ded to the personal wants of our guests worked
wonders, and, in a very few days, the visitors were all provided with
complete outfits. Many thoughts went through my mind in those few days.
Within a year I had been the companion of a young prince, whose mother
had practically been expelled from her throne and who had himself been
exiled from his country; a young prince who, for some years, had been
full of hopes of succeeding to the Crown and whose hopes had seemed
always to be difficult of fulfilment and not likely to be realized. Yet
he was now King. On the other hand, the man who had fought for that
throne and had almost succeeded in attaining it was taking refuge, not
only in the same country and city, but also in the same hotel where his
successful antagonist had spent the last hours of his exile. The ways of
Providence are certainly wonderful.

As a result of diplomatic communications, Don Carlos and those with him
were permitted to reside in England until arrangements could be made for
their return to France. At his request permission was granted me to be
attached to his Staff during his stay. He was naturally very much run
after by lion-hunters, and many were the entertainments that were given
in his honour. But the hours he enjoyed best were those which he spent
amongst his old supporters, not only those whose homes were in London and
in the country, but also those who, after his refusal to accept the
amnesty offered by Alfonso, had been compelled to leave Spain and take
refuge in England. There were some seventeen thousand families then
expelled from Spain. My days were fully occupied in making all the
arrangements for visiting in the country, dinners, balls, theatre
parties. In fact, it was a constant round of pleasure and amusement.

The visitors--especially Don Carlos himself--were most anxious to ride to
hounds. It was a difficult matter to mount so large a number, as the
horses had to be hired, and we all know how difficult it is to depend on
hired horses in the hunting field. Perhaps the biggest problem was to
find a horse suitable to Don Carlos. He stood six-foot three and must
have ridden somewhere over sixteen stone. I was despairing of success
when I mentioned my difficulty to Mr. Ford. He at once relieved me of all
anxiety. He told me he thought he could mount Don Carlos and two or three
of the others out of his own private stables. It was a right jolly good
day we had. There was to be a meet of Sir