Of course I stayed with him; but we had nobody to cook for us, nor
anything to eat in the house except bread and olives. I went to the
pantry and foraged, and with this simple fare ate my Christmas dinner
by his bedside.
We stopped in Trieste eight days, just to pack up and complete
arrangements for our tour; and on the last day of the old year we left
for Jeddah. We were aware that we were starting for India two or three
months too late, and would have to encounter the heat and fatal season
to accomplish it; but as Richard said, "Consuls, like beggars, can't be
choosers," and we were only too glad to be able to go at all. Everybody
was most kind to us, and a lot of friends came to a parting midday
dinner, and accompanied us to our ship to see us off. The Government
boat, containing the _Capitaine du Port_ and the sailors, in uniform,
took us to our ship, an honour seldom accorded to any but high Austrian
officials; and the Duke of Wurtemberg, Command-in-chief at Trieste, and
several others came to wish us "God-speed." I shall never forget their
kindness, for I appreciated the honour which they did to Richard. It
is strange how much more willing those in authority abroad were to do
him justice than the Government at home.
The run from Trieste to Port Said occupied six days and six nights. Our
ship was the Calypso (Austrian Lloyd's), a good old tub, originally built
for a cattleboat. We were the only passengers, and, with the captain and
his officers, we made a family party, and I was never more comfortable
on board ship in my life.
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