at two. I had tea with Mrs. Gerard, who
is in Budapest visiting her sister, Countess Sigray. I called at the
home of Count Albert Apponyi to leave my card and letters of
introduction. I dined with Mrs. Gerard and the Count and Countess
Sigray.

* * * * *

The great Hungarian plain, bounded by the Carpathians on the east and
by the Danube and the Save on the south has been inhabited by the
Hungarian people for more than a thousand years. The inhabitants of
this plain number about sixteen millions at the present time. They
pride themselves upon the fact that they have maintained their
national entity since the Ninth Century, although they have stood
alone and exposed in the middle of Europe, without any of the
geographical advantages which accrue from a situation of insular
isolation such as has been enjoyed by the English.

The world in general insists in thinking of Hungary as an Austrian
province and in counting Austria-Hungary one country, whose name has
been hyphenated with the sole purpose of inconveniencing conversation
in foreign countries. As a matter of fact, Hungary and Austria are two
distinct nations, inhabited by antagonistic races who speak different
languages and hold different ideals. The Hungarians are of Magyar
descent and speak a beautiful, musical language, while the Austrians
are a mixture of many races whose common tongue is a borrowed,
unclassical German. Each country has its own government, its own
parliament, and its own cabinet officers. The Hungarian nobility
regard the Austrian nobles as mere upstarts. Nothing is so displeasing
to a Hungarian as to be called an Austrian, or to be told that
Austrians and Hungarians are one and the same people.

Surrounded by three powerful enemies, the Turks, the Austrians, and
the Slavs, they have not succeeded in continuously maintaining their
liberty during the ten centuries of their existence as a nation. They
came under the domination of the Turks during the sixteenth century,
but under the leadership of Prince Eugene they with the assistance of
Austria succeeded in liberating themselves in 1716. In 1848 they were
subjugated by Austria assisted by Russia and ever since that time have
looked forward with confident anticipation to the day when they may be
strong enough to become again an independent nation. The diplomats,
statesmen, and scholars of their noble families have labored so
astutely and successfully towards thi