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Rh gracious, and only kept C. waiting five minutes. He stood and talked to her three-quarters. of an hour on all sorts of subjects. She called in her daughter Olga, who was in the next room, 'Ollie, Ollie!' The Grand Duchess, who is extremely handsome, came in, and altogether it was quite pleasant.

"On Sunday we went to hear Pilatte preach in his pretty church, and then took a boat to go to Villa Franca, where R. wanted to see the Russian frigates. We got back just in time to dress for the dinner at Avigdor's, the Prussian consul. tt was only a small party. Madame Avigdor, who is extremely handsome, looked superb in black velvet. There was also a friend of hers, a young French girl who is said to be the beauty of Nice, and whom Avigdor told me he had asked especially for C.'s benefit, as he knew he was fond of pretty people! I must say that this attention struck me as rather superfluous under existing circumstances, but the dinner was very pleasant and the wines, I was told, quite exquisite."

", March 17.

"Our last day at Nice was rather hurried. C.'s friend, Mr. Kolochine, of the Russian legation at Turin, came to breakfast, having previously paid a visit "to a hair-dresser—'á fin de faire une meilleure impression à Madame,' as he told C. He has a regular Slav face, is very clever and agreeable, and speaks French beautifully. After breakfast I looked over some lovely old lace with Madame Avigdor, and invested in a piece of point d'Espagne with C.'s full approbation, who admires it quite as much as I do. We paid farewell visits, packed, etc. We had a charming passage, and arrived next morning at Genoa. Our hotel was an old palace with marble stairs and a magnificent vaulted hall for the table d'hôte. From our rooms the view of the port crowded with shipping and the picturesque street was charming."

" March 20. "We are here at last, and very glad to have arrived—at least I am! I have had so much novelty of all kinds in these last two months that I am well-nigh tired. Repose, however, is by no means likely to be our lot for some time to come. To-morrow we go to look for apartments, and then our troubles begin."

"March 22. "I have at last seen our chief, M. Brassier, and feel happier now that that important interview is off my mind. He came late yesterday afternoon, after we had again been out to look for lodgings. The servant announced in a loud voice, 'Monsieur Brassier de St.-Simon, Ministre de Prusse.' He carne in, shook hands with me, and was most gracious. He looked very hard at me, talked for some time, and when he got up took my hand again, held it, and said there soon would be an occasion on which he would require my help, that he was going to give a little dance, and that without a lady he should be lost. C.accompanied him to the top of the staircase, as in duty bound, and I felt much relieved. He speaks French well, but with a German accent. In the evening he came to see me again in the box at the opera.

"We have already paid several visits, one to the Duchesse de Gramont at the French legation, who asked us to her reception next Wednesday evening. We went also to the Portugese legation to