Lyons (who was doyen of the diplomatic corps) he said to me:  “Ah, Madame Waddington, I see the Republic is becoming very royal; you don’t receive your guests any more, merely come into the room when all the company is assembled.”  He said it quite smilingly, but I understood very well, and of course we ought to have been there when the first guests arrived.  He was very amiable all the same and told me a great many useful things—­for instance, that I must never invite a cardinal and an ambassador together, as neither of them would yield the precedence and I would find myself in a very awkward position.

[Illustration:  Lord Lyons.]

The Annamites were something awful to see.  In their country all the men of a certain standing blacken their teeth, and I suppose the dye makes their teeth fall out, as they hadn’t any apparently, and when they opened their mouths the black caverns one saw were terrifying.  I had been warned, but notwithstanding it made a most disagreeable impression on me.  They were very richly attired, particularly the first three, who were tres grands seigneurs in Annam,—­heavily embroidered silk robes, feathers, and jewels, and when they didn’t open their mouths they were rather a decorative group,—­were tall, powerfully built men.  They knew no French nor English—­spoke through the interpreter.  My intercourse with them was very limited.  They were not near me at dinner, but afterward I tried to talk to them a little.  They all stood in a group at one end of the room, flanked by an interpreter—­the three principal chiefs well in front.  I don’t know what the interpreter said to them from me, probably embellished my very banal remarks with flowers of rhetoric, but they were very smiling, opening wide their black mouths and made me very low bows—­evidently appreciated my intention and effort to be amiable.

They brought us presents, carpets, carved and inlaid mother-of-pearl boxes, cabinets, and some curious saddles, also gold-embroidered cushions and slippers.  Some Arab horses were announced with great pomp from the Sultan’s stables.  I was rather interested in them, thought it would be amusing to drive a long-tailed Arab pony in a little cart in the morning.  They were brought one morning to the Quai d’Orsay, and W. gave rendezvous to Comte de Pontecoulant and some of the sporting men of the cabinet, in the courtyard.  There were also several stablemen, all much interested in the idea of taming the fiery steeds of the desert.  The first look was disappointing.  They were thin, scraggy animals, apparently all legs and manes.  Long tails they had, and small heads, but anything so tame and sluggish in their movements could hardly be imagined.  One could scarcely get them to canter around the courtyard.  We were all rather disgusted, as sometimes one sees pretty little Arab horses in Paris.  I don’t know what became of them; I fancy they were sent to the cavalry stables.