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19 August 1908 — Castel Savoia, Gressoney St. Jean | |
Wednesday. 19th [August 1908]. As soon as I was dressed I started off to take a walk to the village church wh stands where the valley begins to narrow towards Monte Rosa. As I neared the gates going out of the garden I was alarmed by the big Pyrenean dog flying out upon me barking furiously behind me. He was accompanied by the 2 puppies all barking & jumping. In my haste I held my parasol to try & keep them at bay & left it in the mouth of the big dog & fled– The guardian flew out at the noise & called the dogs off restored my parasol & begged many excuses. He said I ought not to have lifted my parasol nor run away, which is all very well to say & to think of afterwards but I had not been prepared for the attack. The rest of my walk was uneventful & on my return the guardian met me at the gate & saw me safe past the danger. There are many nice houses & inns in the village. One very good house with a chapel & large stables is where the Queen lived while the castle was being built. The women all wear petticoats of a beautiful yellowy red & some ladies I met wore the regular costume in red with white shirt & sleeves under a red boddice trimmed with broad gold band. I saw one or two ladies in this costume & the Q. told me she & her ladies always wore it here before the death of the King. Lunched at 1 & afterwards in the Verandah I had a long talk with the Queen with the small wicker table between us holding our coffee cups. She asked me about many English men she had read about such as Gladstone Chamberlain Gordon Ruskin &c & I described to her such as I had known personally such as Tennyson. It was rather a dull day enclined to rain but we had tea in the arbour she calls le champignon close to the Castle. It is a simple round of white pine wood covered with thatch. As the rain held off we went by the house of the carabinero & took a long walk coming in after 7 so that we did not dine till ¼ before 9. The Q. was cold after dinner & sat on a little wooden stool on the raised hearth close to the fire. I sat by & she talked about the dear Empress Fred. We had been speaking of Mary Stuart & Elizabeth & she said she had much sympathy for the former & much admiration for the latter—& so we came to speak of the Empress. The Q. said she had been very fond of her & knew she was a very true & faithful friend—but she thought she ought to have persuaded her husband to renounce the throne. I could not help saying that it might be so—but that I could not imagine any woman who loved her husband saying such a thing to him & thereby making him understand that there was no hope for him. The Queen said “Perhaps you are right. It is true it would be a terrible thing to have to do—but if it is for the good of ones country?” I answered that it was easier to say than to do & what person does not try to instill hope with the mind of the dying. The conversation then turned to lighter things– The Q. rose & went to the big table to read & I to help those playing at the patience table. | |
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