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10 September 1890 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Wednesday. 10th September [1890]. Began a little sketch in the studio with Nela & painted till 12– Dacre & the girls went to lunch at the Palazzo Rezzonico with the Brownings. Mr Malcolm lunched with us. I went out directly after with Mr Malcolm to our church to see if all was in order. We found there some of the church plate so I brought it home to put it in safety. Mr Moore who came to see us followed us to the church & said that Css Pisani was at my house so I hurried back & found her waiting for me. We talked about the Empress’ visit to Vescovana & I promised to arrange about it. At 4 I took a basket containing tea & with the 3 girls went over to the Pal. M. where we got into the steam launch & went with the Empress, 2 Pss, Ct Wiedel, Css Bruhl & Mr Malcolm to Torcello. They all landed but myself. I made the tea with Ola & we had it on the way home wh we reached just abt 7.30. Marchese Alfieri came to dinner & was very agreeable. He went to the station from our house & left Venice by the 10.50 train. Dacre also left us by that train & is going to walk over the St Gothard & return to Paris on Sunday. Coming back from Torcello I had a long & intimate talk with the Empress. She began by asking if people had not been surprised at the fall of Bismarck & said that he had recd this treatment from the creature of his own making. The Emperor had pledged himself in the socialist question & Herbert Bismarck had been so idle he had not perceived it until too late & when old B became aware of it & warned the Emperor he had said he had pledged himself & could not draw back. On this B. said perhaps he was in the way & offered to retire. The Emperor jumped at the idea– B said he must first put things in order or he would appear to be abandoning his post. While he was doing this the Emp. kept sending him messages to ask when he was going! She said the Emp. was rash, impetuous & wanting in experience. At the same time that he was giving in to the Socialists, his Minister Genl Caprivi—a good general, upright & thoroly honest man was an uncompromising conservative. The Emp. was also a great stickler for etiquette & thought himself infallible in wh idea he was supported by all his surroundings. All his family bowed down before him & were consequently very uncivil to her. The Emp. never mentions his father (only his gd father) & has not written to her since she left for her visit for Greece. The young Empress had also got her head turned by her position & was any thing but kind—& the Dss of Baden & even P. Henry bowed before the rising sun. She believes that had the little prince Waldemar lived he would have remained by his mother—as it was she was quite alone & had no one to consult with or talk to– They had done all they could to make her leave Germany wh she could not do as it wd have been said she deserted the country– She said the Germans had behaved cruelly to her & she compared herself to Marie Antoinette except certainly they had not cut off her head. I could not but admire & feel for her & I told her that I never could have believed that there had been so little chivalry left in Germany & I felt sure that it would never have happened in England– “Oh in England no” she said emphatically. | |
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