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1 March 1882 — 3 Savile Row | |
Wednesday. 1st March [1882]. I sent off Hill to help Blanche to dress for the Drawing room & was not quite well eno to go out. After lunch Maria & a Miss Rose called. I drove out with Gertie Seymer & she took me to Broadwood’s to choose a piano. Mr Fred Clay met us & chose a cottage piano wh cost 90 guineas & it was reduced to £70 but as I cannot afford that I thanked everybody & left it unsettled. Gertie then went to some shops & finally took me to Langham House. I saw Mama & also the under housemaid Sarah whom I engaged to come to Savile Row. I went to Q. Anne St to see Blanche but she had not returned from the Drawing Room. I sat a little while talking politics with Edward & about my annoyance at Henry’s treatment & how I wished he would go into Parliament & be independent. I then walked round to 35 Wimpole St & met Henry there & stayed a short time at Lady Thompson’s musical party to hear Mlle Zimmerman play. She played the piano beautifully. Mr & Mrs Burr came to call abt 6. Henry & I dined at Mr & Mrs Pender 18 Arlington St. Lord Tweedmouth took me to dinner & I sat next Lord Derby who was quite sober & rather agreeable. I heard him tell Lady Tweedmouth who sat on the other side of him that he regarded the P. Consort’s death as a gain to the Queen as a sovereign—that he was a much cleverer man than was generally supposed & it would have been impossible for him to have kept out of politics much longer. He told me a story of Sir A. Cockburn a propos of a remark I made that Ivor’s house close by had a separate apartment for a bachelor where the ladies introduced would not require to be measured– Sir A. C. used to take a lady down to an hotel at Richmond every Sunday & he always spoke of her as ”Lady Cockburn.” The hotel keeper was a piano man & at last spoke to Sir A. & said he wished Lady C. did not alter in height & breadth so much every week.” There were dining at the Penders besides the Derbys, the Tweedales, Mr & Mrs Fowler, old Mrs Mildway, the new Dean of Westr & his wife– It was a pang to me to see any one in the place of dear Dean Stanley. He has not a striking face & Henry says he told him a very improper story. Mrs Bradley looked rather a vulgar woman & was smothered in huge pink roses. Old Mrs Mildway was very pleasant to me & looked very well still with her white wavy hair & black velvet dress altho’ her head shakes with palsy. | |
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