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12 January 1871 — Madrid | |
Thursday. 12th [January 1871]. I got up by 11 & went to the Serranos dropping Adeline at Pals en route. I found the Dss up & stayed & breakfasted there & knitting & sat with Dss: She told me that Serrano had been obliged to scold the King as yesterday he had gone out riding alone with a groom & no ADC. or attendants. At 4. o’cl: the Dss & I went out. She took me to call on Mme Prim a most painful visit. I should not have recognized her she seemed so old & shrunk up. She was wrapped in a kind of Parametta dressing gown with a black shawl. Her hair undressed & merely twisted up with a comb in it– Her fingers all the time twitched nervously & she held a little toy terrier on her lap. She sat in a small room wh was full of ladies sitting in a circle all talking to each other in a whisper. Now & then we made remarks to her & she to us but the greater part of the time we sat silent and she, poor thing, heaved heavy sighs. It was so dreadful to me & so depressing that I felt quite choking & at last when the Dss de la Torre gave the sign to go & we had kissed the poor Dss de Prim I bolted out of the room & fairly broke down. From here we went & took a turn in the Fuente where we saw the King driving in an open caleche the 1st time we passed him the carriage did not stop—at wh the Dss tugged at the cheque string & put her head out of the carriage to ask the coachman what he meant by it. “The King will think you are republicans” she said & I sat laughing—of course they are republicans like most of the servants here. From the Fuente we went to a church but finding it shut we came on & the Dss left me at home. It was after 5 & I found Mme de Martino & M. Sonnino at tea with Adeline—& then Mr Spen: came I asked him to dine & afterwards he & I & Adeline went to Genl Sickle’s ball, Henry & Arthur staying at home. It was a bitter cold night. There was a great crowd at the ball. We stayed till ¼ to 1. | |
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