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23 April 1871 — Madrid | |
Sunday. 23rd [April 1871]. Henry & I were at church in the morng & after lunch we fetched Luisa de Aylton & went to the Concert. We had Beethoven’s Pastoral & a piece of our friend Quesadas—which was not bad—nor very taking. It was very hot there—the summer seems to have suddenly set in. M came in & I went to dress early as we had our first dinner at the Palace today. The M. lent me her pearl necklace on wh we hung my emerald & diamond & I wore an ivy wreath with diamond brooches stuck in it & my plain white satin dress. We arrived just in time as at 7½ punc: the K. & Q. came out of their apartments. The Q. made a curtsey in the door & then went & spoke to the Dss de la Torre & the King came to me & Mme Canitz. We talked a little abt the bullfights & in the meanwhile the Karnicky’s & Rochefoucaulds came in—dinner was announced & the K gave his arm to the Dss de la T. & the Q to Serrano—& then I went in with Canitz (Prussian) & had the Duke of Tetuan on the other side– The dinner was pretty good & quickly served so that we were not 1½ hour at table– In the eveng the K. sent the gentlemen to smoke & the Q– sat on the round ottoman with the Dss de la T. & the Dss de Tetuan. We assembled in the room in which are hung the pictures of the wet nurses of the former Infantas. Mme Karnicky, Mme Canitz & I were made to sit in a little circle on one side of the room & then the Q. came & sat & talked to us– Mme K. was next the Q & immediately began to jabber to H.M & tell her abt her baby in a way that made me & Mme Canitz die of laughter & even the Q kept looking at me on the sly– At last we nearly split when Mme K. proceeded to tell H.M how she (Kar) had had an aunt who was so agitated on a railway journey that she ran up & down the railway carriage during the whole time—& we were very much relieved when H.M got up & went across the room to talk to Mmes Jooris, De Martino & de la Rochefoucauld– I observed that almost the same thing happened there & the Mme de la Rochefoucauld monopolised the conversation. The Queen then went walking abt talking to some of the men & stood a long time talking to Henry & it was after eleven when Their Majesties retired to their apartments. We got away at once & went to Mme Montijos. We only stayed there ½ hour & then went home. | |
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