172 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, xm 



other young Princesses Ruspoli, who looked as if they were 

 carrying about the trays for fun. We were almost the only 

 strangers there, as the Princess had given orders that none 

 should be let in that night, as she was expecting the King 

 and Queen of Naples. However nobody looked sour on us, 

 and indeed I never knew such civil people. One good- 

 humoured talking lady staid with us great part of the time ; 

 another took me about and told me who the people were; 

 another genteel young lady who was serving talked English 

 to us, and at last said she and her mother and sister 

 would be happy to visit us; and if we were fond of music, 

 she played the harp and her sister the piano. So we ex- 

 changed directions and we were to call on her to-morrow. 

 She was pleasing and natural. Another lady began a con- 

 versation in English with me with " Are you an English- 

 man ?" and was very civil. The King and Queen with the 

 Duke of Lucca in a red gown and various other great people 

 came in, and at last we came away, guided by our good- 

 natured first friend, whom we set down with a fat friend of 

 hers; and at parting she also gave us her direction and 

 desired us to call, so that even you could not have wished 

 a more productive evening in the way of society. By the 

 way I must say how friendly Mrs Bunsen is she is pleasing 

 from an appearance of great modesty and gentleness, but 

 she still runs on in the same monotonous way she used to do. 



Charlotte Wedgwood to her mother. 



[ROME], April 29, 1825. 



. . . We like Rome so much that all Jessie's scoldings can- 

 not persuade us to be sorry we left Florence so soon. Now 

 that we are within a week of the end of our month here, I 

 grudge every day that passes. I scarcely know why I like 

 it so much. I think it suits Papa too very well. All his 

 time that is not occupied in seeing sights, he employs, as it 

 appears very much to his satisfaction, in looking out of the 

 window and watching the idle groups of common people 

 that this square is constantly filled with. They are so 



