Valençay, September 27, 1842.—I did not know that the question of a marriage between the Prince de Joinville and one of the Brazilian Princesses had been discussed. I was under the impression that these Princesses could not leave Brazil unless their brother, the Emperor, who is not yet married, should have children. I am also astonished that the French Queen does not feel some misgivings concerning the breeding and education of these Princesses. Moreover, what reason is there for such extreme haste in marrying a young man who is a sailor by profession, and has three brothers and three nephews already? The only result will be a number of collateral branches which the division of inheritances and the increasing stinginess of the Chambers will reduce to poverty, so that they will soon become a burden upon the head of the family.
Valençay, October 5, 1842.—I have some reason to believe that Princess Marie of Baden is to marry the Marquis of Douglas; at any rate, the newspapers do not know the whole truth.
I shall leave here on the 15th, dine at Tours with the unfortunate d'Entraigues, who have just lost a daughter in very sad circumstances, and shall reach Rochecotte for the night. I prefer a long day's travelling to the fatigue and the cold of the inns at this time of year. M. Royer-Collard, whom I could not possibly have gone to see at Châteauvieux in consequence of the bad state of the roads, has been so kind as to come here; this attention at his age, and with his feeble health, has touched me deeply. He spoke to me of his domestic life, and of his nearest interests, and seems to care little about anything else.
Rochecotte, October 16, 1842.—I reached here yesterday evening to pass the night. There is always a special delight about home which is not to be found elsewhere. At the same time I am sorry to leave Valençay. They were most attentive to me, and the whole neighbourhood is always kind. I am very fond of my son and his society, and nowhere are remembrances so numerous and so powerful as at Valençay.
A surprising and wonderful event has taken place at Nice, in which all the parties are known to me: their truth, their uprightness, their faith and enlightenment are incontestable. The eldest daughter of the Comte de Maistre[ [70] had been crippled for months by a twisted leg, and suffered desperate pain, screaming night and day; the doctors were in despair, and spoke of gangrene and amputation. She has just been entirely cured by ten minutes' fervent prayer in the presence of twelve people who were in the room, and to the knowledge of the whole town of Nice. The prayers were offered by Mlle. Nathalie de Komar, who has been a great mystic for some years. The cure is complete, and the malady was desperate. The young invalid is herself a saint, and intends to be a Sister of Charity. Such an event confuses and overwhelms the mind; it can neither be explained nor disputed under the circumstances which occurred. One can but be silent, and bow the head in adoration.
Rochecotte, October 17, 1842.—I am somewhat wearied by my journey of yesterday. The priest came to tell me that he had been awaiting my return to place the stations of the Cross in his church. One of the Grand Vicars of Tours had just arrived to perform the ceremony at which I was obliged to be present. It was pretty and touching but the procession especially was tiring: then the church is a long distance away; it is a bad road to drive and too long to walk and, in short, the whole affair left me exhausted.
I have heard from Pauline on the 8th from the villa Melzi and on the 10th from Milan. She is quite delighted by everything that she sees, astonished at the tasteful splendour of the villa and touched by the gracious and kind welcome of the family. I am delighted that my daughter should find this journey pleasant, as it has cost her a good deal to undertake it.
Rochecotte, October 19, 1842.—Yesterday I had a letter from Berlin which says that the ex-King of the Low Countries, the Count of Nassau, will very probably return to the Hague. It is thought that he will take his daughter with him,[ [71] as a means of extricating her quietly from her false position with reference to her husband and the whole Court. She was allowed to appear at the marriage celebration of Princess Marie of Prussia with the Grand Prince of Bavaria, but her husband, Prince Albert, excused himself on the ground of illness, did not put in an appearance and declines to see his wife again. I know that Princess Marianne is regarded as flighty, but on my last journey to Berlin she was supposed to be on better terms with her very disagreeable husband. Something must, therefore, recently have happened.
Rochecotte, October 27, 1842.—At Berlin I had heard some mention, not of a huntsman of Prince Albert but of a Stallmeister or whipper-in who used to ride alone with the Princess on her excursions in Silesia, but I can hardly believe this story, though it seems to have gained ground.
Rochecotte, November 3, 1842.—English aristocracy is greatly disturbed by the story of Prince George of Cambridge and Lady Blanche Somerset. What will become of her? A daughter of a private individual, whatever his rank, could not marry a prince who might be called to the succession.[ [72]