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22 December 1869 — Madrid | |
Wednesday. 22nd [December 1869]. In the papers we got to day saw the notice of the birth of a daughter on the 16th at Uffington—also that Adeline had a boy the same day. I wrote to her & Felicia and also several other letters. At 2 Genl Prim’s little girl with her English nurse came to see me. She is a most precocious child of 7—small of her age tho’ beautifully dressed. I asked her if she liked games—she said yes—backgammon & dominos. I said did she like dancing. She replied very much– Which do you like best. Her answer was Dancing naturally—it amuses one more! At ½ past 2 I went out with Mme Canitz & her young cousin. They fetched me in the carriage and we drove to the Buen Retiro gardens & took a walk. It was not very pleasant—as it was cold & windy—but one can get a good walk there as the gardens are large & all the private park that belonged to the late Queen has been thrown open. We walked for about an hour & then Mme Canitz brought me home. I had hardly taken my bonnet off when I had a visit from a Mrs Lilburn & her son & daughter in law (a Spanish lady); also one of the French attachés. When they were gone the Dutch Minister came & was very agreeable & talkative but we wished he had not sat with us quite so long (as seems to be the fashion here) for our crockery had just arrived from England & we were unpacking it. After dinner Mr & Mrs Hunt came in also M. Cerruti (the Italian Minister) & later Mr Ashburnham & M. Weisweiller. Mrs Hunt sang a good deal to us & was in wonderfully good voice. She certainly sings better than any amateur I have ever heard both in quantity & quality of voice & execution. Mr Hunt had a cold & could not sing. She sang out of the Puritani & the Sonnambula most magnificently. We separated about 12. | |
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