The Queen Returns to Cobientz. i:y5 



we made many excursions up and down the Rhine, mostly in 

 agreeable company ; but still this dreadful foreboding of evil 

 never left my side, and such passages as the following, under 

 May 15, occur frequently in my diary : ' I am very tired, and 

 would like to sleep that long sleep which knows no awaking/ 



Time, however, went on as usual, and the summer season 

 promised to be rather gay, for the Queen had returned to Cob- 

 ientz, and high guests from all parts of the world arrived in 

 Ems. We drove there on May 19, starting air-.^dy at five 

 o'clock A.M., to be in time for the promenade. With us were 

 Countess Constantine Salm-Hoegstrjeten, and Princess Rcse 

 Salm-Salm, the young pretty wive of Alfred, second son of my 

 husband's brother, born Countess Lutzow. 



On the Promenade w^e met our brilliant cousin, the Duchess 

 of Ossuna, and also the Duke her husband, one of the richest 

 men of Spain. When in citizen's dress nobody would have 

 guessed that the short, rather thickset man, who liked to laugh 

 at and to make rather doubtful jokes, was such a great person- 

 age ; but when in uniform no Chinese mandarian could look 

 more magnificent, for his whole body was covered with deco- 

 rations and stars of every description. 



After having walked a little while, we were all sitting down to 

 rest when his Majesty the Emperor of Russia, who knew the 

 Duke very well, as he had bej^n Spanish ambassador in Peters- 

 burg, joined us and took a S2at next to me. Salm and myself were 

 presented, and he was very gracious to us. After half an hour, 

 which passed in a very j)leasant and interesting conversation, 

 his Majesty left, quite alone and unattended as he had come, 

 except by a large mastiff, which followed him everywhere like 

 his shadow. 



The Duke of Ossuna invited us to a very agreeable supper 

 in the Kursaal. Rose suddenly felt unwell, and the Duchess 

 went out with her in the garden to take some air. When sit- 

 ting down for a moment, a man, dressed like a gentleman, but 

 apparently under the influence of liquor, who was pleased by 

 Princess Rose's pretty young face, approached and grossly in- 

 sulted her. The Duchess was so indignant that she could not 

 even say a word, and the poor Princess so frightened that she 

 was incapable of rising. At that moment I came with Countess 

 Constance, and the fellow sat down on a chair quite close and 

 reiterated his insults. I at once expressed to him my indig- 



