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6 June 1882 — Berlin | |
Tuesday. 6th June [1882]. Breakfast at 9. At 11 Mr Crowe came for us & we walked to the Museum. We saw the remainder of the old pictures wh we had not time to see when we were there before & then went to the new gallery of modern pictures. My knee was so bad that I could not get abt much & I had to sit still while Henry & Crowe went about. We walked back to the hotel & had lunch at 1.30. At 3 Lady Walsham called for me & I went with her to call on Bernadine Benamar. Henry went out alone to try & see Mr George Bunsen– We found Bernadine just going out and did not stay long with her– She leaves Berlin tomorrow pour les bains– Lady Walsham & I drove in the Thier Garten & then we went to her house & had tea & she brought me back to the hotel at 5. Rested a while & then dressed & set off for the Potsdam station & took our tickets for Wildpark. We got into the express train which had been ordered to stop for us at Wild Park & deposit us there. It was a very hot eveng & it was cool & pleasant at Wildpark. I went in a long high gown & bonnet. Henry in eveng dress & star. We found a Victoria waiting at the station for us & it was abt 10 minutes drive thro’ a long garden to the Palace. It is built in a sort of French style & reminds one of Versailles in small. We were received at the door by Ct Eulenberg & led straight thro’ the dining room to the drawing room where we found the Crown P. & Pss—the Ampthills, Col. V. V. Townley, Princess Victoria of Prussia a girl of abt 16 fair & rather pretty, Ct Seckendorf. Mlle de Perpignan—2 other ladies & 2 gentlemen– After a few words the Princess went in to dinner with Ld Ampthill & the Prince gave his arm to Lady Ampthill & then turned laughingly to me & offered me his other arm—saying I know it is not fashionable but here we are quite in the country & can do like country people. He said he supposed I never had heard of such a thing as tea at that hour but “here we call this a tea.” I had Ct Seckendorf next to me & we had a great deal of talk abt art & artists at Paris. The Prince spoke to me abt Venice & how he longed to live there– I said I thought he would find it dull as there were no horses or carriages. He said he did not care if he never saw another horse that if he cd withdraw from public life he could desire nothing better than to retire to Venice with a good library. We began the meal with tea & bread & butter & then went on to meat, champagne & 2 ice. The meal was a short one & we returned to the drawingroom. Then we walked out of the window & walked round the house on a little kind of narrow terrace that runs round where one can just walk 3 abreast. The Pss & Lady Ampthill walked in front—& I & the young Pss Victoria & Mlle Perpignan behind. Then we changed & the Pss walked with me; nearly all the time HIH spoke of Mrs Val. Baker & her daughter & how much she liked & pitied them & what a good noble woman she was. She said that the Pss Victoria was devoted to the daughter. Soon the Ct Eulenberg came to say that we must leave to catch the train so we took leave & got into the Victoria. Another carriage brought Col. Villiers & Mr Townley & we all returned to Berlin. Had tea & cribbage & went to bed. | |
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