Lausanne Hotel Riche-Mont
Wednesday 10th August
My dear Papa,
On getting here yesterday from Vevey, we went immediately to M. Sigismund Marcel, where we found the Letter of Credit awaiting us. He was very civil, and made no difficulty at all about giving us money at the reasonable rate of 24f. 60c for the English pound, instead of the exhorbitant <sic> prices which some people had to pay for gold last week, and which had rather alarmed us. But now we are assured that by some arrangement made by the federal Council such a crisis is not likely to occur here again. As the Post was already gone (at 11 o’clock) we thought it best to send you a telegram conceived in these terms, which I myself wrote down very distinctly, & so I hope it was correctly transmitted – “Letter of Credit received. We remain here for the present. All well.” Thus you will know that we are in safety in this peaceable little corner of the world, until we are able to see our way clearly as to getting home. I am afraid there has been some delay in the English post, so that perhaps you have not received our last letter quite regularly. Mamie & I wrote a joint letter to Ela, on Tuesday the 2nd at the moment of our starting for Domo d’Ossola, from Baveno; and I have since written twice to Mama from Vevey on the 7th & 8th. I also wrote to Tilly from Brieg on the 5th and Mamie from Vevey on the 8th. I received two letters from you, and one from Mama and Ela at Vevey. Yesterday we called at Ouchy, Hotel de l’Ancre, to see if there were any letters lying for us there, but found none. But if any come today they will send them up. We thought it more convenient to stay here (in this nice Hotel patronised by Mrs Traherne & the Misses Lewis) rather than at Ouchy, so as to be more nearer to the railway station, and all the other commodities of a town. You do not know how many plans we have formed and changed about our journey, for one hears so many rumours and contrary reports. However yesterday it seemed certain that the idea of passing through Paris was an impossibility for the moment; so we have determined to pay a visit to the English Consul at Geneva (returning here in the evening), to ask his advice, get our passports visés &c if necessary, and will write and tell you what we learn from him. Giacomo remains with us until we have provided ourselves with another servants <sic>.
I do not speak of the sad events which succeed each other with such terrible rapidity; the best we can hope for is that such a war cannot be otherwise than of short duration, unless indeed other nations are drawn in to abandon their wise neutrality. The weather is very much spoilt. It rains every day, and is beginning to feel quite autumnal.
La Gazette de Genevè of this morning announces that several departments of France have been declared in a state of siege, so there will be no passing through them. We are all very well, and quite ready to start the minute we find out which is the most practicable way.
With Mamie’s love & mine to all, I am dear Papa, your most affectionate daughter
Monie