Litchfield enquirer., 1874-11-12
Every Saturday. HOTEL INCIDENT IN TAe RIVIERA.


 HOTEL INCIDENT IN Tile RIVIERA No one who has sojourned for whil' in the Riviera is surprised at the crowds of foreigners that are collected from al parts of Europe into its various nOoks aut retreats. We English go there to escap' mist and fog: the Russians, to avoid ex treme cold; the invalid Germans, to put barrier between themselves and the with ering east wind. Some, again, visit 1t fo other than sanitary reasons. Monaco witl it's gambling attractions entices and de talns some, and the mere enjoyment of climate luxurious even i'll winter invite many more.
 We-that is, my wife and myself-wer enjoying few weeks at one of the larg, hotels that are so numerously dotted Hyeres, Cannes, or Nice, at Monaco O. Mentone, Bordighera or San Reno, sa vona or Pegli; or it might have been at nc one of all these.
 We had been staying-it is sufficient tt week, when there appeared at the table as dinner was over, my wife found herself
 
 discovered that the new arrival had enter ed himself as the Baron 4Ionteggiana Tavernelle. We were chiefly English d the hotel, there was no Italian there, anc our acquaintance with the national Burke was limited; so we easily accepted the the ory that this lengthy appellation was ont of the most ancient titles in the land. w were subsequently, informed by the baror that it was Sicilian, which made our igno rance the more excusable.
 don think it was his title, OF, at least it was not only that, which made us all SC charmed with him. It must have been ''his noble bearing. his perfect manners, his evident desire to please, his modest evasion of all topics bearing on his own career, and his handsome face. He ap- peared to be about thirty years of age, his black hair was as glossy as raven plum age, and his black, flashing eyes betrayed passionate soul; while his thick mous- tache framed, rather than concealed, 8 smile that lrradiated his intellectual coun- tenance with sweetness and light
 Such, at least, was the description given of him in one Of my wife's letters to my mother-in-law; and I am glad happened to look into that letter, as it has saved me some little trouble i'll attempting to de- scribe him in words of my own.
 The baron mixed very little with his own countrymen, and as I ventured to my wife, seemed rather shy of them. He never went to the public amusements, and declined to subscribe to the Circolo. She explained to me in reply, that he was the only nobleman in the place, and was per- haps, little naughty towards his com of lower rank. He had also in- formed her himself, that he had selected our hotel for the express purpose of mix ing with the English, as he was expecting shortly to receive a government appoint ment, and for the better discharge of his duties, little knowledge of English was desirable.
 l should have mentioned before. that only speak my own language; but my wife can converse in Italian with ease and huency, and the baron very naturally talk ed with her good deal, and occasionally cOndescended to speak to me by her in- n. ..A Shortly after the arrival of Baron Mont eggiana-Tavernelle, We were further en- hvened bT another, This time it was a Russian lady, attended by her maid. There were no other Russians at the Hotel du Bon Viyant, and she appeared to have come there rather from necessity than by choice, as there were no rooms vacant in the inn usually frequented by those of her nation. She declined to enter her name ln the visitors book, and for the first two or three days dined in her own room, and held alOof from the rest of us. This, add ed to the effect produced by a stateliness, not to say grandeur, of department, and rich sobriety of dress prepared us all for the discovery which in few days ooZed out, that she was Russian princess, a widow, who wished to remain incogaita, and to live quietly in the enjoyment of an freedom from the obliga- tions of nobiHty-an enjoyment beyond her command at home.
 We never fully understand how this oozed ont. Her female attendant could nothing, and therefore could divulge nothing. The maitre d'hotel as- sured his guests that he knew no more than the rest of the world; and. by his shruggings, his self contradic- tions, and, above all, by his manner, im- pressed us all with the firm belief that there was a secret in his possession. This, of course, confirmed the truth of the re- port, and 1t became an established fact that the lady was Russian princess
 After a few days of seclusion, she to make her appearance at the tabled 'hote, and retired with the rest of the ladies to the Salle des Danes after wards. Then it was that the baron exhib- ited his inborn as we'll as inherited nobil- ity. He attended to her little wants, placed her an arm chair by the fragrant wood-fire, and, on receiving her thanks in his mother tongue.-his parents pride had no doubt prevented him from learn ing any other,-he entered into respect full and courtly conversation with her. There were plenty of other men in the room who could have done it; but the bar on was naturally the Attest person to be- gin; and l will give him credit for bound less self-possession-not to call it impu- dence.
 The acquaintance thus begun grew with 6 tropical rapidity. The cold northern tenn perament softly but quickly thawed be- heath the warm rays of Italian sweetness and light. Fragments of their talk occa- sionally reached the ears of my wife and others who could understand them, from which it appeared that their main topic was the opera.
 "Ah, madame, ,"-he was interpreted to me as saylng,-'tif I could but be honored with your presence in my box at Florencel The music would be angelic then
 "The signor does me a great favor Tn expressing the wish.'' . sa@ Yes; it was clear that he was hard hit. and that she knew it, and had no desire to dismiss him. And yet she was in no single point guilty of indiscretion, forwardness, or coquetry, in my opinion.
 5 ''That woman" said my wife sis abo- minable! Look how she hunts that poor man down. I suppose she fancies Sicily a nicer country than Siberia, or wherever it is she comes from" .. } Well, my dear," replied, ''it seems to ne that the hunting is mutual. Real. ly, I don't see why he shouldn't marry her, if they both like it."
 ''She may be mere tuft-hunting ad. venturess, for all we know" sad she. s.I don't believe in her, 5 Well, but perhaps he knows more than we do."
 '1 don't believe in her a bit. She's hunting him down for his wealth and title and is as much princess as am!''