. Their majesties as I knew them; personal reminiscences of the kings and queens of Europe . vent that shepromptly mixed up Belgium and Sweden. Thiswas not a very serious matter in itself; but it mighthave been, in the circumstances, if Leopold II hadnot happened to be in a good humour that fact remained that INIlle. Delacroix was con-vinced that she was in the presence of the King ofSweden, nor did she find out her mistake until shenoticed the amused surprise wliich Leopold be-trayed whenever, w4th her very comprehensible ig-norance of the rules of etiquette. Mile. Delacroixwent out o
. Their majesties as I knew them; personal reminiscences of the kings and queens of Europe . vent that shepromptly mixed up Belgium and Sweden. Thiswas not a very serious matter in itself; but it mighthave been, in the circumstances, if Leopold II hadnot happened to be in a good humour that fact remained that INIlle. Delacroix was con-vinced that she was in the presence of the King ofSweden, nor did she find out her mistake until shenoticed the amused surprise wliich Leopold be-trayed whenever, w4th her very comprehensible ig-norance of the rules of etiquette. Mile. Delacroixwent out of her way to call him His JNIajestyOscar. I am bound to confess that she at once recoveredher self-possession when the King of the Belgiansthought fit discreetly to apprise her of his identityand she was greatly diverted by her blunder. Twoyears later, I described the mishap to the King ofSweden, who happened to be staying at Biarritzat the same time as the Baroness Vaughan. SaidOscar II: Do present my fair cousin, who did me so gieatan honour! But, Sir, I replied, she may feel a regret!. PRINCESS CLEMENTINE THE LATE KING OF THE BELGIANS 287 Do you think so, Paoli? And yet I am nofresher than my cousin of Belgium. I am afraid,you see, that the regret will be all on my side! I believe that the regret was mutual. However,the meeting was arranged. The baroness took asnapshot of King Oscar with her kodak; and weagreed to say nothing about it to King Leopold,who was of a jealous disposition. To what did Blanche Caroline Delacroix owe hersuccess with Leopold II: to her vivid conversa-tional powers, to the dazzling youthfulness of thefair-haired divinity that she was, or to her genuineintelligence? I cannot tell; but this much is cer-tain, that, at her first audience, she succeeded inarousing in the old mans heart a love wiiich wasmanifested at first in a polite flirtation and conse-crated later in a union the mystery of which wasnever fully solved. Both the King and Vaughan ca
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