mpty chair on top of it, was carried in on the shoulders of a number of
men.

This was for the enthronement of the Queen of Beauty, and as it passed
round the arena, with the mock judges in paper coronets, walking ahead
to make their choice, some of the women, lost to all sense of modesty,
were shouting "Take _me_! Take _me_!"

I felt sure they would take Alma, so I reached forward to get a better
view of her, where she stood below my box; but as they approached her,
with the chair still empty, I saw her make a movement in my direction
and say something to the judges about "the little nun," which made my
husband nod his head and then laugh uproariously.

At the next moment, before I knew what they were doing, six or seven men
jumped into my box, lifted me on to the rostrum and placed me in the
chair, whereupon the whole noisy company in the theatre broke into wild
shouts of salutation and pelted me with flowers and confetti.

If there was any pride there was more mortification in the position to
which Alma and my husband had exposed me, for as I was being carried
round the arena, with the sea of foaming faces below me, all screaming
out of their hot and open mouths, I heard the men cry:

"Smile, Signorina!"

"Not so serious, Mademoiselle!"

It would do no good to say what memories of other scenes flashed back
on my mind as I was being borne along in the mad procession. I felt as
if it would last for ever. But it came to an end at length, and as soon
as I was released, I begged my husband again to take me home, and when
he said, "Not yet; we'll all be going by-and-by," I stole away by
myself, found a cab, and drove back to the hotel.

The day was dawning as I passed through the stony streets, and when I
reached my room, and pulled down my dark green blinds, the bell of the
Capuchin monastery in the Via Veneto was ringing and the monks were
saying the first of their offices.

I must have been some time in bed, hiding my hot face in the
bed-clothes, when Price, my maid, came in to apologise for not having
seen me come back alone. The pain of the woman's scrutiny was more than
I could bear at that moment, so I tried to dismiss her, but I could not
get her to go, and at last she said:

"If you please, my lady, I want to say something."

I gave her no encouragement, yet she continued.

"I daresay it's as much as my place is worth, but I'm bound to say it."

Still I said nothing, yet she went on:

"His Lordshi