Part 14 (2/2)

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 a.s.sembled 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 j.a.panese 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 a.n.a.lyzing 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.

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