“She is a dear baby, of whom I am very fond,” said the Queen.
Yolanda’s face turned very serious, and after she looked again at the photograph, she could not abstain from showing a certain contempt.
“Don’t you see how ugly she is, Mamma? Throw it away.”
“You are wrong,” the Queen answered, “you are this baby. It is really you when you were very little.”
Then Yolanda smiled gladly, and changing at once her opinion, she said, with plenty of content: “Oh, yes, she is very handsome. You may keep it.”
Yolanda is in fact so affectionate to her mother that she hates in her heart all those duties which keep the Queen away from her. She, as also Mafalda and Humbert, like much better the beautiful days spent wholly near their parents, among the green hills of Racconigi, Sant’ Anna di Valdiere, and San Rossore.
Victor Emmanuel, leaving all cares of state in the full liberty of his acts, thinks only to play with his children from whom he never is widely separated, and who are really his all-absorbing joy. Even in Rome, the King, his duties accomplished, spends the rest of each day in the intimacy of his family.
CHAPTER VII
THE HEROISM OF QUEEN ELENA
Italy’s Queen has a wonderful reputation the world around for her heroism and daring. More than once she has rendered signal and distinguished service when great disasters have visited her country, so that this reputation is not undeserved.
I have some personal knowledge of this side of her character and it is a privilege to give her full credit. There are other sides of her life as a Queen, however, in which she falls lamentably short of her position. Of these I shall have to speak also.