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15 July 1870 — Madrid | |
Friday. 15th [July 1870]. I had a long despatch to copy wh took me all the morng after wh being very tired & rather headachy I was obliged to lie on the sofa but I then did satin work & practised singing a little. Mercier came in abt 5 & then Cerruti– We told the latter we intended returning tomorrow to La Granja, as the Regt had written to tell Henry he was going there this eveng & would send a carriage to fetch us at Villalba—at this old Cerruti was indignant & said we ought not to go. Mercier was in very low spirits—he said things looked bad & that a war threatened between France & Prussia. He asked us to dine with him this evening. After tea I practised the Spanish songs—dressed & we dined quite alone with the Merciers & Brosé. Afterwards they took us to the Buen Retiro Gardens first dropping Henry at Prims– We had not been ¼ hour in the gardens when a man rushed up with a telegram to ask Mercier if he knew where Mr de Blas was—2 steps further on we met Mr Escobar (the editor of the Epoca) & Mr Canovas de Castillo—they stopped us & Escobar read us out a telegram he had just received. “War declared in the French Chambers against Prussia at 3.50”. This fell on us like a thunder bolt & henceforth nothing [else] was thought or talked of. We went & took our places near the theatre but everyone was so much preoccupied they could not attend much to the piece. After a while Henry arrived. He said Prim had received the news by telegraph whilst he was there & was in a great way. At ½ past 11 we went home with the Merciers– | |
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