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19 September 1881 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Monday. 19th September [1881]. Lord Aberdare was better this morng but did not appear till abt 12 & came up to the Library & sat there on a sofa I put for him & I gave him books to amuse him. Signor Felice came with some plaster casts for me– Sigr d’Est came abt lace orders– Henry went off to the Geo: Congress to tell Teano that Lord Aberdare was not well eno’ to take the chair at the meeting. He returned abt 1 o’cl & said the meeting had been stormy—that Vambery suddenly jumped up & said that whatever Austria might be—Hungary was & always would be the friend of Italy—which was a very improper thing to say at such a meeting. We lunched at 1.30 as soon as Mrs Burr & the Bruces returned from seeing some churches. After lunch a visit from Ct & Css Bembo & Mr Colnaghi. Henry went off again to the Congress. Sir Henry & Kate Thompson came to see me to explain that they were going back to the Lake of Como as he did not like the scirocco & smells. M. & Mme Peruzzi & Mrs Ball came & I showed them all the pictures & they expressed themselves delighted. I saw Dona Emilia Peruzzi for the first time & was rather taken aback having heard so much of her & her salon at Florence. I had expected a good looking clever woman & to my surprise came a little stout lively lady with rather a squint & an incessant talk rendered fatiguing by the rasping tone of her voice. She dresses in the most curious way. She had brought her opera glasses being very near sighted & not only turned them on the pictures & distant objects but on the things close to her, tables, chairs, sofas &c saying “S’est una grand belle chose” (trans: of una gran bella cosa”). She was most amiable & complimentary & stayed a long time looking at everything in detail & talking incessantly. After they had gone I took Sir Henry Thompson to visit the Squire & showed my studio to Kate T. When they were gone came M. & Mme Hurtado & after that Mrs Burton & Capt. B. & Capt. Cameron, Col. Crawford, Mrs Daly, her niece & Chief Justice Daly. Mme Persico called & Pino Marcello came to say that his mother would fetch us in the evening & take us to the Palace to see the illuminations. The Dalys said that the accounts of the state of President Garfield were most alarming. Col. Crawford took leave as he is about to return to America & I sent him some photos of Burano lace to take with him to get orders for us. We dined at 7 & after dinner Morelli arrived by the eveng train. We left him at home with Lord Aberdare who was not well eno’ to go out & at 9 Henry & I, Mrs Burr & the 3 Bruces went with Mme Marcello to the Royal Palace to the apartments of the chief lady & there we found the Prefect, the Peruzzis & 2 or three other people. The Piazza was lit up with electric light & there was a great crowd of people but the illumination was a poor affair & no more than what we have on the Thames Embankment. Five united bands played in the piazza—but I did not much care for the effect of it—still I spent a very pleasant evening on the balcony with Mme Peruzzi who was very anxious to hear of English politics—& spoke with enthusiasm of “ce monsieur” who had asked so many speeches about Tunis & the French. Great was her delight when she realized that “Ce monsieur” was my brother Monty. When I told her about him that he was tall—& 6 ft 4—she answered “then he is bigger than you!” We came home about 11 & went to bed– | |
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