A Captain of the Guard and about thirty lackeys carried the historic sedan-chairs, and notable among them were those of the Dukes of Granada, Osuna, and Villahermosa, ornamented with beautiful paintings. The procession ended with a company of halberdiers and a squadron of the royal escort. Don Alfonso walked with martial step, his head in the air, and smiling pleasantly to all the friends he saw. He was in the uniform of Captain-General, with the Order of the Golden Fleece and other decorations. In this final public visit to “the Virgins,” the Queen wore a white velvet robe embroidered with gold and ornamented with sapphire buttons, and her necklace and bracelets were of the same precious stones. She wore the Orders of Maria Luisa and the starred Cross of Austria. The dress of the Infanta Isabella was of pale blue velvet embroidered with flowers, and all the dresses and mantles of the royal ladies were of equal magnificence, with tiaras of jewels and feathers and mantillas on their heads, and, as all the ladies of the Court also had their places in the procession in splendid attire, one can imagine it was a superb show; but it was not one to be seen again in the public streets. The health of the King was now beginning to give anxiety at Court, and loyal subjects regretted that people in high places did not use their influence to stimulate the King in his good desires for the welfare of the land, instead of pandering to his fancies with adulation and flattery. Charming ladies literally forced their way into the palace, and one day Queen Maria Cristina gave a well-deserved[22] box on the ears to the Duke of Sexto, when she came upon him introducing a dancer of light character to His Majesty. It is noteworthy that one of the first acts of the Queen as a widow was to ask this Duke to resign his post at the palace. [22] “La Vie intime d’Alfonse XII.,” par Croze. It was to such flattering courtiers that Maria Cristina owed the shadows which crossed the happiness of her married life, for under good influence Alfonso would always have been true to Maria Cristina, as the King loved and venerated her above all women; but when politicians encouraged the escapades of an attractive young Sovereign the wife’s influence was weakened. Queen Maria Cristina was deeply offended when she found that her husband’s connection with this Elena Sanz was a well-known fact, two sons being born to the singer. It was then that it was seen that the Queen was no mere weak woman who would submit calmly to what might be termed _los costumbres_ (custom) of the Court; and when she found that the King had a rendezvous with a señorita in the Casa de Campo, the magnificent wide-stretching park beyond the palace, she declared she would leave Spain and go back to Austria.