. Italian letters of a diplomat's wife, January-May, 1880, February-April, 1904 . wasdelighted with her—found her most interesting and tresinstruite —not at all the banal talk one expects to havewith sovereigns—in fact, I quite forgot we were havinga royal audience. It was a very pleasant visit to a charm-ing woman, in a pretty room with all sorts of beautifulpictures and bibelots atout. While we were stillthere the Prince of Naples * came in. We both got up;she told him to shake hands with W. and to kiss me, andto ask me how old my little boy was, which he did quitesimply and naturally. He to
. Italian letters of a diplomat's wife, January-May, 1880, February-April, 1904 . wasdelighted with her—found her most interesting and tresinstruite —not at all the banal talk one expects to havewith sovereigns—in fact, I quite forgot we were havinga royal audience. It was a very pleasant visit to a charm-ing woman, in a pretty room with all sorts of beautifulpictures and bibelots atout. While we were stillthere the Prince of Naples * came in. We both got up;she told him to shake hands with W. and to kiss me, andto ask me how old my little boy was, which he did quitesimply and naturally. He told his mother he was goingto ride. I asked him if he had a nice pony, to which hereplied in English, Oh, yes, jolly, and asked if mylittle boy rode. I said not yet; he was only two yearsold. The child looked intelligent, but delicate. Theysay his mother makes him work too much, is so ambitiousfor him; and he has rather that look. The Princes ofSavoy have always been soldiers rather than scholars, butI suppose one could combine the two. The Queen also * The present Queen Margherita and the Prince of Naples (Present King ofItaly) in j88o. i88o] OF A DIPLOAIATS WIFE 95 spoke about the Bunsens, and little Beatrice;* saidshe was very fond of Mary. I was very sorry when theaudience was over and she dismissed me, saying she hadpeople waiting. We found Bessie and one or two other ladies in thefirst salon when we came out, waiting their turn. Com-tesse Marcello was delighted with all \V. said about theQueen. He was very enthusiastic, for him, as he is notgenerally gushing. I told her she had remembered thatI had lived some years in Rome as Mary King, and shesaid: Oh, yes, she remembered you and all yourfamily perfectly, and knew that you had married Tuesday, March 30, 1880. It is much pleasanter to-day—quite Spring-like, andthe Piazza is full of people. I have drawn my little writ-ing table close up to the window, and I am afraid my cor-respondence will suff
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