The Count of Flanders. 281 



were strictly observed. The Prince of Roumania had brought 

 with him all his ministers and a number of ladies and attend- 

 ants, who reminded me much of the Mexicans, at least in out- 

 ward appearance. Most of these Roumanian nobles I should 

 not have liked to meet in a lonely road. 



After dinner was a concert, followed by fireworks, and it 

 w^as not before two o'clock next morning that we arrived in 

 Coblentz. We did not, however, fail to be at the railroad 

 station to say good-bye to the Princess of Roumania, who left 

 for her new home, and to give her the boqiid (f usage. 



At the dinner in Neuwied I was presented to the Count of 

 Flanders, the brother of the poor Empress Carlotta of Mexico, 

 and married to a daughter of the Prince of Hohenzollern. 

 The Count is a tall, agreeable man, with whom I had a long 

 conversation, which was somewhat difucult on account of his 

 bad hearing. He asked much about Mexico, and said many 

 flattering things to me. Speaking of the illness of his sister, 

 he said that there was no hope whatever of her recovery. 



The next day being our sewing day at St. Barbara's, the 

 Queen came to say adieu to the ladies, as she was soon going 

 to Berlin. Salm and I saw her, however, on the 22nd, when 

 her Majesty had invited about twenty-five persons for tea. 

 The Queen arranged a little lottery with cards for the comj)aTiy. 

 Salm won a bust of our dear King, and I a match-box. Next 

 evening we went to the inauguration of the theatre ; the Queea 

 and her whole court were present to see ' Fideho,' which was 

 very badly given. 



The time until Christmas was a continuous string of parties. 

 I, of course, had also to give some cofiees and teas, and be- 

 sides to entertain our circle when it was my turn. I longed 

 indeed for some rest, and was glad when we went, on Decem- 

 ber 25 — both Felix's and my birthday — to Castle Anholt, 

 where we found only the family. The 26th was the birthday 

 of Prince Alfred, Felix's brother, which was celebrated in a 

 quiet, pleasant manner, only amongst ourselves. 



On the 29th was to take place a shooting-party, a battue, and 

 several other members of the family arrived — the Duchess of 

 Ossuna, the Duke of Croy, the Princes George and Philip, 

 and Princess Stephanie Croy. The Duchess of Ossuna and 

 myself went in a pony-carriage to see the battue. I took a 

 little gun with me and fired at a hare, but did not harm i^ 



