They brought news of the goings-on there. Do you remember one
night the Duchess of S. read us a letter from Lady Dufferin,
describing the exploits of her son, who went yachting with Prince
Napoleon up by Spitzbergen, and when Prince Napoleon and all the rest
gave up and went back, still persevered and discovered a new island?
Well, this was the same man. A thin, slender person, not at all the
man you would fancy as a Mr. Great Heart,--lively, cheery, and
conversational.
"Lord Alfred is also very pleasant.
"Lady Mary prevailed on Lord Dufferin to stay and drive with us after
lunch, and we went over to Clifden, the duchess's villa, of which we
saw the photograph at Dunrobin. For grace and beauty some of the rooms
in this place exceed any I have yet seen in England.
"When we came back my first thought was whether Aunt Mary and the
girls had come. Just as we were all going up to dress for dinner they
appeared. Meanwhile, the Queen had sent over from Windsor for Lady
Mary and her husband to dine with her that evening, and such
invitations are understood as commands.
"So, although they themselves had invited four or five people to
dinner, they had to go and leave us to entertain ourselves. Lady Mary
was dressed very prettily in a flounced white silk dress with a
pattern of roses woven round the bottom of each flounce, and looked
very elegant. Mr. Labouchere wore breeches, with knee and shoe buckles
sparkling with diamonds.
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