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21 September 1881 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Wednesday. 21st September [1881]. Sir Henry Thompson came directly after breakfast and painted a gondola from our front steps—but he did not remain very long on acct of the smells of which he has a horror. Mrs Nugent came with some lace on which she wanted my opinion & then departed with my advice to buy it. Henry went out with the Bruce party & Morelli to St Marks & Ld Aberdare went to the Congress. Sarah Bruce remained at home & she & I spent most of the morning in rearranging the drawing rooms for this evening’s party. We had to make the dining room into a sitting room & have the buffet for refreshments put at one end of the hall. All this took some time to arrange & was hard work. When it was done I was glad to rest a bit till lunch. After lunch Henry & Lord Aberdare went out again I think to the Congress. I & Mrs Burr went out at 4 after I had arranged finally the drawing rooms. We left cards & notes & were out an hour & half. We saw a most picturesque bit at the Albrizzi Palace. A bridge from an upper floor over the canal to lead to the garden on the other side. The bridge is covered with creepers which hang down a good way towards the water & thro’ them you see a back ground of Venetian red houses. I went to the Enna Palace to leave a card on Css Zichy & when I got home I met her at our door come to see me & I begged her to come up with her husband wh they did. They are just married & she is very young & fresh & pleasing tho’ not really pretty. As we dined at 6 I had not time to dress before dinner as the rest did. They went out directly after dinner to see the illuminations– I dressed & had to wait some time before Css Marcello & Css Valmarana came & then by degrees the rooms filled & Henry & the Bruces returned. The D. & Duchess Sermoneta came & the old gentleman told me he was very anxious to tell me himself all the amiable things the Queen of Italy had said of us to Prince Teano last week. How anxious she was to have me at Rome in the place of her pet aversion Lady Paget. A good many people came late having been unable to pass the crowd caused by the serenade. The serenade gondola started from the station but it got stuck at the Rialto for some time & after vain efforts a small steam launch was got which dragged it out & it passed our house about 11. There was such a tremendous quantity of gondolas & such a noise that one could not hear a note of music as the serenade passed but it was a fine sight—the mass of gondolas each with their light—the serenade barge with its mass of colour lights—electric lights turned on from time to time—& Bengal lights lit up every here & there. We had several distinguished men come in the eveng viz, Sigr Massari, Capt. Burton, Dr Nachtigal, Molmenti the writer, Baron Wartberg &c &c. Went to bed abt 12.30. | |
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