my memories of eighty years-第50节

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ly　excited。　He　examined　the　gun　and　questioned　its　qualities　and　possibilities　until　he　was　master　of　every　detail。　　Then　he　turned　to　one　of　his　officers　and　gave　a　quick　order　that　the　gun　should　be　immediately　investigated　and　all　that　were　required　should　be　provided　for　Germany。

I　heard　a　picturesque　story　from　a　member　of　the　court；　of　Queen　Victoria's　interest　in　all　public　affairs。　　There　was　then；　as　there　is　generally　in　European　relations；　some　talk　of　war。　The　queen　was　staying　at　her　castle　at　Osborne　on　the　Isle　of　Wight。　He　said　she　drove　alone　down　to　the　shore　one　night　and　sat　there　a　long　time　looking　at　this　great　fleet；　which　was　the　main　protection　of　her　empire　and　her　people。　　It　would　be　interesting　if　one　could　know　what　were　her　thoughts；　her　fears；　and　her　hopes。

The　queen　was　constantly　assisting　the　government　in　the　maintenance　of　friendly　relations　with　foreign　powers　by　entertaining　their　representatives　at　Windsor　Castle。　　When　General　Grant；　after　he　retired　from　the　presidency；　made　his　trip　around　the　world；　the　question　which　disturbed　our　American　minister；　when　General　Grant　arrived　in　London；　was　how　he　could　be　properly　received　and　recognized。　　Of　course；　under　our　usage；　he　had　become　a　private　citizen；　and　was　no　more　entitled　to　official　recognition　than　any　other　citizen。　　This　was　well　known　in　the　diplomatic　circles。　When　the　ambassadors　and　ministers　of　foreign　countries　in　London　were　appealed　to；　they　unanimously　said　that　as　they　represented　their　sovereigns　they　could　not　yield　precedence　to　General　Grant；　but　he　must　sit　at　the　foot　of　the　table。　　The　Prince　of　Wales　solved　this　question　with　his　usual　tact　and　wisdom。　　Under　the　recognized　usage　at　any　entertainment；　the　Prince　of　Wales　can　select　some　person　as　his　special　guest　to　sit　at　his　right；　and；　therefore；　precede　everybody　else。　　The　prince　made　this　suggestion　to　our　minister　and　performed　this　courteous　act　at　all　functions　given　to　General　Grant。　　Queen　Victoria　supplemented　this　by　extending　the　same　invitation　to　General　and　Mrs。　Grant　to　dine　and　spend　the　night　with　her　at　Windsor　Castle；　which　was　extended　only　to　visiting　royalty。

I　remember　that　the　Army　of　the　Potomac　was　holding　its　annual　meeting　and　commemoration　at　one　of　our　cities　when　the　cable　announced　that　General　Grant　was　being　entertained　by　Queen　Victoria　at　Windsor　Castle。　　The　conventions　of　diplomacy；　which　requires　all　communications　to　pass　through　the　ambassador　of　one's　country　to　the　foreign　minister　of　another　country　before　it　can　reach　the　sovereign　were　not　known　to　these　old　soldiers；　so　they　cabled　a　warm　message　to　General　Grant；　care　of　Queen　Victoria；　Windsor　Castle；　England。

One　of　the　most　defightful　bits　of　humor　in　my　recollections　of　journalistic　enterprise　was　an　editorial　by　a　Mr。　Alden；　one　of　the　editors　of　the　New　York　Times。　　Mr。　Alden　described　with　great　particularity；　as　if　giving　the　details　of　the　occurrence；　that　the　messenger…boy　arrived　at　Windsor　Castle　during　the　night　and　rang　the　front　door…belI；　that　Her　Majesty　called　out　of　the　window　in　quite　American　style；　〃Who　is　there？〃　and　the　messenger…boy　shouted；　〃Cable　for　General　Grant。　　Is　he　staying　at　this　house？〃　I　can　only　give　a　suggestion　of　Alden's　fun；　which　shook　the　whole　country。

One　of　the　court　officers　said　to　me　during　the　jubilee：　　〃Royalties　are　here　from　every　country；　and　among　those　who　have　come　over　is　Liliuokalani；　Queen　of　the　Hawaiian　Islands。　　She　is　as　insistent　of　her　royal　rights　as　the　Emperor　of　Germany。　　We　have　consented　that　she　should　be　a　guest　at　a　dinner　of　our　queen　and　spend　the　night　at　Windsor　Castle。　　We　have　settled　her　place　among　the　royalties　in　the　procession　through　London　and　offered　her　the　hussars　as　her　guard　of　honor。　　She　insists；　however；　that　she　shall　have　the　same　as　the　other　kings；　a　company　of　the　guards。　　Having　recognized　her；　we　are　obliged　to　yield。〃　　The　same　officer　told　me　that　at　the　dinner　the　dusky　queen　said　to　Queen　Victoria：　　〃Your　Majesty；　I　am　a　blood　relative　of　yours。〃

〃How　so？〃　was　the　queen's　astonished　answer。

〃Why；〃　said　Liliuokalani；　〃my　grandfather　ate　your　Captain　Cook。〃



One　of　the　most　interesting　of　the　many　distinguished　men　who　were　either　guests　on　the　Teutonic　or　visited　us　was　Admiral　Lord　Charles　Beresford。　　He　was　a　typical　sailor　of　the　highest　class　and　very　versatile。　　He　made　a　good　speech；　either　social　or　political；　and　was　a　delightful　companion　on　all　occasions。　　He　had　remarkable　adventures　all　over　the　world；　and　was　a　word　painter　of　artistic　power。　　He　knew　America　well　and　was　very　sympathetic　with　our　ideals。　　I　met　him　many　times　in　many　relations　and　always　with　increasing　regard　and　esteem。

I　was　entertained　by　Lord　Beresford　once　in　the　most　original　way。　He　had　a　country　place　about　an　hour　from　London　and　invited　me　to　come　down　on　a　Sunday　afternoon　and　meet　some　friends。　　It　was　a　delightful　garden…party　on　an　ideal　English　summer　day。　　He　pressed　me　to　stay　for　dinner；　saying：　　〃There　will　be　a　few　friends　coming；　whom　I　am　anxious　for　you　to　know。〃

The　friends　kept　coming；　and　after　a　while　Lady　Beresford　said　to　him：　　〃We　have　set　all　the　tables　we　have　and　the　dining…room　and　the　adjoining　room　can　hold。　　How　many　have　you　invited？〃

The　admiral　answered：　　〃I　cannot　remember；　but　if　we　delay　the　dinner　until　a　quarter　of　nine；　I　am　sure　they　will　all　be　here。〃

When　we　sat　down　we　numbered　over　fifty。　　Lord　Charles's　abounding　and　irresistible　hospitality　had　included　everybody　whom　he　had　met　the　day　before。

The　butler　came　to　Lord　Charles　shortly　after　we　sat　down　and　said：　　〃My　lord；　it　is　Sunday　night；　and　the　shops　are　all　closed。　We　can　add　nothing　to　what　we　have　in　the　house；　and　the　soup　has　given　out。〃

〃Well；〃　said　this　admirable　strategist；　〃commence　with　those　for　whom　you　have　no　soup　with　the　fish。　　When　the　fish　gives　out；　start　right　on　with　the　next　course；　and　so　to　the　close　of　the　dinner。　　In　that　way　everybody　will　get　something。〃

After　a　while　the　butler　again　approached　the　admiral　and　said：　〃My　lord；　the　champagne　is　all　gone。〃

〃Well；〃　said　Lord　Charles；　〃start　in　on　cider。〃

It　was　a　merry　company；　and　they　all　caught　on　to　the　situation。　The　result　was　one　of　the　most　hilarious；　enjoyable；　and　original　entertainments　of　my　life。　　It　lasted　late；　and　everybody　with　absolute　sincerity　declared　he　or　she　had　had　the　best　time　ever。

I　was　asked　to　meet　Lord　John　Fisher；　in　a　way　a　rival　of　Lord　Beresford。　　Both　were　exceedingly　able　and　brilliant　officers　and　men　of　achievement；　but　they　were　absolutely　unlike；　one　had　all　the　characteristics　of　the　Celt　and　the　other　of　the　Saxon。

One　of　the　most　interesting　things　in　Lord　Fisher's　talk；　especially　in　view　of　later　developments；　was　his　description　of　the　discoveries　and　annexations　to　the　British　Empire；　made　by　the　British　navy。　　In　regard　to　this　he　said：　　〃The　British　navy　had　been　acquiring　positions　of　strategic　importance　to　the　safety　and　growth　of　the　empire　from　time　immemorial；　and　some　fool　of　a　prime　minister　on　a　pure　matter　of　sentiment　is　always　giving　away　to　our　possible　enemies　one　or　the　other　of　these　advantageous　positions。〃　　He　referred　especially　to　Heligoland；　the　gift　of　which　to　Germany　had　taken　place　not　long　before。　　If　Heligoland；　fortified　like　Gibraltar；　had　remained　in　the　possession　of　the　British　Government；　Germany　would　not　have　ventured　upon　the　late　war。

Lord　Fisher　exemplified　what　I　have　often　met　with　in　men　who　have　won　eminent　distinction　in　some　career；　whose　great　desire　was　to　have　fame　in　another　and　entirely　different　one。　　Apparently　he　wished　his　friends　and　those　he　met　to　believe　that　he　was　the　best　storyteller　in　the　world；　that　he　had　the　largest　stock　of　original　anecdotes　and　told　them　better　than　anybody　else。　I　found　that　he　was　exceedingly　impatient　and　irritable　when　any　one　else　started　the　inevitable　〃that　reminds　me；〃　and　he　was　intolerant　with　the　story　the　other　was　trying　to　tell。　　But　I　discovered；　also；　that　most　of　his　stories；　though　told　with　great　enthusiasm；　were　very　familiar；　or；　as　we　Americans　would　say；　〃chestnuts。〃

During　my　summer　vacations　I　spent　two　weeks　or　more　at　Homburg；　the　German　watering…pIace。　　It　was　at　that　time　the　most　interesting　resort　on　the　continent。　　The　Prince　of　Wales；　afterwards　King　Edward　VII；　was　always　there；　and　his　sister；　the　Dowager　Empress　of　Germany；　had　her　castle　within　a　few　miles。　　It　was　said　that　there　was　a　quorum　of　both　Houses　of　Parliament　in　Homburg　while　the　prince　was　there；　but　his　presence　also　drew　representatives　from　every　department　of　English　life；　the　bench　and　the　bar；　writers　of　eminence　of　both　sexes；　distinguished　artists；　and　people　famous　on　both　the　dramatic　and　the　operatic　stage。　　The　prince；　with　keen　discrimination；　had　these　interesting　people　always　about　him。　　There　were　also　social　leaders；　whose　entertainments　were　famous　in　London；　who　did　their　best　to　add　to　the　pleasure　of　the　visit　of　the　prince。　　I　met　him　frequently　and　was　often　his　guest　at　his　luncheons　and　dinners。　　He　fell　in　at　once　in　the　Homburg　way。

The　routine　of　the　cure　was　to　be　at　t