It is now a fortnight since I came here. I am occupying a charming villa situated on the gulf and giving a view of the whole place, as well as of Livadia, the _palais_ of the Empress, on the mountain opposite me. Last Sunday, after mass, I was invited to breakfast at their Majesties’, and there met the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Mikhaïl,—he is governor of Caucasia,—the Queen of Greece, and others. I have discovered that the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna, the Emperor’s only daughter, has grown considerably and is prettier than when I saw her last. Her fiancé, Prince Alfred, is expected here next week. Niko and André are in Mingrelia, where they are anxiously expecting me. Salomé is coming to Yalta on the 24th; she will spend some time with the Princess Orbeliani,[18] my cousin’s widow, who has a little estate near by, and will then join us in Mingrelia. I leave Yalta on the 3d of October and reach Poti four days later. Adieu, dearest Contessina; I wish you as much happiness and good fortune as you deserve. Your very devoted Ekaterina In the spring of 1874 the princess with great delight informed me that her son was betrothed to the daughter of Count Adlerberg, a lifelong friend of the Tsar’s. One of the next letters brought the description of the wedding, and in one that came still later the arrival of the young couple at Gordi, the summer residence of the Mingrelian family, was depicted. I insert the description here, for it gives a vivid picture of the country in which later I was destined to spend so many years with my husband. The journey of the newly married couple went off in excellent shape. A special ship was put at their service to bring them directly across from Odessa to Poti, and from there a special train brought them to Kutais. The whole trip was one endless ovation. The inhabitants lined the way, and at all the stations they were received by the princes, nobles, and residents of the district with songs, shouts of joy, and salvos of musketry. They were compelled to stop and repair to floral temples where refreshments were ready, and there again began songs, dances, and other diversions. At Kutais the travelers remained two days, where the banquets, balls, and receptions threatened to last forever, so that the young couple had to steal quietly away in order at length to reach Gordi. At the entrance of the mountain pass is a bridge which leads over a rushing stream. There the carriages are left, since the heights can be reached only on horseback or in palanquins.