Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-29
THE EX.KHEDIvE In ROME.
The SPlendOr He Keeps Up and His
Formal Calls.

Correspondence Of the Manchester Examiner
Among the villas which have sprung up In
Rome since 1870 in the new quarter Of the Macao
there is scarcely any more imposing or attract
i've than the one generally known as Villa Tel
fener 1t was built originally for Sgnor Agile
mo, the private secretary and even connection
OF Victor Emmanuel, for that gentleman had
married a relation of the Countess Mira6ore.
with whom the king, it Is well known.
had contracted morganatic union.
This very handsome villa became
the property of Count Telfener. the
railway contractor 1t then passed into the
hands of the Oriental retired from business who
is at the present moment one of the most prom
inent figures in the society of Naples and Rome.
On his arrival at Naples from Alexandria, there
was assigned to him the royal villa La Favorita.
ana IN that villa he established his family. con-
sisting OF ma femme, whom he never mentions
save in terms of the highest respect and affec-
ton. and large bevy of ladies, such as the
custom of the East entities a person of his rank
ana wealth to be possessed OF. When he further
established himself in Rome his proceedings
here attracted no little attention. He is, in
truth, very remarkable man.
In Rome he knows everybody worth know
ing, and evidently made it his first business to
do so from the moment of his arrival. Nor is
there any great difficulty for person of fair
Gus Oriental receives visits in the morning. You
go to the Villa Telfener, are shown into a spa
cious room on the ground floor to the right of
the entrance, where you will find two or three
secretaries busily writing. On presenting your
card or your letter of introduction one of the
secretaries disappears, returns in couple of min
utes, and by him you are conducted through a
small ante-rOOm into large dnng-rOOm, at the
end of which you find seated the Oriental re-
tired from business. He rises, receives you
off.r -
cigar or cigarette. whichever you prefer,
insists. whatever remOnstrance you may make.
on himself holding the light for you. when you
are lighting your cigar. and will then proceed to
chat on all possible subjects with equal courtesy
and ease. He is little, decidedly stout gentle
man, has no Oriental swarthness or gravity in
his manner, for he Is as fair as an Anglo-Saxon,
and in his features which tell of some sixty
years of age, you are most struck by his half
closed eyes, and by the slight squint which they
possess. He speaks excellent, indeed perfect,
French, Is full of bon n,ots and epgrams and so
Overlooking with anecdote that he might almost
figure as the hero of Capt Marryatts story, 'The
Pasha OF Many Tales" Pephaps he will invite
you to stay to luncheon, at which all the secre
taries are present.
Later in the day the large gates of the villa
Telfener are thrown open, and our Oriental
friend may be seen setting out for his afternoon
drive to the Pincio or the Villa BOrghese in his
dark caleche or brOugham, with the red wheels,
horses. At the Pincio or the Villa Borghese
there is universal bowling and greeting when
ever he comes. above all between the ladies and
himself, for he is prOdigiOus favorite with the
fair sex Once month, perhaps. when he sets
forth for his drive it is not in the brougham
with the two gray horses, but in magnf-
cent state carriage with four gray horses,
aud cOachman and fOOtman wear. not the
usual dark blue. but gorgeous light blue and
gold state liverieS. The state carriage takes
flow, nf ,t,;,x
sentinels present arms before he enters and after
he has finished his visit to King Humbert.
sometimes the state carriage goes in another
direction. As rule, distinguished personages
IN Rome who visit the king OF Italy at the Qui-
rinal do not visit the pope at the Vatican. and
vice versa; but our Oriental friend is equally at
home on the right and the left side of the Tber,
ana when he drives up to the gates OF the Vat-
can all the Swiss guards are called out and this
believer in MOhainmed is treated with all the
forms of rapal etiquette by the successor of st.
Peter.
After these drives and visits he returns to the
villa Teferner, and no evening during his stay
In Rome Is allowed to pass over without din
ner party of some eight or ten guests at least
One-haf consisting of ladies; these guests chosen
with singular tact from the most influential po-
litcal or social circles, without any distinction
of party. in the Italian capital And if the say
ing ascribed to Lord PalmerstOn be true, that
Ia urdie base de Ia diplomdcie cest la cui-
o"tc Jul OIicHttbi lIleuu uiunefS are Jne
highest triumphs of diplomatic art
Until his arrival in Rome, the Belgian
embassy was considered to stand first in
this respect; but the sauces and eratrenets of
even MIR. NJ Van Loo must hide their diminished
heads before the unrivaled courses Of Villa
Telfener dinner. the host is neOlOgian in his
Interpretation of the maxims of the Koran re-
speeding wine. There are wet Mohammedans as
Well as wet Quakers. and as the libatiOns Of johann
nisberg follow the Madeira and the Chateau la
Rose or Chambertin follow the Johannisberg and
Neuve Cliquot, with all her creamy attractions,
follows the claret or Burgundy, the guests can
not help thinking that unless they are mOder-
ate in their draughts they may themselves ex-
hibit the spectacle of ''wet Europeans" After
dinner the host does the honOrs of his saloon
with untiring gayety and urbanty. He passes
from one fair guest to another keeping all in
good humOr with his jokes and stories. so that
the impression which they carry away is even
more that of good will toward their host than
of admiration for the splendor of the banquet
Rarely indeed, if ever. have they partaken of
banquet where the table grOaned beneath such
quantities of massive silver and gold plate. Our
Oriental friend can well afford to have such SER
vices Of plate if it be true that he retired it
would be much more correct to say was elected,
from the firm with an income of from ESQ, 900
to f2G0, 600 year.