 | Lady Layard’s Journal Go to a Date Search the Journal |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |
8 September 1881 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Thursday. 8th September [1881]. Very sleepy & did not get up till 9 & so dressed after breakfast. Arranged & put away some lace. Copied some letters for Henry. Lunch at 1.30. It being a fête day the girl did not come to sit to me for modelling but I worked a little alone after luncheon. Had a visit from Mrs Nevile, née Persico & also from Genl. & Mme Bassecourt. He is of Spanish origin & we knew his sisters at Madrid– She was a Miss Nevile. At 4 I went in the gondola to the Piazzetta to fetch Henry who had gone at 2 to a meeting of the Geographical Congress. He said there had been a project for going to the station to meet the Queen this eveng against which he had voted. There was also some sparring between them as to the number of votes each country was to have. The Commr for Hungary (Vambery) wanted a separate vote—at wh Henry said he wd then insist on a separate vote for India! & suggested the French man shd ask for one for Tunis! Went to call on Mrs Bronson to show her my wide Burano flounce. She asked me if we had still our Italian servant whom she said was once engaged to a maid of hers– I remembered an American lady once wrote to us at Madrid to say she had a German maid who was very much attracted to Giovanni. She says the girl is now married to a German in America but only did so in despair abt Giovanni—& that she was very pretty & a treasure of a maid. Took a row & then went home– Had some tea & read. Wrote some invitations to tea for Saturday & then went down to wait for the Queen’s arrival & had lights in all the rooms. Giovanni went off to the station to fetch the Burrs. It was nearly 8 when a gondola came to the door & I went down. I found Css Marcello & Ct & Css Brandolin, Andriana had come to ask us to give her dinner & the Brandolins went home. They had all arrived with the Queen & come from the station by the short cut. Abt 5 minutes after there were lights on the canal & a rushing sound on the water & the Queen came past in a 4 oared gondola accompanied by hundreds of gondolas. A few minutes after the Burrs arrived & abt 8.30 we got our dinner. We sat in the moonlight in the Belvedere till Andriana left at 10:30. The Squire & I played a game of cribbage. Bed. | |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |