The Baroness immediately advanced to the Grand Duke and sunk on her knees before him,asking pardon in Russian.He begged her to rise,but she remained in the attitude of deep humiliation,until the Grand Duke sunk also on HIS knees and gently raised her,and then kissed her on the cheek,a privilege,you know,of royalty....On Monday evening we both went to a concert at Mr.Hudson's,the great railway "king,"who has just made an immense fortune from railway stocks,and is now desirous to get into society.These things are managed in a curious way here.A NOUVEAU RICHE gets several ladies of fashion to patronize their entertainment and invite all the guests.Our invitation was from Lady Parke,who wrote me two notes about it,saying that she would be happy to meet me at Mrs.Hudson's splendid mansion,where would be the best music and society of London;and,true enough,there was the Duke of Wellington and all the world.Lady Parke stood at the entrance of the splendid suite of rooms to receive the guests and introduce them to their host and hostess.On Tuesday morning I got a note from Mr.
Eliot Warburton (brother of "Hochelaga")to come to his room at two o'clock and look at some drawings.To our surprise we found quite a party seated at lunch,and a collection of many agreeable persons and some lions and lionesses.There was Lord Ross,the great astronomer;Baroness Rothschild,a lovely Jewess;Miss Strickland,the authoress of the "Queens of England";"Eothen,"and many more.
Mr.Polk,CHARGE at Naples,and brother of the President,dined with us,and Miss Murray,and in the evening came Mr.and Mrs.McLean,he a son of Judge McLean,of Ohio.
June 17th On Friday evening we went to the Queen's Ball,and for the first time saw Her Majesty dance,which she does very well,and so does the Duchess of Sutherland,grandmother though she be.
On Monday evening we went to a concert given to the Queen by the Duke of Wellington at Apsley House.This was an occasion not to be forgotten,but I cannot describe it.On Tuesday I went for the first time to hear a debate upon the Portugal interference in the House of Lords.It brought out all the leaders,and I was so fortunate as to hear a most powerful speech from Lord Stanley,one from Lord Lansdowne in defence of the Ministry and one from the Duke of Wellington,who,on this occasion,sided with the Ministers.On Wednesday was the great FETE given by the Duchess of Sutherland to the Queen.It was like a chapter of a fairy tale.Persons from all the courts of Europe who were there told us that nowhere in Europe was there anything as fine as the hall and grand staircase where the Duchess received her guests.It exceeded my utmost conceptions of magnificence and beauty.The vast size of the apartment,the vaulted ceilings,the arabesque ornaments,the fine pictures,the profusion of flowers,the music,the flourish of trumpets,as the Queen passed backward and forward,the superb dresses and diamonds of the women,the parti-colored full dress of the gentlemen all contributed to make up a scene not to be forgotten.The Queen's Ball was not to be compared to it,so much more effective is Stafford House than Buckingham Palace....We were fortunate to be present there,for Stafford House is not opened in this way but once in a year or two,and the Duke's health is now so very uncertain,that it may be many years before it happens again.He was not present the other evening.
