A Royal Visit . 369 



Two days before I left, Her jNIajesty visited the hospital, and 

 came to my room. Sitting down on my sofa she took a small 

 parcel and a photograph out of her pocket. The parcel con- 

 tained a black brooch ot onyx, with a locket at its back. 

 Cutting with a pair of scissors her photograph to the proper 

 size and fitting it in the locket, she gave me the brooch, re- 

 questing me always to wear it in remembrance of her ; she had 

 worn it herself in very sad moments. Much affected by this 

 great kindness of my most gracious sovereign I put on the 

 brooch, and inclined to superstitious ideas as I am, I imagined 

 it was a kind of talisman protecting me against evil, which I 

 must guard like the apple of my eye. As the fastening seemed 

 to me not secure enough, I went on my return to Coblentz to 

 Mrs. Goldschmidt the jeweller, and asked her to make me an 

 extra chain as an additional security, but she laughed at me 

 and said that the fastening was as secure as could be. Still it 

 was not so. When I, one evening, undressed, I discovered 

 with dismay that this my supposed talisman was gone : and I 

 became the more excited, as I never lost anything and now 

 imagined that my good luck was lost with it also. I advertised 

 in several papers offering a reward exceeding the value of the 

 brooch, but in vain ; it was not found, at least not restored to 

 me. I was really afraid to meet Her Majesty again, and when 

 a friendly lady advised me to buy a similar brooch, assuring 

 me that the Empress would not become aware of the change, 

 I could not follow her advice, as it was repugnant to my feel- 

 ings. The Empress did not notice my loss, but I always felt 

 guiky for not confessing it to her. 



When I returned to Coblentz I was very sad and uncomfor- 

 table in my lodging, where everything reminded me of the 

 happy past. Moreover it had never agreed altogether with my 

 ideas of a home, and to live now with other people in the same 

 house was insupportable to me ; I wanted a home where I was 

 not disturbed by others. Much as I would have liked to re- 

 .main in Coblentz, where I had so many kind friends, I could 

 not find such a small house as I wanted, but in Bonn, which 

 place I liked always very much, I was fortunate enough to find 

 one which suited me in every respect, and which I rented 

 for a less price than I paid for my lodgings in Coblentz. The 

 house belonged to the banker of Bonn, Mr. Cahn, who had 

 fitted it up very tastefully for his recently deceased wife, while 



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