We are all (except the Ambassador) perfectly taken up with the comedie--and to-day we had our first repetition of the gavotte in the drawing-room. I hadn't thought of saying anything about the dancing to the young men, and it seems the "chancellerie" went nearly mad; their rooms being directly under the salons, they heard everything--the music beginning the same thing over and over again--and the heavy little feet that couldn't stay long on the tips of their toes. I had some trouble in finding a dancing-mistress--I thought first of the American who had that dancing class here where all the children went, but she didn't seem to understand exactly what I wanted. Finally some one told me I had much better send for Mrs. Roffy--ballet-mistress at the Alhambra--who has sometimes arranged menuets and gavottes for "les femmes du monde"; so I wrote to her to come and see me. She knew exactly what I wanted, would undertake the whole thing--how many children--what sort of a dance--was most business-like--and we fixed the first repetition at once. There were about 20 children, of all ages and sizes, varying from 3 years to 14--Muriel White, Gay Edwardes and her brother, a little de Breunen, Elsa Deichmann, etc. Mrs. Roffy looked very nice. She is very tall, but rather graceful--she had a little black bag in which were her black silk stockings and pointed slippers, and asked if she might have a room to arrange herself--so Clarisse took charge of her. I took the piano--and most distracting it was--as no two of the children ever began their steps at the same time. It was amusing to see Mrs. Roffy. She moved extraordinarily gracefully for such a tall woman, and was so patient--holding up her dress, pointing her toes, and talking to them all the time--"Heads up, Dears--Heads up! Look at me--very proud, please." I should have given up in despair after a quarter of an hour. All the little arms and legs went at wrong times in wrong directions, and no one seemed to have the slightest idea of time. She will give one or two private lessons to some of the very small ones. Madame de Langhe, too, has her hands full with the chorus, "Vive la Reine"--but I think she must have some one behind the scenes to sing the solo, and then the children will come out strong in the chorus. The roles are all distributed--Bianca Deym--a tall handsome girl--is to be Marie Antoinette; and the various other Court ladies are Lady Helen Stewart (Lady Londonderry's daughter), Lady J. Meade (Lady Clanwilliam's daughter), Marguerite Phelps, Anna Lawrence, Elsa de Bille, etc. I think it will be pretty. June 15, 1891.