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10 August 1898 — Hatfield | |
Wednesday. 10th [August 1898]. Monty went off on a holiday trip with some of his church choir to Brighton. I breakfasted in bed– Wrote letters. Abt 12.30 Mrs Hoare (née Rate) called. She is living at Knebworth & was over at Hatfield for a few hours. After lunch I went to the station on the chance of meeting Nellie who was coming from town– But she did not arrive so I returned home. Had tea. Nellie turned up abt 7 & brought “Turk” the dog with her– She went up to the House to see Lady Salisbury who is there till tomorrow. Nellie returned at 8 & said she & I were invited to go & dine there so we dressed in a hurry & walked up there. Lady Salisbury is looking wonderfully well & is quite recovered from her late illness. She had grown quite pretty in her old age. After dinner Lady Cranborne, Lord Hugh Cecil & Nellie being out of the room Lady Salisbury asked me about Nellie’s prospects & I told her what had taken place between Mollie Alderson (now Lady Humphrey) & me & Mr Wild & me—& how their marriage is deferred for the present. Before we had finished the subject the others returned & there was an end of it. Lady S. talked to me abt Constantinople & the people she had known there especially of Nazli Khanum who was also a great friend of mine. She said she thought her at the time she first knew her very handsome & very fascinating but “very wicked.” Lady S. was once talking to her of some Turkish official who was giving Lord S. trouble at the Conference when Nazli said “Then why dont you kill him?” Lady S. looked surprised & said “Why that is not permitted by our religion.” Nazli said “It is better to sacrifice one man than to ruin an Empire”—& then proceeded to tell Lady S. how it could be done. Two drops of the nicotine which remain in the bowl of pipe after it has been smoked are put into a cup of coffee. It cannot be tasted by anyone who is in the habit of smoking & is a sure death easy & painless & not easy to be discovered– I told Lady S. the story of how nearly the Sultan had shot my husband when showing him a new gun wh was loaded & went off. I said fancy if he had killed the Ambassador no one would have believed in an accident “No we should have declared war at once” she replied. At 10.30 Nellie & I walked home & found Monty returned & at supper. | |
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