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2 December 1869 — Madrid | |
Thursday. 2nd December [1869]. At 2 o’cl: the Royal carriages were sent & Henry, Messrs Ffrench & Ashburnham went in uniform to the Palace for Henry to present his credentials to the Regent. In the evening we went to the Opera to the box we have taken every 3rd “turno” of the same box as Mme Montijo takes. We saw Sapho & Tamberlick sang also a woman called Mlle Ferni who sang very well—that is with a small voice but very artistically. They say she has been & still is very ill & has great difficulty in singing. She & her sister used to play the violin in a wonderful way & when the sister died about 4 years ago she gave up the violin & took to singing. We did not stay for the last act but went off to the Palace where Marquis de Cerro introduced me to the Regent & to the Duchess de la Torre– She is still a very beautiful woman very much painted but most successfully for tho’ nearly 40 she looks 25. The Regent is a goodnatured kind of weak looking man & talks very bad French. He was very civil & took me into tea. I made acquaintance with several members of the Dip: Corps & we retired early. There was dancing going on—over a thick carpet! | |
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