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8 December 1880 — Florence | |
Wednesday. 8th December [1880]. We went out in the morng on foot intending to go & see some pictures also. We found that it was a fête day & everything was shut so we went into Or S. Michiele but there was service going on & we could not get near to see the shrine. We walked to Sta Maria Novella & the service had not begun so we went round the church & looked at the tombs of the celebrities of Florence wh are there, & also the many frescos. We then walked home– I went to the Hotel, Henry went to see Sir James Hudson. At lunch we met the Galloways & Sir James Lacaita came to call & was very amusing. At ¼ to 2 Mrs Sloanes carriage came for us & we drove to Carreggi wh we had not seen since the days of old Mr Sloane. His trees had grown wonderfully & tho’ winter the garden looked well. The old gardener Niccola was delighted to see Henry. After spending a ¼ hour there we went on to the Villa del Pino to see Miss Macleod. She received us with great affection and altho’ we found her aged & with a lace tied over her mouth to keep out the cold—muzzled, she called it she came down the steps to meet us & talked as much as ever—only every now & then she seemed to get a catch in her breath. She was very great on the subject of Ouida & told us the story Peruzzi had told us 1st hand. She said Ouida had also sent for a General & made the same communication to him as to Peruzzi & that the 2 men met in the eveng & compared notes! A french neighbour came in to call on Miss Macleod wh was rather a bore & he stuck to it & we left him there. We stopped a few minutes at Mrs Sloanes to tell her of the success of our expedition & then went home. We dined at 7– The Galloways were out– At 9 we went off in a cab to Via Militari to the Campbell Spence’s. There was a little party. We met Mme Villari wife of the Professor—an English lady daughr of Mr White late M.P. for Brighton– Met also the Russian lady (Olethkin is her name I think not Verrochio). She sang her Russian songs—most painfully– Met also Mr & Mrs Bracken Cortelazzo’s friends. He is the fairest of English men– She very dark– French father—Italian mother. They are both young & she very handsome with a most dramatic face. She sang very well. An Italian gentleman sang some Tuscan airs to the guitare– At 11 we retired to our hotel. Mr Burton arrived, dined with us & went to the Spences. | |
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