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28 February 1881 — Rome | |
Monday. 28th February [1881]. Went up to the Villa Campana & worked away at my bust of the Faun—& also sat a little while to Mr Wood. Giovanni fetched me home. I found Mme Minghetti waiting to see me & she stayed abt ½ hour chatting & we finally promised to go & lunch with her tomorrow. We got our luncheon rather late. At 2.30 Mme Westenberg’s carriage came for us & I went out driving with M. & Mme de Westenberg in the Corso. We took no flowers with us but we had not been out ¼ hour before we had such quantities thrown us we began to throw them back. Whenever we passed the Bowens or the Paget balconys where Henry was we were pelted tremendously. We drove up & down till 5 when we went to see if Mme Westenberg was at home– Not finding her we returned to the Hotel. Some of the people threw Japanese fans, bonbons, false money, mock silver spoons &c. The whole thing was very animated & there were millions of flowers flying abt. I got one or two unpleasant thumps in the face from the hard stalks of some of the bouquets. We dined with the Bülows after the table d’hôte & then dressed & went to the Ball at the English Embassy. We got there abt ¼ past 10– The dancing did not begin till after 11 when the King & Queen arrived. She danced in the Quadrille d’honneur with Sir Augustus. Lady Paget stayed talking to the King. There seems to have been some new bother abt precedence as the Queen insisted on her Grande Maitresse Mme Villa Marina having the pas over Mme Cairoli. I had to take charge of Mme de Bülow & introduced her to as many people as I could. I was sitting talking with Mme de Kendell when the King came up & talked with Mme Cairoli, then me, then Mme de K. He laughed at me for liking Venice wh he said was so dull as there were no horses or carriages. Abt 1 the Court took its departure—as there was no supper in consequence of the bother at the Teano ball. We soon after left & went home to bed. | |
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