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8 May 1883 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Tuesday. 8th May [1883]. I sent to beg Idita to come here at 10.30 in her sandalo to take out Pss Victoria who arrived here a little after 11 & was left here. She came up to the studio & had to sit & wait there as just as she came it began to pour. She brought word that the C. Pss was coming to see me at 12. At last the weather cleared a little and Idita, the Pss & I set off in the sandalo. We went a little way in the Grand Canal & then to S. Moisé to buy some flowers for my dinner table. Idita got out to get them & as it came on to rain the gondolier put the sandalo under the bridge & it cleared up a little before we set off home. When we got there we found we were in time as the C. Pss had not arrived. In abt 5 minutes she appeared & ran up the stairs to the studio & went into the bedroom—& into Henrys library till Ct Seckendorff called her & said she must be off & would only just get home in time for luncheon. Idita lunched with us & Morelli & directly after we set off in the gondola to Mme Hurtado’s—there I begged permission to take Idita with us to Murano wh I obtained & she just changed her boots & then we rushed off & got by 2.30 to Hotel Danielli’s. The C. Pss, Mme Gersdorff, M. Kendall (the German Ambr who arrived last night from Rome) & I went in one gondola– It was raining hard & blowing a good deal but not eno’ to prevent our going to Murano. The C. Pss talked a great deal to M. Kendall abt the Protestant cemetery here wh is to be moved & where she says she has a relation buried– We went first to the Vetreria of common glass—& after going over it all—we went on to the Venezia & Murano furnaces & there the party seated themselves all in chairs to watch the working. Ct Serego & I found our way to Zanetti the Director’s kitchen—unpacked a carpet bag I had brought & proceeded to boil water & make tea. When made he & I & an old woman servant carried it in procession to the furnaces & there gave our tea which was gratefully recd especially by Pss Victoria who has a weakness for afternoon tea. Tea over I packed up & then the party went to the next furnaces to see the experiment of aventurino taken out. It was a large block in the crucible & was cold. It was taken out & broken before the Pss & pronounced to be a great success. It appears that the secret was formerly only known to one man in Murano who sold it very dear & now our Pancianello has found it out for our Co but the result cd not be told till the block was broken & examined. This done we returned to Venice, Henry, Morelli, Idita & I in our gondola. We left Idita at her home & then went to ours– I rested a little & fell asleep a few minutes & then hurried to dress abt 7. Andriana came up to my room & I had to make haste to go down as the Brandolins had come & Ct Serego. Besides the C. P. & Pss & Pss Victoria, Seckendorff, Von Kessel & Mlle Gersdorff we had M. Kendall. The dinner was lively altho somewhat long & at last we cut short the ices & dessert & made for the drawingrooms—& got our coffee & the gentlemen their cigarettes. Mr Malcolm came & also M. Yriarte the author whom Css Marcello got to come to meet the Pss– I spent most of the evening with Pss Victoria in the Belvidere. They all left abt 10. Serego accompanied the Pss in his gondola & had Bengal lights lit to illuminate the canal for them. On leaving the Pss gave me her photo & a prettily worked gilt frame. I was very tired when I went to bed. | |
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