The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-11-27
HOTEL.INCIDENT IN THE RIVIERA.


HOTEL-INCIDENT In THE RIVIERA
No one who has sojourned for a while
in the Riviera is surprised at the crowds
of foreigners that are collected from al
parts of Europe into its various hooks
and retreats. We English go there tc
escape mist and fog the Russians, to
avoid extreme cold the invalid Ger.
mans, TO put a barrier between them.
selves and the whitening east wind.
Some again visit it for other than SAM
tary reasons. Monaco, with its gam
bling attractions, entices and detains
some, and the mere enjoyment of eli
mate luxurious even III winter invites
many more.
We-that is, my wife and myself
were enjoying few weeks at one of the
large hotels that are so numerously
dotted along this coast. 1t might have
been at Hyeres, Cannes, or Nice, at
Monaco or Mentone, Bordighera or San
Reno, Savona or Pegi or it might
have been at no one of all these.
We had been staying-it is sufficient
to say-at the Hotel du Bon Vivant
about week, when there appeared at
the table d'hote very striking person
age. AS soon as dinner was over, my
wife found herself (by accident) near
the visitors book and discovered that
the new arrival had entered himself as
the Baron Monteggiana-Tave
We were chiefly English at the hotel,
quaintance with the national Burke was
limited f; SO we easily accepted the the
DRY that this lengthy appellation was
one of the most ancient titles in the
land. We were subsequently informed
by the Baron that it was Sicilian, which
made our ignorance the more excusable.
l don't think it was his title, or, at
least, it was not only that, which made
us all so charmed with him. It must
have been "his noble bearing, his per.
feet manners, his evident desire to
please, his modest evasion of all topics
beayng on his own career, and his
handsome face. He was apparently
about 30 years of age, his black hair was
as glossy as a ravens plumage, and his
black flashing eyes betrayed a passion.
ate soul while his thick mustache
framed, rather than concealed, a smile
ance 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 / am glad
happened to look into that letter, as il
has saved me some little trouble in at
tempting to describe him in words Of
my Own.
The Baron mixed very little with IL
own countrymen, and, as l ventured tC
suggest 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 noble
man in the place, and was, perhaps, 6
little naughty toward his compatriots Of
lower rank. He had also informed
her himself that he had selected oul
hotel for the express purpose of mixing
with the English, as he was expecting
shortly to receive governmental APP
pointment, and for the better discharge
of his prospective duties, little knowl
edge of English was desirable.
should have mentioned before tina,
I only speak my OWE language but my
wife can converse in Italian with ease
and fuency, and the Baron very natural
ly talked with her good deal, and oc
casionally condescended to speak to me
by her Interpretation.
Shortly after the arrival of the Baron
Monteggiana-Tave we were fur
ther enllvened by another. This time
it was Russian lady, attended by her
maid. There were no other Russians
at the Hotel du Bon Vivant and she ap
peared to have come there rather from
necessity than by choice, as there were
no rooms vacant in the inn usually fire.
quented by those of her nation. She
declined to enter her name in the visi.
tors book, and for the first two or three
days dined ia her own room, and held
aloof FROM the rest of us. This, added
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 Prin-
cess, q widow, who wished to remain in
cognita, and to live quietly in the en-
Joyment of an unconventional freedom
from the obligations of nobility-an
enjoyment beyond her command at
home.
We never fully understood how this
oozed out. Her female attendant could
understand nothing, and therefore
could divulge nothing. The maitre
motel assured his guests that he knew
no more than the rest of the world and,
by his mysterious shruggings, his self.
contradictions, and, above all, by his
manner, impressed us all with the firm
belief that there was a secret in his pos