Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - V. Serbo-Bulgarian relations
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
44 RUSSIAN-BULGARIAN RELATIONS [chap. iv.
Lobanoff, then Foreign Secretary, who in art ostensibly
cultivated the principles of the great styles of the
eighteenth century, alone dared to be outspoken, and
each time that he accompanied the Empress into a
room in the Palace which had not yet been touched,
would exclaim : " Thank goodness, Macha Vassiltchikoff
has not been in here!"
Many years had elapsed since then, and Macha, who
had left the Court, was now living near Vienna, attracted
thither by some close friendships she had made in an
agreeable and sympathetic little set of the best Austrian
society.
My travelling companion explained that she was on
her way, accompanied by Prince Francis of Lichtenstein
(formerly Ambassador to St. Petersburg) and a few of
his guests, to the re-opening of the old castle of Vaduz
(capital of Lichtenstein), which had recently been restored;
she said that she like me had not been able to get a
sleeping berth. Having talked for a long time, we
settled ourselves as best we could, each in our corner;
we spent a most unpleasant night, and in the morning
dashed as soon as we could into the restaurant-car, to
solace ourselves with hot coffee. There we found
Prince Lichtenstein, who had known me for some time,
and a very gay party, in which I found some former good
colleagues. When they saw the two of us appear
together, after a night spent in a tete-a-tete it was
naturally the signal for a running fire of witticisms : we
were treated as a newly-married couple, questioned as
to our first impressions, etc., etc. Breakfast was ending
merrily when the train reached Vaduz, where my
travelling companions got out, and a few minutes later
I arrived at Landquart, where I was to take the little
mountain railway which goes to Davos.
I should have been greatly surprised if any one at
that moment had predicted that in a few years I should
meet the plump Macha Vassiltchikoff again, in Stockholm
on her way to St. Petersburg, via Lapland, in order to
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
