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21 October 1889 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Monday. 21st October [1889]. We breakfasted at 8.30 so as to be ready to go out with the Royal party soon after 9. At 10 they came & Henry, Morelli & Mme Minghetti went off to the Bric a brac shops with her Majesty & Ct Seckendorff. I went with the Princess of SaxeMeiningen & Princess Sophy in their gondola & Pss Victoria & Margaret in Iditas to Stabto Va & Murano for Pss Charlotte to buy some glass– From there we went on to the Piazza in the pouring rain & walked under the Procuratie & they made some small purchases. At one time the people began to follow them but we went into a shop & waited while the crowd dispersed– Soon after 12 I left the Princesses at their steamer & happening to find the gondola of the Stabto there bring parcels I got into it & hastened home to prepare to receive them all at lunch. Soon after 1 they arrived, H.M. the Empress, Ct & Css of SaxeMeiningen, Princesses Victoria, Sophia & Margaret, Count Seckendorff & Css de Perponcher with Idita Bentivoglio & our own party was 15, & Annie our cook distinguished herself & gave an excellent lunch. Afterwards Countess Pisani & Mrs Eden & Miss Maud Hammersley & Marchese Bentivoglio came to coffee. Soon after 3 the Empress went off to the Greek church where a short ceremony in honor of Pss Sophia took place. We accompanied them & thence I & the Princesses went again to the Piazza to do a little more shopping & as it was pouring we had to keep under the Porticos—this time the people found them out & we were soon followed by a large crowd so that we had to take refuge in Naya’s shop & at last seeing the crowd did not disperse got the shopman to let us out by a back door. As we had to go back into the piazza we were found out & again followed to the gondola– We came home here & had tea—& the Princesses also came up to see my studio & bedroom– Abt 6 they returned to the “Imperatrix” & I took a short rest before dressing for dinner. Henry, Morelli, Da Laura & I went to dine on board– The Greek Pope & Consul also dined & Old Princess Hatzfeldt who has lived here for several years but whom we had never before met. She is a fine old lady very well & carefully dressed, thin & tall & with remains of great beauty only unfortunately quite deaf & can only hear by means of a little machine attached to a fan wh she holds to her ear– Even so conversation is difficult & is rather like the game of cross questions & crooked answers. At dinner I sat between a Greek gentleman & Mlle de Perpigna & had a nice talk with her– After dinner Pss Hatzfeldt & Da Laura sat with the Empress & the Princesses dragged me up to the covered deck & becoming excited they began to pelt the company below with bonbons—& at last the Empress got angry when Pss Victoria lowered a parcel tied to a string on to her mother’s head—& sent up Mlle Perpigna to scold her. Soon after the authorities came on board to take leave of the Empress; she came up on deck & then (9.30) they all went down below & we went home– Weather still wet. | |
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