 | Lady Layard’s Journal Go to a Date Search the Journal |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |
11 September 1900 — Schloss Friedrichshof, Kronberg | |
Tuesday. 11th [September 1900]. Breakfasted at 9.30 with the Empress (who is always carried up & down stairs), Seckendorff & Frau Perponcher & Pss Margaret. Pss Teo was away for the day visiting the D & Dss of Hesse in the country. Her M. went in her poney chair & made me show her how I can find water with the divining rod. I had to walk about for some time without result. The head gardener was with us & put pegs in when I did come to places where the hazel twig turned & twisted. H.M. would hardly believe it & said if any one but myself had done it she would have thought they were trying to miton upon her. I told her I could give no explanation of the phenomena. They led me to the farm where they knew of water & I always found the right spot. We returned to the Schloss at about 11.30 & then Ola walked off to the Hospital to have another inspection & only returned just in time to dress for lunch. After lunch we had coffee on the terrace & then retired to our rooms till 4.30 when we went out driving. Ola & I in the 1st carriage with the Empress & Pss Margaret in the next with Seck. & Per: We stopped by the way side & had tea abt an hour’s drive off– Then the Empress returned alone with Ola & I walked back with the rest. I went all the way ahead with Seckendorff & had some very interesting talk about politics & the reasons why England is so much detested in Germany. He attributes it to jealousy & the teaching of Bismarck. Tho’ he admires him & calls him “our great man” still he is quite alive to his faults & deplores the terrible want of honesty & straightforwardness of the man. He told me a story of how a high official found Bismarck out in telling him a direct lie & asked him why he had not spoken the truth. To this Bismarck replied “What are lies made for if not to be made use of.” Seckendorff spoke of the way in which German officers are encouraged to bribe in order to get secrets—as for instance they had done to Dreyfus & he said he did not believe that an English officer would condescend to do such things & that in general they had a higher standard of honor & that Germany must come to that in time. He said he knew Roberts very intimately having been thro’ the Abyssinian campaign with him & he has the greatest admiration of him. We reached the Schloss about 7—dressed & dined at 8.30 having waited for Princess Teo to return. Ola went to bed directly after dinner & I went & sat in the smoking room with the 2 Princesses & Seck. & Per: till bed time. | |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |