She had been,
and still was, a factor in Cape politics, formerly as a great admirer of
Mr. Rhodes, but after 1896 as one of his bitterest opponents, who used
all her considerable influence--her house being a meeting-place for the
Bond party--against him and his schemes. We had, in fact, been told she
held a sort of political salon, though hardly in the same way we think
of it in England as connected with Lady Palmerston, her guests being
entirely confined to one party--viz., the Dutch. This accounted for a
blunder on my part. Having heard that Mrs. Koopman had been greatly
perturbed by the young Queen of Holland's representations to President
Kruger in favour of the Uitlanders, and seeing many photographs of this
charming-looking girl in the room, I thought I should be right in
alluding to her as "your little Queen." "She is not my Queen," was the
indignant reply; "Queen Victoria is my Queen." And then, quickly turning
to Mr. Baker, she continued: "What have you been telling Lady Sarah to
make her think I am not loyal?" Of course I had to disclaim and
apologize, but, in view of her well-known political opinions and
sympathies, I could not help thinking her extreme indignation a little
unnecessary.
FOOTNOTES:
[9] Lord Randolph Churchill died in January, 1895.
[10] The soldiers' graves in South Africa have since then been carefully
tended by the Loyal Women's Guild.
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