n to take tea with the Marion
Crawfords. They have a charming villa on the rocks. They seemed very
glad to see us, and showed us all over the villa and their pretty
garden. "My den," as Mr. Crawford called his sunny and comfortable
library quite worthy of the lion he is. They are a very handsome
couple. She is as sympathetic as he is, and they both talk in the most
entertaining and lively manner. We had a delightful afternoon.

I was asked to sing at a charity concert to be given in the magnificent
_Salle de Gardes_ in the Barberini Palace. The concert was arranged by
all the most fashionable ladies in Rome, who with the ladies of the
court were _dames patronesses_.

I accepted, as the Queen expressed the wish that I should. She even
selected the songs she thought best for the occasion, and was present
with all the court, which, of course, gave great _eclat_ to the
concert.

Every place was taken, and, enormous as was the _salle_, it was crammed
to its limit, people standing up by hundreds. Sarah Bernhardt, being in
Rome, promised to lend her aid; she recited a monologue in her soft,
melodious voice, but so low that it could hardly have been heard
farther than the first few rows of seats.

I sang the "Rossignol" and Liszt's "_Que disaient ils?_" to Sgambati's
accompaniment. Madame Helbig played the accompaniment of the
"Capriciosa" of Blumenthal, the one that has all those wonderful
cadenzas which run rampant through the different keys. Madame Helbig is
a marvelous musician. I must tell you what she did. When I was soaring
all alone up in the clouds without any earthly help in that long
cadenza, she foresaw that I was not coming down on the right note and
changed the key from four sharps to four flats without any one noticing
it, thereby saving me from dire disaster.

Any musician can change from sharps to flats, but she was reading this
very difficult accompaniment almost at first sight and before a large
audience. I think that it was a tremendous _tour de force_.

AALHOLM, _August, 1886_.

My dear Aunt,--Did you receive the newspaper cuttings I sent you
describing the home-coming of Frederick and Nina? Did they not read
like fairy tales?

Aalholm Castle is situated on the sea. It is one of the most historic
places in the country, and seems to have been bandied back and forth to
pay the different kings' debts.

Christopher II. was imprisoned here (the prisons still exist), and two
more moldy and unpleasan