Count de M., when Minister at Stockholm, was staying at the house of the Count d’Uglas, after the Countess and his young daughter, who was in a bad state of health, had left him on their way to Paris. One morning he told the Count and Countess d’Uglas that he had passed a very uncomfortable night, for that he had continually seen a kneeling figure, sometimes on one, sometimes on the other side of his bed, and that, though the back was turned to him, it perfectly resembled his daughter. The impression was so strong upon his mind that he sketched the figure, which, in fact, did resemble hers. On comparing dates, it afterwards appeared that his daughter had died at that very time.[[112]]
An old woman, who died a few years ago in Ireland, had a nephew, a lawyer, to whom she left by will all she possessed. She happened to have a favourite cat, who never left her, and even remained by the corpse after her death. After the will was read in the adjoining room, on opening the door the cat sprang at the lawyer, seized him by the throat, and was with difficulty prevented from strangling him. This man died about eighteen months after this scene, and on his death-bed confessed that he had murdered his aunt to get possession of her money.
Lord Nelson, writing to the Admiralty for supplies at a time when his squadron stood in great need of them (in the year 1799, I think), said: “We must have them from home, for Spain would not, Naples and Sicily could not, and Sardinia ought not, to supply them.”
CHAPTER XI.
ANECDOTES—TALLEYRAND—CHARLES ALBERT—Masséna—FERDINAND OF SPAIN—LORD WELLESLEY—ALFIERI—CHARLES X.—DEATH OF MISS KNIGHT.
[In July, 1834, Miss Knight again crossed the Channel, and renewed her acquaintance with many of her old friends in Paris, which she left for Nice in the last week in October. Here she remained until the latter part of July, 1835, when she proceeded to Turin. Some of the anecdotes recorded in her journal, during this period of her life, though not all new, are worth preserving.]
The young King of Naples [the late monarch], while reviewing his cavalry the other day (September, 1834), was displeased at the manner in which they performed their manœuvres, and, to punish them, led them to the bank of a river, into which he plunged, swam his horse across, and made them do the same, to their great astonishment.
A man, who squints very much, was talking to M. de Talleyrand about public affairs, and wound up by saying: “Enfin, Prince, tout va de travers.” To which the other replied: “Oui, monsieur, comme vous voyez.”
It is said that in a late debate which terminated in the resignation of several of the Ministers, Lord Stanley handed over to Sir James Graham a scrap of paper, on which he had written with a pencil: “Johnny will upset the coach”—meaning, of course, Lord John Russell.