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26 September 1883 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Wednesday. 26th September [1883]. Sat talking with Lady Dickson. Wrote, read &c but was very depressed at the prospect of Hill’s departure which is to be tonight so that I broke down & cried at breakfast to my great shame before Mr Colnaghi & the Dicksons. After lunch we had a visit from the Beaumonts & at 3 Henry & I went off on another melancholy errand. We went to poor old Rawdon Brown’s apartment to see what of his old furniture we should like to buy. We found everything topsy turvy & Mr Cavendish Bentinck in the middle of it turning over letters & papers & it hurt me to see the poor old man’s secrets torn apt by a profane hand! Mr Bentinck was very civil & we made a list of the things we thought we shd like to buy & left it with him. We went on going to Malgarotto’s—the boy who is copying in terra cotta Vittorio’s busts for us. We found the house clean & neat—one large bedroom evidently inhabited by the whole family with a shelf to hold the lad’s works & in a little slip of a room the bust which he had made us & wh was drying. The kitchen was heaped in one corner with a painter’s pots as the father is a house decorator– We were pleased with the bust & ordered another & promised to get him orders. Came home & had a cup of tea– I knelt a long time by the open window. It was fine & warm & I had a quiet think. Henry took out the 2 gentlemen after dinner. Lady Dickson & I sat till bed time & then when Hill had undressed me for the last time I said “good bye” to her too full to speak—shook hands & she went– As she shut the door behind her it was hard to think it was for the last time—after so many years. (17 years) | |
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