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16 February 1892 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Tuesday. 16th February [1892]. Washed my hair after breakfast. Ola got up for lunch. Copied MS. Went out with Henry in gondola—took a walk in the Piazza. I thought I would go to enquire after Olga Montenegro & when I got there I found she received so I went up & Henry went home. I then went through the most painful experience in my life. The Russian Consul received me in the anteroom—& I was taken to a small room next the kitchen & there found the Dss della Grazia, Mme Hurtado, Idita, the Hellenbach girls &c &c & a great confusion & talking– They told me the coffin was closed & deposited in a room made into a chapelle ardente. We were then taken to the dining room & there sat & I was given more details wh entirely broke me down & I sobbed amongst the others all sitting round dry eyes. I suppose they had passed that stage or perhaps were held up by excitement. After a while Mme Hurtado & I went to see the coffin wh was covered & surrounded by flowers & after praying a few minutes I found Mme Hurtado was becoming hysterical & I dragged her away. Then Idita came & took me to Olga who sat in her bed room seeing people one after the other & she clung sobbing to my neck but soon recovered her composure & told me all about her mothers death. “I said to her ’darling try to live’ (in my own language) & she answered “darling I want to live, but you see I cant because God does not want to let me live”– Olga said she was resigned to die– I said all I cd think of to comfort Olga till they came to say someone else had asked to see her & Css Papadopoli took me out of the room. She told me that the end had been terrible & her sufferings dreadful. I was then taken to Mlle Aspasie the Pss’s maiden sister & spoke what words of comfort I could think of till Mlle Hellenbach came in with lamps & had the shutters shut that they should not see or hear the coffin carried out of the house to the Greek church– I then left feeling there was nothing more to be done & that I was at the end of my strength. I walked home as I could not get near my gondola on acct of all the gondolas waiting & the barge at the door waiting for the coffin– On the campo & the bridge opposite the Palazzo Molin were men, women & children gathered waiting to see the coffin go laughing & talking loudly without any reverence. I got home abt 6 & had a cup of tea—but had a bad headache the rest of the evening & an agitated night. It appears the Pss’s old mother Mme Kwekwitsch who is 84 & blind is in a pitiable state of grief—having lost 6 children & having only Mlle Aspasie left. Olga told me that she is going with Mme Jonin to accompany her mothers remains to Montenegro wh is to be fetched by a deputation on a steamer & they will start Friday. Her maid being ill I offered to let our Regina go with her and she gladly accepted & said she would be back here in a fortnight. All these things considering & the bad weather decided us not to go to Vescovana on Thursday as we had intended. | |
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