"No," said our host, "you are mistaken; it happened towards the close of the reign of the late King."
Not for a moment or two did those present realise that by "the late King" His Majesty was referring to King William IV, who, sure enough, was strictly "the late King," although full seventy years had passed since the "sailor King" sat on the throne of England, and he had died before anyone then at the table was born. I had occasion to notice also that King Edward was always punctilious to give his predecessors their Royal title. Should anyone, for instance, allude to "the statue of Charles I" at Charing Cross, the King would be sure to reply with a reference to "the statue of King Charles I."
In 1909, the year of the King's last visit to Marienbad, my memory for dates was appealed to at His Majesty's table with regard to the year of Lord Fisher's birth. I answered that the great little "Jacky" was born in the same year as the King and, as it happened, myself. This led to other names, all friends of our host, being similarly mentioned. I told the King that I held the Royal vintage to be a good one. He was both amused and interested, and wished the list of names to be made out for him, adding: "I must ask you all to dinner."
His end
Alas, too soon afterwards came his death—a national sorrow! King Edward impressed the world by his conduct on the throne, which he filled greatly and with a great humanity from the hour he was called to it. He was beloved by all sorts and conditions of men, who felt that when he died they had lost a great friend, the State a great servant, our country a great King. "The King is dead: long live the King."
Of the present Prince of Wales it may be truly said, in the words of Shakespeare: "Thy noble grandfather doth live again in thee."
II
PLACE AUX DAMES
"For some we loved, the loveliest and the best"