o80 Ten Years of miy Life. 



The sum which I received was, however, not the whole 

 legacy, but only accumulated interest, of which I was informed 

 later. 



I had nearly forgotten this'old relative, whom I had seen 

 only when I still v/as a child. I was then extremely lively 

 and daring, and he had taken a great fancy to me. Whether 

 he was then already rich I do not know ; but for many years I 

 had scarcely heard of him. He had, however, learnt from the 

 papers that I had married a prince ; had read everything writ- 

 ten about my adventures in Mexico, etc. ; and being pleased 

 with all this he made over to me his considerable account at 

 his bankers, of vvhich capital the interest was to be paid to me 

 after his death, as long as I should remain unmarried. 



I had let my house, furnished as it was, to Baron von Gerolt, 

 our former minister in Washington, as I intended to travel for 

 a long time. For this reason, and also being afraid of the 

 winter, I resolved to go to a southern climate, and decided to 

 visit Spain. As Miss Runkel wanted to return for a time to 

 her family, I took with me one of my cousins, Countess Con- 

 stantine Salm-Hoegstraeten. 



On our arrival in Spain the weather was very bad and unfa- 

 vourable for travelling ; I thereiore went directly to Madrid, 

 and alighted in the Fonda de Paris,_^where we felt rather mise- 

 rable. My good luck would, however, have it that we met in 

 Madrid an old acquaintance from Rome, Count W , for- 

 merly secretary of legation there, who had been sent mean- 

 while as charg^-daffaires to Madrid. Though he had only 

 been a short time in the city he knew more of Spanish affairs 

 than I did, and with his assistance we found excellent lodgings 

 in the Casa de Nuespedes de Sefior Jose Perez, which hap- 

 pened to be empty, and altogether at my disposition. 



Everything reminded me here of Cuba and of Mexico ; but 

 I cannot say that I much enjoyed the Spanish dishes, and I 

 was glad when we found in the excellent restaairant in the Calle 

 Alcazar Parisian fare. 



Speaking of Madrid I shall follow the same plan as I did 

 in Rome; that is, not to infringe on Murray's handbooks, 

 especially as that about Spain, written by Mr. Richard Ford, 

 is most excellent. ' I admired, or rather wondered at, the ugli- 

 ness of Spanish churches in comparison with those in Italy, 

 and at the solid bridges over an imaginary stream, the Manza- 



