delightful; c’est a la fois full of goodness
and sweetness, and very clever and intelligent.”
“Both my cousins,” she added, “are
so kind and good; they are much more formes and men
of the world than Augustus; they speak English very
well, and I speak it with them. Ernest will be
18 years old on the 21st of June, and Albert 17 on
the 26th of August. Dear Uncle Ernest made me
the present of a most delightful Lory, which is so
tame that it remains on your hand and you may put
your finger into its beak, or do anything with it,
without its ever attempting to bite. It is larger
than Mamma’s grey parrot.” A little
later, “I sat between my dear cousins on the
sofa and we looked at drawings. They both draw
very well, particularly Albert, and are both exceedingly
fond of music; they play very nicely on the piano.
The more I see them the more I am delighted with them,
and the more I love them... It is delightful
to be with them; they are so fond of being occupied
too; they are quite an example for any young person.”
When, after a stay of three weeks, the time came for
the young men and their father to return to Germany,
the moment of parting was a melancholy one. “It
was our last happy happy breakfast, with
this dear Uncle and those dearest beloved cousins,
whom I do love so very very dearly;
much more dearly than any other cousins
in the world. Dearly as I love Ferdinand,
and also good Augustus, I love Ernest and Albert more
than them, oh yes, much more... They
have both learnt a good deal, and are very clever,
naturally clever, particularly Albert, who is the most
reflecting of the two, and they like very much talking
about serious and instructive things and yet are so
very very merry and gay and happy, like
young people ought to be; Albert always used to have
some fun and some clever witty answer at breakfast
and everywhere; he used to play and fondle Dash so
funnily too... Dearest Albert was playing on the
piano when I came down. At 11 dear Uncle, my dearest
beloved cousins, and Charles, left us, accompanied
by Count Kolowrat. I embraced both my dearest
cousins most warmly, as also my dear Uncle. I
cried bitterly, very bitterly.” The Princes
shared her ecstasies and her italics between them;
but it is clear enough where her secret preference
lay. “Particularly Albert!” She was
just seventeen; and deep was the impression left upon
that budding organism by the young man’s charm
and goodness and accomplishments, and his large blue
eyes and beautiful nose, and his sweet mouth and fine
teeth.