28 REMINISCENCES OF 



them Horrocks exclaimed, ' How on earth did they 

 ever get so many screws together ? ' They have a 

 splendid room at the palace built of marble ; the 

 walls are a yellowish sort of marble, and there is a 

 gallery supported by white columns, and all sculp- 

 tured at the top. It is quite splendid when lighted. 

 German is rather a stiff language. Captain Leth- 

 bridge cannot get out any of the gutturals and is 

 quite in despair ; but I am not, for I can speak to 

 the servant, who says ' water ' in English and ' ques- 

 kesay ' in a sort of German gibberish. We are going 

 to a soiree to-night at Tomline's, I received a letter 

 from Aunt Louisa at the same time as yours. We 

 get English papers here, and I see that Admiral 

 Fleming lost his election and something about a fire 

 at Edinburgh. Let me hear about it. I have no- 

 thing more to say, but I thought it a good oppor- 

 tunity to write, so I shall stop as I have no more 

 time, 



" So good-bye, 

 " Your affec. 



"John A. Thomson. 



" I have directed this to Charleton, as you may 

 have returned there before Miller has arrived, and I 

 have enclosed it." 



In the spring we went to Berlin, and saw a good 

 many reviews, and became very intimate with a 

 number of German officers. One day, when we had 

 stopped for luncheon in a wood, we found a chap 

 hanging on a tree. He was quite dry, like a mummy. 



