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20 October 1871 — Madrid | |
Friday. 20th October [1871]. It was a wet day but at 3 we had to go & see the Empress Eugenie who is at Madrid on a visit to her mother Mme Montijo. It was a very wet day but we went in a close carriage at 3. We found old Mme Montijo in the drawing room & spoke a few words with her when we went at once with Mme Nava de Tajo to the Red drawing room where the Empress received. The room was rather dark so that on entering it was difficult to see—but I had quite a little shock when I saw the Empress as I found I saw before me a little old woman with sunken eyes. I was however mistaken & soon perceived it to be that her eyebrows & under her eyes were thickly painted with black her complexion being whited & the effect not being good. She appeared to me to have entirely lost her beauty & to be trying to make up for it by painting but she does not do it skillfully. She was very plainly dressed in a brown short costume. The petticoat of brown velvet with 3 narrow flounces & the upper skirt & body of a kind of crêpe de chine edged with a thick silk fringe. She wore no jewelry but a stud with one diamond to her linen collar & had a bunch of violets at her waist. Her hair seemed dyed the fashionable gold colour but simply done in large plaits à la mode. She spoke of Paris & the sad state of it—& how it would never recover till the Govt moved from Versailles—naturally visitors do not care to flock to Paris while it is not secure eno’ for the Govt to remain. We stayed abt 20 mins: & then departed. We paid a visit to the French Ambassadors & then as it was pouring came home. Mme B. Riaño & Emilia came & dined with us & we spent the eveng mending tapestry. | |
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