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5 October 1899 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Thursday. 5th [October 1899]. Directly after lunch I went in gondola to Hotel Britannia to meet the Canevaros– Donna Laura Minghetti, Senatore Blaserna—Signor Manati & Lord Currie, accompanied by Mr Alfred Spence of Florence. Admiral Canevaro took us in the Arsenal steam launch to Torcello. We were a cheerful party. Unfortunately Lord Currie was not feeling well & the gita must have been a trial to him. There was a tremendous scirocco & it is a very hot night. We landed & went to the cathedral & there met Lady Henry Somerset & her clergyman friend & we stopped & talked to them. As we had started from Venice soon after 2.30 & the days are now getting short we had to hurry away from the island– We met there some Italian friends of the Canevaros. Duke Mazzarino who was introduced to me & invited me on board their yacht, wh is now in the port, tomorrow with the Minghetti party. At the Hotel Britannia I also saw & was introduced to the beautiful Countess Florio whose husband is fabulously rich. I thought her handsome but wanting in expression. Lord Currie was not well all the time so we dropped him at his hotel as soon as we got back to Venice and then went on down the Canal in the steam launch & back to my house where they left me abt 6.30. I dined at 8 & then played patience till 10.30 when I went off in gondola to the station to meet Lady Sophia Palmer & Lady Mary Waldegrave who have come to stay with me. They have been travelling together in Italy this month past & today came on from Vescovana where they have been paying Css Pisani a visit. We 3 had tea in my bed room & sat chatting & got to bed abt 1 A.M. Sophy tells me that while she was in Rome last week the Pope hearing she was there sent for him to come & see her & that she & Mary went & had audience with him perfectly alone & that as he spoke on the Transvaal question to her she set to work & explained to him the whole affair at wh he said it seemed to be very different from what he had been told. He could imagine that Lord Salisbury was being pressed to go to war by Chamberlain– Sophy answered Lord S. was not the kind of man to be pressed by anyone. The telegrams of today’s Italian paper says that the Pope was thinking of offering to arbitrate between England & the Transvaal but was politely thanked & explained that we considered the Boers as rebels not belligerents– | |
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