Nela & I left by the 12 o’cl train for Bâle; Ivor came to the station to see us off. An old French gentleman was in our carriage– He gave a snort of relief as we steamed out of the station on leaving that “infecte” place where he said the waters are useless & the inhabitants “voleurs.” He said he had taken good care not to taste the waters—& after the 10th bath had taken one every other day. He said he had studied medecine once for 4 years & knew that this was the way to do & had told “ce voleur Bottentruit” so, who acknowledged this was so—but said he was obliged to make people bathe every day in order to make the baths gain money! He said B. had charged him 60 fcs instead of 30, the usual price. When I told him he had charged my brother 200 he nearly screamed & kept on saying quel voleur! We had to change trains at Aillevilliers & there got a little lunch & waited an hour– We changed again at Belfort & got into the Paris express. We reached Bâle at 6 & went to Hotel Euler. Had high tea on the little terrace there overlooking the gardens & then went for a walk for an hour. We had the same bedrooms as Henry & I had had on our last journey home together—that terrible journey when our hearts were broken by the feeling it must be the last. I had not stopped at Bâle since then 5½ years ago. It seems an age! Ivor left for Paris the same day 2 hours after we left. | |
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