June, 1894. We have taken an apartment close to J.’s studio in an old palace built by Sixtus the Fifth. It looks out upon the Square of St. Peter’s and it has a divine terrace. What a view! The whole of Rome and the Alban Hills, St. Peter’s and the fountains, the Vatican and the windows of the Pope’s private apartments just opposite! At the studio J.’s happy family, a pair of pigeons and a falcon, has an addition in the shape of two pretty kittens. Queen Margherita is a brave woman. She drives about the town constantly, passing this house twice a day with only a lady in waiting beside her. The scarlet liveries of her coachman and footman make the landau a fine target for the anarchist’s knife or pistol, but the Queen is quite fearless. Crispi laughs at the attempts to kill him, and they have begun to say he has a charmed life. The King looks as if he would like to be in anybody’s boots but his own. Some of Crispi’s acts would have brought about a revolution in any other country; the King alone has prevented this, and the unconscious triumph of his simple, honest character is most impressive. He is not a brilliant man, but he loves his people and Italy better than his own dynasty, which he has not scrupled to jeopardize. Crispi is perfectly sincere in the belief that for the country’s sake his government must continue. Whether he is right is another question. No matter what happens, have no fear for us. The Romans are the peaceablest people in the world. At Milan, Naples, Turin, Florence, there may be some excitement, but the Romans do not interest themselves in what is happening in the world to-day and won’t do so for another generation. You can’t make people free in twenty-five years; it takes at least fifty. On Friday, the day of Santa Lucia, we were bidden to the _festa_ of Signora Villegas. Here they celebrate your saint’s day instead of your birthday. At dinner I sat between Villegas and Adolfo Apolloni, the sculptor. The Signora is Italian, but Villegas is an Andalusian from Seville. There were Spanish guests, Spanish wine and viands, much talk and merriment.