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13 September 1890 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Saturday. 13th September [1890]. Directly after breakfast Ct Seckendorff came to fetch me to go out with H.M. It was a dull day & it rained heavily until abt 11. The girls went to walk at the Lido before breakfast but did not bathe. We had to go in gondola with the felse. Went first to Clerle’s at the Ponte dei Dai & while there the rain stopped & it became quite fine. We remained there a good long time & then went to St Giovanni & Paolo to a Ct Bhudousky where there is a lovely outside staircase. The Ct was away but a funny old lady with a humped back & snow white hair came down & showed us in to the room but there were not many antiquities visible & the lady said if we wd come back on Monday her husband would be returned. So we went to the Piazza Manère to Clerle’s other shop—but saw hardly any thing interesting. Thence to Seguso’s shop at the Madonetta Traghetto & so home—as it was past 1 the Empress’ lunch time. After lunch I wrote a few letters & practised guitar & at 4 went out in the suite of H.M. Nela rowed the sandolo with Ola & Virgie & I went with Ct Seckendorff & Wiedel– In the next gondola were Ct Bruhl & Prince Adolphe’s equerry & in the 1st H.M. & the 2 Psses & P. Adolf– We went to the Armenian Convent & on landing all the brothers rushed out & called down their bishop to the great distress of H.M. However I managed to convey to the Bishop her wish to be allowed to walk in their garden & he at once told the monks to retire & we were left alone most kindly. We sent for our tea basket & made tea using the convent garden wall for a tea table & stood there enjoying the lovely view—& amused ourselves by watching the crabs & hippocampe in the water below it being high tide. Then the monks sent us lovely figs & we had a pleasant afternoon. The fat old monk Padre Abraham came to see us off & receive our thanks & we came home. H.M., Ola & I in the 1st gondola—the sposi in the 2nd. The suite in the 3rd & Nela brought Pss Margaret & Virgie in the sandolo. H.M. talked of the Emperor’s last illness all the way home– How terrible it had been & how she wondered she had kept in reason—that happily he had suffered little—never in his throat tho’ when she asked him where he suffered he put his hands at his temples. He never, she thought, realized what his illness really was & 3 days before his death when she asked him if he would like to sign some papers (wh would have been of great importance to her future) her put it off to when he should feel better. She spoke of the conduct of the Drs & said the present Emperor had caused the publication of the German Drs attack on Morell Mackenzie. She wrote & telegraphed to him to beg him to stop it & the only answer she got was “I think otherwise.” Mackenzie had promised her not to publish anything on the subject but when he was then attacked she released him from his promise. She spoke of the Bismarcks & with horror of the son– She said he drank a good deal & when drinking he was most imprudent in speech. In Russia one evening before all the Emperor of R’s ADC & some of the Corps Dip: he had said that the death of Emp. Frederick was after all a relief. “Nous aurons eté gouverné par une Anglaise—mais un bon petit cancer nous en a delivré”. Such horrid cruel words she cd not forget or forgive. The old Prince B. would never have been capable of saying such things. It was 7 when we reached home & H.M. begged me to go up to her room to see a curious [illegible word] relief she had bought. It is very curious & interesting. Nela waited for me & took me home in the sandolo. Henry had been out in gondola & came home early. While we were out this morng H.M. asked me if I had a chatelaine & on my saying no she said she would like to give me hers wh was silver gilt & wh she should never wear again on acct of her mourning. Dined at 7.30 & went early to bed. The girls went out in sandolo but came home early as a storm got up suddenly. | |
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