long talk over old days in Rome when the Pope went out every day to the different villas, and promenades, and always with an escort of gardes nobles.  I invited them to our reception two or three nights afterward, and they seemed to enjoy themselves.  They were, of course, delighted with their short stay in Paris, and I think a little surprised at the party at the Foreign Office under a Republican regime.  I don’t know if they expected to find the rooms filled with gentlemen in the traditional red Garibaldian shirt—­and ladies in corresponding simplicity of attire.

[Illustration:  Her Majesty Queen Victoria, about 1879.  From a photograph by Chancellor, Dublin.]

We saw a great many English at the Quai d’Orsay.  Queen Victoria stayed one or two nights at the British Embassy, passing through Paris on her way South.  She sent for W., who had never seen her since his undergraduate days at Cambridge.  He found her quite charming, very easy, interested in everything.  She began the conversation in French—­(he was announced with all due ceremony as Monsieur le Ministre des Affaires Etrangeres) and W. said she spoke it remarkably well,—­then, with her beautiful smile which lightened up her whole face:  “I think I can speak English with a Cambridge scholar.”  She was much interested in his beginnings in England at Rugby and Cambridge—­and was evidently astonished, though she had too much tact to show it, that he had chosen to make his life and career in France instead of accepting the proposition made to him by his cousin Waddington, then Dean of Durham, to remain in England and continue his classic and literary studies under his guidance.  When the interview was over he found the Queen’s faithful Scotch retainer, John Brown, who always accompanied her everywhere, waiting outside the door, evidently hoping to see the minister.  He spoke a few words with him, as a countryman—­W. being half Scotch—­his mother was born Chisholm.  They shook hands and John Brown begged him to come to Scotland, where he would receive a hearty welcome.  W. was very pleased with his reception by the Queen.  Lord Lyons told him afterward that she had been very anxious to see him; she told him later, in speaking of the interview, that it was very difficult to realise that she was speaking to a French minister—­everything about him was so absolutely English, figure, colouring, and speech.

Many old school and college experiences were evoked that year by the various English who passed through Paris.  One night at a big dinner at the British Embassy I was sitting next to the Prince of Wales (late King Edward).  He said to me:  “There is an old friend of your husband’s here to-night, who will be so glad to see him again.  They haven’t met since he was his fag at Rugby.”  After dinner he was introduced to me—­Admiral Glynn—­a charming man, said his last recollection of W. was making his toast for him and getting a good cuff when the toast fell into the fire and got burnt.