so much, would it?  We ought to inquire a little beforehand.  We shall get to you as early as we can.  The weather is against us everywhere.  We shall cut Florence quite short.  By the way, we have the satisfaction of seeing a precipitation of the Tuscan funds down, down, which only makes Robert wish for more power of ‘buying in,’ causing the eyes of a Florentine Frescobaldi to open in wonder at so much audacity.  But Robert, generally so timid in such things, has caught a flush of my rashness, and is alarmed by neither sinking funds nor rising loans.  We have a strong faith in Italy—­Italia fatta—­particularly since that grand child, Garibaldi, has turned good again.  The troubles in the Neapolitan States are exaggerated, are perilous even so, and I dare say Milsand thinks we are all going to pieces, but we shall not; there are great men here, and there will be a great nation presently.  An Australian Englishman, very acute, and free from the political faults (as I see them) of England, did all he could to prepare me for failure in Italy, ‘to save my heart from breaking,’ as he said.  And we have had drawbacks since then, yet my hope remains as strong.

The Duchesse de Grammont (French Embassy) sent us a card for Penini—­’matinee d’enfants’—­and he went, and was rather proud of being received under a full-length portrait of Napoleon, who is as dear as ever to him.  It was a very splendid affair, quite royal.  Pen wore a crimson velvet blouse, and was presented to various small Italian princes, Colonnas, Dorias, Piombinos, and had the honor of talking ponies and lessons and playing leap-frog with them.  The ambassador’s own boy, the little Grammont, has a pony ‘tale quale’ like Pen’s, only superannuated rather, which gives us the advantage....

I wonder if he will confide to you his tender admiration for the young queen of Naples, whom, between you and me, he pursues, and receives in return ever so many smiles from that sad lovely face.  When charged with a love affair, Pen answered gravely, that he ’did feel a kind of interest.’  He told us that two days since she stood up in her carriage three times to smile at him.  Something, it may be for the pony’s sake; but also, Pen confessed, to an impression that his new jacket attracted!  Fancy little Pen!  Robert says she is very pretty, and for Pen (who makes it a point of conscience to consider the whole ‘razza’ of Bourbons and Papalini as ‘questi infami birboni’) to be so drawn, there must be a charm.  After all, poor little creature, she acted heroically from her point of sight, and if the king had minded her, he would have made liberal concessions in time perhaps.  The wretched queen-mother and herself were at daggers drawn from the beginning.

I hear that Jessie Mario and her husband have been taken up at Ferrara.  They were only going to begin the war with Austria on their own account.  Mazzini deserves what I should be sorry to inflict.  He is a man without conscience.  And that’s no reason why Jessie and her party should use him for theirs.  Mario is only the husband of his wife.