A Pleasant Mistake.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 4124, 22 September 1883, Page 3 (Supplement)

A Pleasant Mistake.

Is the mouth of Septembei', 183 a young French officer arrived at Vienna and alighted at the Hotel do l'Archduc Charles. It was yet early, so lie determined lie would have a look at the town before dinner. He sallied forth, and by dinner-time had lost his way. 1 His perplexity was all the greater, as lie spoke no German ; but, by dint of in" quiry and repeating the words, " Hotel Archduke Charles," he at length lighted on a good Samaritan, who took him to the gates of an imposing-looking mansion. The young Frenchman said to himself, ''How odd. I fancied the house was not half so stylish as this." He gave up his great coat and hat to the servants, and was ushered into a dining room, where covers were laid for twenty. He sat down and made himself at home, and helped himself to the caviare and hers cVteuvres —began dinner, in fact, and was lamenting that Vienna tables d'hote were not better attended, when the door opened, and there entered a fine-looking old gentleman, accompanied by a very young lady and about a dozen other guest?. The Frenchman, after the habit of his nation,

rose and bowed when they had taken their seats, and continued his' dinner with the greatest composure. Presently the conversation became general, and the Frenchman mentioned to liis neighbour that he regretted he was debarred from taking part in it, as he knew nothing but French. The fine old gentleman at the head of the table eTidently heard the remark and understood it, as he continued the conversation in French. The young officer was delighted at this mark of courtesy, and said something very civil about the pleasant people to be met with at Vienna tables d'hote. ■ —and, dinner over, went up to the fine old gentleman and said, " I am going to play now, but I shall be staying here a few days. May I hope you are staying some little time in the house, and that we shall see more of each other ':" With that he made his bow and went out. After t!io play a cab took him back to his hotel, and he went to sleep contrasting the difference between the splendour of the dinner and the shabbiness of the sleeping apartments. Next morning he had an explanation. He received a. mossage from Count Mensdorff, who told him that his Imperial Highness the Archduke Charles, with whom he had dined the previous day, would be glad to .sec him every day during his stay in Vienna. The mistake was soon cleared up. Instead of dining at the " Archduke Charles " hotel a» he supposed, he had dined at the palace of Archduke Charles !