heart and mind.

All Court gaieties are, however, at an end. Once a year or so a ball at
the palace, a formal dinner, or reception, when it cannot be
avoided--that is all, and for the rest the Queen is rarely seen except
at religious ceremonies or state functions, and the King, never. He is
supposed to take his amusements and exercise in the Casa de Campo, and
rarely crosses Madrid.

Numerous stories used to be told of his precocity as a child, and of his
smart sayings; sometimes of his generosity and sympathy with the poor
and suffering. Now one is told he is somewhat of a pickle, but fables
about royalty may always be received with more than a grain of salt. One
of the stories told of him, which ought to be true, since it has the
ring of childhood about it, is well known. When a small boy, his
Austrian governess, of whom he was very fond, reproved him for using his
knife in place of a fork. "Gentlemen never do so," she said. "But I am a
King," he replied. "Kings, still less, eat with their knives," said the
governess. "_This_ King does," was the composed reply of the child.

The etiquette of the Spanish Court, although it was much modified by
Alfonso XII., is still very formal. A perfectly infinite number of
_mayordomos, caballerizos, gentiles hombres de casa y boca, ujieres,
alabarderos, monteros_, aides-de-camp, _Grandes de Espana de servicio_,
ladies-in-waiting, lackeys, servants, and attendants of every possible
description abound. A man going to an audience with royalty uncovers as
he enters the Palace. First, he will find the _alabardero de servicio_
placed at the entrance of the vestibule; farther on, more _alabarderos_.
Whenever a Grande de Espana, a prelate, a grand cross, or a title of
Castile passes, these guards strike the marble floor with their arms--a
noise which may well cause the uninitiated to start. Three halls are
used for grouping, according to their rank, those who are about to be
presented: first, the _saleta_, where ordinary people--all the world, in
fact--wait; next, the _camara_, for those who have titles or wear the
grand cross; third, the _antecamara_, reserved for the Grandes of Spain,
and _gentiles hombres en ejercio_. The Grandes of Spain, chamberlains
of the King, share between them the service of his Majesty. They are
called in rotation, one day's notice being given before they are
expected to attend in the Palace. In the ante-chamber of the King there
is always the _Grande_ in waiti