Stenson is an admirable servant; but his
impassive face and correct salute which have hitherto greeted me
at London railway termini, although suggestive of material
comfort, cannot be said to invest my arrival with a special
atmosphere of charm. Carlotta's welcome has been a new
sensation. I look upon the house with different eyes. It was a
pleasure, as I dressed for dinner, to reflect that I should not
go down to a solemn, solitary meal, but would have my beautiful
little witch to keep me company.
July 22d.
It appears that her conduct has not been by any means
irreproachable. Miss Griggs reported that she took advantage of
my absence to saturate herself with scent, one of the most
heinous crimes in our domestic calendar. _Mulier bene olet dum
nihil olet_ is the maxim written above this article of our code.
Once when she disobeyed my orders and came into the drawing-room
reeking of ylang-ylang, I sent her upstairs to change all her
things and have a bath, and not come near me till Antoinette
vouched for her scentlessness.
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