Dear ----,--The King drives every day in his high English phaeton
through the crowded streets, not fearing to expose himself to his
people, as some other sovereigns do.
When some one remonstrated with him, "Your Majesty ought not to run
such risk," he answered, smilingly: "_Comment donc! C'est un des ennuis
de notre métier_." Everybody bows respectfully, and in return he takes
off his hat and holds it at right angles, keeping the reins in the
other hand. Sometimes he does not get the chance to put his hat back on
his head the whole length of the _Corso_. His adjutant sits by his side
and a lacquey sits behind, dressed in black. The King likes simplicity
in all things.
The Queen drives in a landau (_à huit resorts_), accompanied by her
lady in waiting; the servants in their brilliant red liveries can be
seen from a long distance. Her Majesty recognizes every one, smiles and
bows right and left; sometimes she will look back and give a person an
extra smile. She says that she can see, while flying by, all the
objects exposed in the shop windows, and often sends the servant back
to buy what she has noticed.
When their Majesties meet in the drive in their respective equipages
the Queen rises in her seat as if to make a courtesy, and the King
responds in the most ceremonious manner.
Before Christmas the Queen goes about in the shops and makes her own
purchases (the shops are then shut to the public). All the ladies of
the court receive magnificent gifts, generally in the shape of jewels.
The King always keeps on his writing-table and within touch a quantity
of rare unset stones. He likes to look at them and handle them; and
then, when the occasion comes to give a present, he has the stones set
in diamonds.
MILAN, _November 2, 1884_.
My dear Aunt,--We arrived here last night, and shall remain till
to-morrow, when we are expected at Monza, where the King and the Queen
have invited us to make them a visit.
Count Gianotti came this afternoon to tell us that we are to take the
train leaving here at three o'clock. Johan and I went out for a stroll
while the maid and valet were packing. We wandered through the Victor
Emmanuel Gallery, then went into the ever-enchanting cathedral. I never
tire of seeing this wonderful place. I pay my two soldi for a chair and
sit there, lost in thought and admiration. The dimness and silence make
it very solemn and restful. Every little while a procession of intoning
priests shuffle by to go to some altar in one of the side-chapels for
some particular service. Sometimes it is a baptism, and the peasants
whose babies are going to be baptized stand in an awed group around the
font. Everything is done in a most matter-of-fact way. I look at the
splendid carvings and filigree of marble and wonder how any _one_
mountain can have furnished so much marble, since it started furnishing
hundreds of years ago. It is lucky that the mountain belongs
exclusively to the Church!
On my return to the hotel I found a card from Countess Marcello, saying
that the Queen had suggested our going to the Scala Theater, and that
we were to occupy the royal box. She has just left Monza. She is lady
in waiting to the Queen, and, her duties having finished for this
month, she is replaced by the Princess Palavicini. She told us that
there were at present no guests at Monza. She said that there are three
categories of toilets: "_good, better_, and _best_" (as she put it),
besides the unexpected which always arrived in the shape of court
mournings, and one must be prepared for them all. When the King's
sister (Princess Clothilde) is there, only severe, sober, and half-high
dresses are worn. For the Queen's mother (the Duchess of Genoa) the
usual evening dress, _décolletée_, with a train. But when the Queen of
Portugal comes everything must be extra magnificent, with tiaras and
jewels galore and the last things of modernity.
We arrived in the theater just as the curtain was going down on the
first act. The audience stared steadily at us with and without
opera-glasses. I suppose people thought that we were members of some
royal family. As the performance was not interesting and I was tired,
we left at an early hour. I scribble this off to you just before going
to bed.
MONZA, _November 3d_.
You see that I am writing on royal paper, which is a sign that we are
here. Now I will tell you about things as far as we have got. At the
station in Milan, Count Gianotti met us and put us safely in the
carriage, which bore a kingly crown; Princess Brancaccio accompanied
us. On arriving at Monza station we found Signor Peruzzi waiting for
us, and an open barouche drawn by four horses mounted by postilions
from the royal stables. We drove through the town and through the long
avenue leading to the _château_ at a tremendous pace, people all taking
off their hats as we passed.
[Illustration:
THE PALACE, MONZA (FRONT)
Occupied in the summer by the King and Queen of Italy.]
[Illustration:
PALACE AND GARDENS
Here the King and Queen entertained their friends. Apartments in the
second story, the entire right half as seen in the picture, were
occupied by the De Hegermann-Lindencrones.]
In the courtyard (which is immense) the carriage stopped at the
entrance of the left wing, and we entered the _château_, where the
Marquise Villamarina met us and led the way to our apartment, telling
me, as we walked along, that her Majesty was looking forward with much
pleasure to seeing us, and said that we were expected at five o'clock
for tea in the _salon_ and that I was to come dressed as I was, adding
that she would come for us to show the way.
I had time to admire our gorgeous set of rooms, which is finer than
anything I had ever seen before--finer than Compiègne, and certainly
finer than our apartment at Fredensborg.
We passed through an antechamber which led to my _salon_, the walls of
which are covered with red damask, the curtains and furniture of the
same; many beautiful modern pictures hang on the walls, and there are
pretty vitrines filled with _bric-à-brac_. My dressing-room is entirely
_capitonné_ in blue satin from top to bottom--even the ceiling. It has
long mirrors set in the walls, in which I am reflected and re-reflected
_ad infinitum_. My bath-room is a dream with its tiled walls and marble
bath. (My maid's room is next this.) My bedroom is as large as a
ballroom; the curtains, _portières_, divans, and comfortable arm-chairs
are of white satin, and in the middle is a glass chandelier fit for a
Doge's palace. A hundred candles can light me when I go to bed. My bed
stands on a rather high platform and has white-satin curtains hanging
from a _baldaquin_ with fringe and tassels, and a huge Aubusson carpet
covers the whole floor.
Next to my bedroom is J.'s bedroom, which is also very large, with two
windows, furnished in red brocade; great gilt consols support the
elaborate-framed Italian mirrors. Then comes his dressing-room, which
connects with his bath-room and his valet's room. Then another
antechamber giving on to a corridor which leads to the great gallery.
The Marquise came to my door, and we followed her through two or three
drawing-rooms before we reached the center room, which is a very large
_salle_ with a dome taking in three stories.
The Queen welcomed me most cordially and seemed very glad to see me.
She kissed me on both cheeks and made me sit by her on the sofa. She
was, as always, lovely and gracious.
The repast was a very sumptuous high tea--all sorts of cold meats,
birds, confitures, cakes of various kinds, and sandwiches.
I asked the Queen if she had been singing much during the summer.
"Alas, no!" she replied. "My voice has had a vacation, and Vera and
Marchetti have also had theirs. I have been in Stresa with my mother,
and in Turin, but, now you are here, we shall certainly have some
music. Vera is here," and at that very moment the amiable old master
appeared. We remained talking till nearly six o'clock; then we went up
to dress for dinner. I had a better look at our rooms. They appeared
more magnificent than before. My maid had unpacked everything, and a
fire was burning brightly in my bedroom, making it look cozy, if one
can make such a royal and luxurious apartment look cozy.
I looked at my bed on its platform and wondered how in the world I was
ever to get in it when the time came. The sheets and pillow-cases were
of the finest linen trimmed with exquisite Valenciennes, like huge
pocket-handkerchiefs. Instead of blankets there was a large white-satin
perfumed, sachet with a cord sewed round it, completely covering the
bed.
Johan was told not to be in evening-dress suit. The King always wears a
_redingote_ and a black tie. The other gentlemen, of course, do the
same. The dinner was at seven o'clock. Every one was assembled when we
entered the _salon_. The Prince of Naples was talking with some ladies.
His _Gouverneur_, Colonel Osio, stood near him. After a few moments the
King and the Queen came in together. The King greeted us with great
kindness. The Prince kissed his mother's hand, made a military salute
to his father, and left the _salon_. He is fifteen years old now, but
looks younger. He wears a uniform which makes him look even smaller
than he really is. The King gave his arm to the Queen, and every one
followed into the dining-room, going through the Japanese room. I
should say that there were twenty people at table, J. and I being the
only guests. I sat on the right of the King, and Johan sat on the right
of the Queen. The dinner was delicious. We had the famous white
truffles from Piemonte supplied exclusively for the King. These
truffles exist only in certain forests belonging to the Crown in
Piemonte. And there is only a certain kind of pigs that have the
particular kind of nose that can find them and rout them out from under
the ground. A pig and his nose are not enticing caterers, but
nevertheless the truffles are delicious. When they are served they have
rather a strong odor of garlic, but they do not taste of it in the
least.
"Well," said the King, as we sat down to the table, "what have you been
doing?"
"Your Majesty would be soon tired if I told you all I have done," I
said.
"_Bien!_ that is a good commencement. We will have enough for the whole
dinner.... I listen...."
"To begin with, we spent two months in Denmark. Then I went to America
to see my mother; then to Paris; then to the Riviera; and from Monte
Carlo here."
"Monte Carlo," remarked the King. "That is a bad place. I have never
been there. It is out of the circuit of my official duties," he added,
laughingly.
"It is a very bad place, your Majesty, if you are unlucky in play;
otherwise it is a lovely place."
"Of course you played at the tables?" the King said.
"Of course," I replied.
"And lost all your money," said the King, and laughed.
"No, your Majesty. I won. I won enough to bring away a hundred-franc
gold piece which I keep as a fetish."
"Lend it to me! I need a fetish badly," said the King.
"Certainly I will," and prepared to unhook it from the chain it was on.
"No, no! I am only joking. I do not need anything to bring me luck."
Then he changed the conversation suddenly.
After dinner we returned to the _grande salle_. The King and the
gentlemen remained with the ladies a little while, then went to smoke
in the billiard-room. As the King hardly ever sits down--or, if he
does, sits on the edge of the billiard-table--the gentlemen were
obliged to stand during the hour before the King joined the Queen. We
ladies sat with the Queen, who entertained us with her impressions of
the novels she had just been reading.
She has such a wonderful way of absorbing and analyzing that she can
give you in a few words a complete and concise synopsis of the plot and
all the situations, besides making clever criticisms.
It was eleven o'clock before his Majesty and the gentlemen returned
from their billiards and cigars. The Queen got up, bade us good night,
and left the room with the King.
I was appalled when I was ready to occupy my royal bed. It seemed to
have become more imposing and more majestic than when I last saw it. I
tried to put a chair on the platform, but the platform was too narrow.
The only way was to climb on a chair near the bed and from it make a
desperate jump. So I put the chair, said, "_One, two, three_," and
jumped. The white-satin hangings, fringes, and tassels swung and
jingled from the rebound. Once in bed, I cuddled down under the scented
linen. I brought the sachet up to the level of my nose, where it
hovered for just a little moment before it slid off me and off the bed.
Then commenced a series of pulling up and slipping down which lasted
until I was thoroughly waked up for the night. The only way I got the
better of the sachet was to balance it warily and pretend I slept.
In the morning we were served a real Italian breakfast in our room:
thin Pekoe tea, a little cream, and much powdered sugar, and an
assortment of sweet cakes replacing the customary English buttered
toast.
MONZA, _November 4, 1884_.
Dear Mother,--I want to tell you what we did, though we did not do
anything of great interest. It was such horrible weather that we could
not drive out, as is the Queen's custom every day. After luncheon
Signor Vera (the Queen's singing-master who accompanied us in Rome) was
called in, and her Majesty and I sang our duets.
All the music from the Quirinal seems to have been transported here,
and Vera knows exactly where to put his hand upon everything as it is
needed. There is a new edition of Marcello's psalms which are very
amusing to _déchiffrer_. Sometimes the Queen takes the soprano part, at
others she takes the contralto.
At three o'clock the Queen went to her apartment, and I took that
occasion to pay some visits to the other ladies in their different
_salons_. We met in the _grande salle_ for tea. M. and Mme. Minghetti
arrived from Milan by the same train we came on Monday, and came
straight from the carriage into the _salon_. The Queen seemed enchanted
to see them. They are charming people. He is as delightful as he is
unpretentious, which is rare in a man so celebrated as he is, and she
has lost none of her fascinations, although she is a grandmother. They
brought the last news from Rome, and the conversation was on politics
and war; they talked so rapidly that neither my brain nor my Italian
could keep pace with them. I might have told you something of interest
if I had been able to understand what they said.
At seven o'clock there was a military dinner. As there were about sixty
people present, the dinner was served in the large dining room. The
King and the gentlemen of the household were, as usual, in _redingotes_
and black ties, but the generals and the officers were in all their
war-paint, most gorgeous to behold. I sat on the left of the King
(Madame Minghetti was on his right), and next to the dearest old
general in the world, who was politeness itself, and, though I suppose
we shall never see each other again, he gave himself much trouble to
entertain me. He told me that he had been with the King when he fought
in the battle of Custozza (in the Austrian war), where the King had
shown so much bravery and courage. The King, hearing what my neighbor
was saying (he probably raised his voice a trifle), leaned across me,
and, laughingly holding up a warning finger, said:
"If you go on like that I shall leave the table."
"Oh, your Majesty! that would never do," said my general. "Now,
madame," turning to me, "shall we talk of the weather?"
After dinner there was _le cercle_. Their Majesties went about and
talked to everybody. The King seemed in the best of spirits, laughing
continually, and familiarly clapping the officer to whom he was talking
on the back. Every one stayed in the _salon_ until it was time for the
military guests to take their leave.
_November 5, 1884._
Dear ----,--This morning I received a little word from the Marquise
Villamarina: "Please put on a warm dress, as her Majesty intends taking
a long drive after luncheon, and it will be chilly and damp before we
get back."
We came into the _salon_ just in time not to be too late, for their
Majesties entered almost immediately.
The Prince of Naples (they call him the _Principino_) sat next to me at
luncheon. He is very clever--unusually clever--and has a memory that
some day ought to stand him in good stead. Mine by the side of it felt
like a babe in arms. The questions he asked, _à brule-point_, would
have startled a person cleverer than I am. He is very military and
knows all about the different wars that have been fought since the time
of Moses, and when he wished to know how many officers were killed in
the battle of Chattanooga I had to confess that, if I had ever known, I
had forgotten. But he knew everything concerning Chattanooga and all
other battles.
When the white truffles were served (they were temptingly buried in a
nest of butter) the Prince said, "How can you eat those things?"
"You mean, your Highness, these delicious truffles?"
"Yes," he answered; "they don't taste bad, but they stink so."
"Oh, Monseigneur," I cried, "you must not say that word. It is a
dreadful word."
"Oh no, it is not. It is in the Bible."
I could not contradict him. I hope he will find out later that there
are some words in the Bible that are not used in general conversation.
After luncheon the Queen said: "We are going to take a very long drive.
You must dress very warmly." I went to my room. I had a little time
before the rendezvous in the _salon_, and I thought perhaps I could
finish my letter begun yesterday, but, alas! I could not.... I returned
to the _salon_ with everything I owned in the way of furs and wraps,
and found all the guests waiting for the Queen.
The equipages here are always _a la Daumon_--that is, open
landaus--seats for four people inside, a rumble behind, and a seat for
the coachman, if there Is a coachman, but the two postilions on the
four horses are seemingly all that are required. In front of the
garden-side _perron_ were the two landaus waiting. The Queen, Madame
Minghetti, and Johan sat inside of the first landau. General Garadaglia
and I sat on the coachman's box and manoeuvered the brake. It happened
rather often that we forgot to manoeuver. Then we would get a very
reproachful glance from the postilions, and we would turn the brake on
to the last wrench; then we would get another look because the wheels
could not move. Somehow we never got the right tension. The Queen
enjoyed our confusion.
When we passed through the small villages the whole populace would run
out into the streets to gaze at us.
I thought it strange that the villagers, who must have seen the Queen
hundreds of times, did not seem to recognize her, and sometimes bowed
to me, thinking, I suppose, that I, being on the first seat, must
naturally be the first person. How different it is in Denmark! When any
royal carriage passes, people courtesy, sometimes even when the
carriage is empty.
The Queen ordered the postilions to go slowly through the narrow
streets of the village to avoid the risk of running over the crowds of
children. I never saw so many. Eight or ten at each door! They all
seemed to be of the same age, and all were dressed in red calico, which
made a very pretty note of color against the shabby houses. There are a
great many manufactories about here, and I suppose red calico must be
cheap.
We reached the _palazzo_ before sunset. I was quite chilled through in
spite of all my wraps (heavy and warm as they were) and thankful to get
out of them and get a hot cup of tea.
We found the Marquise Dadda and the Countess Somaglia, who had arrived
for tea. The Queen always receives her friends at this time.
Another military dinner this evening! Evidently, Monza is polishing off
the military just now. It is very amusing for us, as it gives us the
chance to see all the celebrities. I sat to the left of his Majesty,
and he told me in a loud voice who every one was and what each one had
done. He did not seem to mind their hearing. Pointing to one of the
generals, he said, laughingly: "He is _tout ce qu'il y a de plus
militaire_; even his night-gowns have epaulettes on them, and he sleeps
with one hand on his sword."
MONZA, _6th of November_.
Dear ----,--Signor Bonghi, the great Italian savant, arrived for
luncheon to-day. He is a personality! I will describe him later. I will
only say now he is most learned and very absent-minded. After luncheon
the Queen wanted us to see the old cathedral of Monza, where, as you
know, the famous iron crown of Charlemagne is kept. So after lunch the
landau was ordered for us. Marquise Trotti (_dame d'honneur_)
accompanied us. The Queen asked Signor Bonghi to go with us to explain
things. Quite a crowd collected about the church door to stare at the
court equipages. The handsome tall servants, in their brilliant red
liveries, were alone worth looking at.
It is very much of a ceremony to see the iron crown. After having
visited the cathedral thoroughly we were conducted down some steps to
the little chapel which contains the crown. The priest is obliged to
put on the robes of high mass, and is assisted by another priest and a
boy who swings the censer all the time. The _cappellano_ collected the
money (twenty lire) from our party before the proceedings. (It is
always well to be on the safe side.) The money question settled, the
priest read some prayers, knelt many times, then ascended a little
step-ladder, opened a gilded cupboard which was fastened to the wall,
unlocked it, said some more prayers, and then with great reverence took
out a casket, which he held high above his head, intoning a special
prayer. He came down from the step-ladder, bringing the casket with
him, which he opened, and we were allowed to look at, but not touch,
the celebrated relic. The same ceremony was gone through when it was
replaced.
Do you know that this crown was born in the year 593, and is made out
of a nail supposed to be taken from Christ's cross and hammered into a
ring, and is encircled by a gold band about eight centimeters wide?
Outside the iron is a gold band set with _soi-disant_ precious stones.
Not much to look at, and certainly not heavy to wear.
While we were there Signor Bonghi, at the request of the Queen, copied
a Latin inscription on a tomb. He translated it from the Latin and gave
it to the Queen when he returned, also to me. (I inclose it.)