th red Baedekers
under their arms, filing into the Palazetto to admire the famous
"Aurora."

Johan had been received by King Umberto before I arrived. The ceremony
seems to have been full of splendor and surrounded with etiquette. A
magnificent gala coach drawn by two splendid horses brought Signor
Peruzzi (master of ceremonies), accompanied by an escort of
carabineers, to the Hotel Bristol, where Johan was stopping, attracting
a large crowd in the Piazza Barberini--less than this is sufficient to
collect gazers-on in Italy, where the natives pass most of their time
in gazing at nothing at all.

As the carriage entered the _grande cour_ of the palace, the guards
presented arms and the military band played. A second master of
ceremonies met Johan at the foot of the principal staircase, while the
Grand Master of Ceremonies waited for him at the head of it.
Accompanied by these gentlemen, Johan passed through the long gallery,
which was lined on both sides by the civil and military members of the
household. At the extreme end of the gallery stood the prefect of the
palace, Signor Visone, who preceded Johan to the King's apartment and
retired after having announced him to his Majesty. This seems
complicated, but you see it takes all these functionaries to present a
Minister to a King.

Johan had prepared his obligatory speech about _les bonnes relations_
which had always existed between Italy and Denmark, and so forth, but
the King did not give him the opportunity to make any speech at all. He
held out his hand and said in a most friendly and cordial manner, "_Je
suis bien content de vous voir, et j'espere que vous vous plairez parmi
nous_." His Majesty then asked Johan about King Christian, and spoke
about the visit he had made to Denmark some years ago. Before the end
of the audience Johan succeeded in making the King accept his _lettres
de creance_, and presented the greetings of King Christian; but the
speech remained unspoken.

The contrast seemed very striking between the ceremonious manner in
which he was conducted to the King, and the simple and unconventional
manner in which he was received by his Majesty.

Yesterday I asked for an audience with the Queen. The Marquise
Villamarina (the _Grande Maitresse_) wrote that the Queen, though
desiring to see me, thought it better to defer the audience until after
the reception of the _Corps Diplomatique_, which was to take place in a
few days. I am rather glad of the