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31 March 1870 — Madrid | |
Thursday. 31st [March 1870]. The weather was better. I wrote in the morng & at 3 I & the M went to call on the Dss de la Torre & found her, the Regent & 4 of the children. I showed the M the large Retiro vases & Palmaroli’s Sixtine Chapel wh hangs in the dining room; we then came back & fetched Henry & we went to the Gesusa’s to see the furniture (over from the Palace) Henry wanted to buy & decided on it. We then went to leave some cards & when we came home as my head ached very much I rested till time to dress for dinner. We dined at the French Embassy & the M. & S dined here & went off by the 9 o’cl: train to Seville. The Prims, Dss de la Torre, Senr Blas, Marquis del Cerro, Topete & Sr Alvaredez & some attachés dined there. The Mar: del Cerro took me into dinner & I sat next to Prim who was very agreeable & more talkative then usual. He entered into a discussion with Alvaredez & Blas about the affair in the Cortès which led to the resignation of Topete, which being in Spanish I could not quite understand except this—that Prim never intended to break with the Union Liberals & was going to explain to them at a meeting that eveng his reasons for the division—when 10 minutes before his turn came to speak some one (a leader of the U. Liberals) came up & whispered to him—the U. Libs will break with you, they intend making it a party question– He said he had only 10 minutes to think of it & to determine what course to take & he took the only one left to him. After dinner the gentlemen smoked late– The Dss left early but the Prims stayed. I talked some time to her– I asked her how it was those Goyas could have been stolen from the Palace– She said a concierge had been put in prison, but the mischief came from higher—some employé of wh there were so many. When last she had visited the Palace she remarked those Goyas laid out on the ground. I asked how she accounted for so many pieces of furniture getting out of the Palace to the curiosity shops– She said it was the same thing—at first things were respected—ticketted & catalogued but the employés found means of eluding the authorities & selling many things. Mr Montgomery played in the eveng & I sang a little– | |
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