subject—­her brother’s delicate health, accustomed to all the comforts and what the books call “higher civilisation” of Europe, able to do good service in courts and society, as he knew everybody.  It was a pity to send him to such an out-of-the-way place, with an awful climate,—­any consul’s clerk would do as well.  I supposed he had been named to Caracas, South America, or some other remote and unhealthy part of the globe, but when she stopped for a moment, I discovered that the young man was named to Washington.  I was really surprised, didn’t know what to say at once, when the absurdity of the thing struck me and I answered that Washington was far, perhaps across the ocean, but there were compensations—­but she took up her argument again, such an impossible place, everything so primitive, I really think she thought the youth was going to an Indian settlement, all squaws and wigwams and tomahawks.  I declined any interference with the minister’s appointments, assuring her I had no influence whatever, and she took leave of me very icily.  I heard the sequel afterward—­the young man refused the post as quite unworthy of him.  There were several others ready and pleased to take it, and M. de X. was put en disponibilite.

We saw too that year for the first time the Grand Duke Alexander of Russia (later Emperor Alexander III, whose coronation we went to at Moscow) and the Grande Duchesse Marie.  Prince Orloff arranged the interview, as he was very anxious that the Grand Duke should have some talk with W. They were in Paris for three or four days, staying at the Hotel Bristol, where they received us.  He was a tall, handsome man, with a blond beard and blue eyes, quite the Northern type.  She recalled her sister (Queen Alexandra), not quite so tall, but with the same gracious manner and beautiful eyes.  The Grand Duke talked a great deal, principally politics, to W. He expressed himself very doubtfully about the stability of the Republic, and was evidently worried over the possibility of a general amnesty, “a very dangerous measure which no government should sanction.”  W. assured him there would be no general amnesty, but he seemed sceptical, repeated several times:  “Soyez stable, soyez ferme.”  The Grande Duchesse talked to me about Paris, the streets were so gay, the shops so tempting, and all the people so smiling and happy.  I suppose the contrast struck her, coming from Russia where the people look sad and listless.  I was much impressed with their sad, repressed look when we were in Russia for the coronation—­one never heard people laugh or sing in the streets—­and yet we were there at a time of great national rejoicings, amusements of all kinds provided for the people.  Their national melodies, volklieder (songs of the people), have always a strain of sadness running through them.  Our conversation was in French, which both spoke very well.