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13 October 1885 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Tuesday. 13th October [1885]. Mr Ball, Henry & I were sitting at table talking after breakfast when Luigi ran in to announce that the Crown Pss was at the door & before we could get out she & Mlle de Gersdorff were up in our hall. The Pss said she had come to pay us a farewell visit. She looked at our pictures—& talked privately to Henry about the affairs in the East & of her annoyance at the prospect of the P. of Bulgaria being forced by the powers to abandon the Roumelia wh a revolution has put him in possession of. She proposed to take me to the Hotel d’Europe where I had appointed to be at 11 with Pss Victoria. We intended to make a pilgrimage to the Rialto in order that the Princess might buy some toy wicker chairs as a charm to bring them back to Venice—this being the superstition here. I soon got ready to accompany HRH & we went off—on the way we passed Ct Seckendorff sitting sketching near the Accademie. The C Pss said “Oh the wretch! he pretended he was too busy paying bills & writing letters to come out & there he is painted” & she stopped the gondola & landed where he was & after speaking to him she went on to an art exhibition there & sent me on to the hotel. Mlle de Perpigna, Pss Victoria, Sophie & Margaret & I walked off to the Rialto together. Pss Victoria gave me a gold bangle with a little pearl as a remembrance. We had some difficulty in finding the chairs but we did so at last & then walked to his house where I put the Psses into our gondola & sent them back to the hotel. In the evening at 6.30 Henry & I went to the hotel to bid them all good bye. Pss Victoria & the Crown Pss came to the drawing room to talk to us & when we asked for the little ones we were told they were out in the balcony in fits of tears & I found them there in the dark—they said Dear Venice—it is too lovely & too sad to go—look at that dear S. Georgio & the dear Canoniera &c &c. I bid them good bye out there & then we left them. We saw the Crown Prince for a moment. The train does not leave till after 11 tonight but they excused us going to the station. They take the train to Munich en route for Berlin. I went to Mlle de Perpigna’s room to bid her good bye. I found her dressing. She looked splendid in a white flowing jacket with her splendid black hair in a mass falling below her waist. We had a sad parting. She was very low & not very well & when I begged her not to overfatigue herself & wear herself out she said it did not matter—it prevented her thinking & there was no one to care about it. I remonstrated with her & we parted with tears in our eyes. She is a splendid creature of a very fine nature & she has a lonely life. We bid Ct Seckendorff adieu & went home to dinner. Mr Malcolm, Sir Arthur Gordon & his secy Mr Brown (Ld brother) dined with us. They are here on their way back to Ceylon. | |
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