You may believe that my artistic soul is full of joy when I can collect about me such artists as Liszt, Grieg, Sgambati, Pierné, Vidal, Mme. Helbig, and Countess Gigliucci, not to mention the Queen's _Gentilhomme de la reine_ (Marquis Villamarina), who has the most delicious barytone voice I have ever heard--but he seems to think as little of this divine gift as if it were his umbrella. Vera (the singing-master) was prevented from coming to-day to the Queen's lesson, and Signor Marchetti replaced him. He is a very well-known composer, and has written an opera called "Ruy Blas," which has had quite a success here in Italy. The Queen and I sing a duet from it which is really charming. Baron Renzis had some theatricals at his pretty villa in Piazza Indipendenza, in which Nina acted the principal _rôle_, in "L'été de St.-Martin." Senateur Alfieri (son of the celebrated Alfieri) took the part of the uncle. One of the thirteen pictures Lenbach painted of Nina was put on the stage and afterward brought before the curtain, but it created no enthusiasm--people did not think it did her justice. One actor (a young Frenchman) had such a stage-fright that when he had to say this phrase (it was all he had to say), "_Le peintre vous a diablement flattée_," he said, "_Le diable vous a peintrement flattée_," which caused a roar of laughter and hurt Lenbach's feelings.... Massenet has just sent a complete collection of his songs--all six. I like the first two best--"_Poëme d'Avril_" and "_Poëme de Souvenir_." This last he dedicated to me. There stands on the title-page, "_Madame, Vous avez si gracieusement protege le Poëme d'Avril_...", etc. The "_Poëme d'Hiver_," "_Poëme d'Octobre_," and "_Poëme d'Amour_" have pretty things in them, but they are far from being so complete as the first ones. Massenet wrote the date of its composition on each title-page, and a few bars of music. I took them to the Queen, and we looked them over together. She was enchanted, and thought them the most graceful and refined things she had ever heard. She said, "I envy you having them." "Would your Majesty like to have some?" I asked. "Yes, indeed; very much," she replied. "But I could never sing them. You would have to teach me how. They suit your voice, but would they mine? No one can sing them as you do." "I learnt them with Massenet; that is why," I replied. I wrote to Massenet and begged him to send the same collection to the Queen, as she had been so delighted with his songs, and added, "Don't forget to put your name, the dates, and a bar or two of music just like what you sent to me." Most amiably he did what I asked for, and the Queen was more than pleased, and immediately thanked him through the Marquise Villamarina. Massenet has become a great celebrity now. Twenty years ago, when he was struggling to get on in Paris, Auber and I helped him. I used to pay him five francs an hour for copying manuscripts. Now one pays twenty francs _just to look at him_!