#Group at Hatfield House during the visit of the Shah of Persia, July 8, 1889# 304 _From a photograph by Russell & Sons, London._ #Lord Salisbury# 306 _From a photograph by Lambert Weston & Son, Dover._ #A Comedy for Children at the French Embassy# 320 _From a photograph by Barker & Pragnell, London._ #The Empress Frederick, Wearing the Order of the Black Eagle# 388 _The last portrait of the Empress by the artist Angeli._ #Entrance to the Club and Gardens, Cowes, Isle of Wight# 392 _From a photograph by Broderick._ LETTERS OF A DIPLOMAT'S WIFE PART I THE CORONATION OF THE CZAR _To G. K. S_. #Paris#, 31, Rue Dumont d'Urville, March 15, 1883. Our breakfast at the English Embassy was most interesting. I began by refusing on account of my mourning, but Lord Lyons wrote me a nice note saying that there would be no one but the Leon Says and Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone, so I accepted. I was very anxious to see Mr. Gladstone. We had a pretty little breakfast upstairs in the small dining-room, and the talk at table was most interesting. I thought Mrs. Gladstone looked older than her husband. He of course did most of the talking. He has a fine voice, bright, keen, dark eyes, holds himself very erect, and apparently knows everything about everything. When the men were smoking after breakfast I had quite a talk with Mrs. Gladstone, who told me about the murder of Lord Frederick Cavendish. She said her husband heard it at a big London party, and had to go and tell Lady Frederick. Mr. Gladstone was more upset by the whole thing (and the having to tell the unfortunate wife) than she had ever seen him. Il y avait de quoi, for even here in Paris, where _outside_ questions don't trouble them very much, there was great excitement when the news came. I had a nice talk with Plunkett, who congratulated me on W.'s[1] appointment as Ambassador to Vienna. I told him there was no truth in the report (they had offered it to W., but he won't hear of it), and I think he is quite right. He has no particular _attaches_ at Vienna. He knows German well, but doesn't speak it absolutely perfectly, and hasn't really the social talents that one needs in Vienna. They ought to send a dashing general, or a courtier, not a serious savant. [1] W. here and throughout these letters refers to Mme. Waddington's husband, M. William Henry Waddington, "G. K. S.," "H. L. K.," "A. J. K." and "J. K.," to whom the letters are addressed, refer to Mme. Waddington's sisters, Mrs. Eugene Schuyler, Miss Henrietta L. King, and the late Miss Anne J. King, and to her sister-in-law, the late Mrs. Cornelius L. King.