m,
he discouraged them, poor fellows! Speaking of young artists in
general, he said once, "_Il n'y a personne qui apprecie comme moi les
bonnes intentions, mais je n'en aime pas toujours les resultats_."

You may believe that my artistic soul is full of joy when I can collect
about me such artists as Liszt, Grieg, Sgambati, Pierne, Vidal, Mme.
Helbig, and Countess Gigliucci, not to mention the Queen's _Gentilhomme
de la reine_ (Marquis Villamarina), who has the most delicious barytone
voice I have ever heard--but he seems to think as little of this divine
gift as if it were his umbrella. Vera (the singing-master) was
prevented from coming to-day to the Queen's lesson, and Signor
Marchetti replaced him. He is a very well-known composer, and has
written an opera called "Ruy Blas," which has had quite a success here
in Italy. The Queen and I sing a duet from it which is really charming.

Baron Renzis had some theatricals at his pretty villa in Piazza
Indipendenza, in which Nina acted the principal _role_, in "L'ete de
St.-Martin." Senateur Alfieri (son of the celebrated Alfieri) took the
part of the uncle. One of the thirteen pictures Lenbach painted of Nina
was put on the stage and afterward brought before the curtain, but it
created no enthusiasm--people did not think it did her justice.

One actor (a young Frenchman) had such a stage-fright that when he had
to say this phrase (it was all he had to say), "_Le peintre vous a
diablement flattee_," he said, "_Le diable vous a peintrement
flattee_," which caused a roar of laughter and hurt Lenbach's
feelings....

Massenet has just sent a complete collection of his songs--all six. I
like the first two best--"_Poeme d'Avril_" and "_Poeme de Souvenir_."
This last he dedicated to me. There stands on the title-page, "_Madame,
Vous avez si gracieusement protege le Poeme d'Avril_...", etc. The
"_Poeme d'Hiver_," "_Poeme d'Octobre_," and "_Poeme d'Amour_" have
pretty things in them, but they are far from being so complete as the
first ones. Massenet wrote the date of its composition on each
title-page, and a few bars of music.

I took them to the Queen, and we looked them over together. She was
enchanted, and thought them the most graceful and refined things she
had ever heard. She said, "I envy you having them."

"Would your Majesty like to have some?" I asked.

"Yes, indeed; very much," she replied. "But I could never sing them.
You would have to teach me how. They suit yo