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25 June 1900 — 3 Savile Row | |
Monday. 25th [June 1900]. Today I had a great shock. I was sitting at my writing table when the butler brought me in a telegram. It was from Don Antonio the old priest at Vescovana—saying “La Contessa morte questa mattino—ecco la dolorosa notizia.” I am quite bewildered & horrified. I telegraphed back [to] Don Antonio & asked him to write. It must have been a sudden thing for she wrote to me on 6th in good spirits. What shall I do without her when I return to Italy. She was more than a friend to me—she was a mother to me– In one of her last letters she wrote—now that Sir Henry is gone your mammie (as I called her) is the only one who knows how to take care of you—& she too is gone. I am more alone than ever– I telegraphed to Carry Eden at Venice to ask her to send flowers for me to put on her coffin. I wrote to the Empress Frederick to tell her. I know she will feel it also. Countess Pisani was a splendid woman. In her youth she had been very beautiful. Her father was Dr van Millingen who had travelled in Greece with Lord Byron & who was with him when he died. He had settled at Constantinople & there married a half Armenian half French women. She behaved badly & he divorced her—on wh she married a Turk & became a member of his harem. Their children were entrusted to the Grandmother Mrs van Millingen & her daughter Cornelia. They settled in Rome, became Roman Catholics & brought up the van Millingen children in that religion much to the regret of their father who was Protestant. When Evelina was about 20 a marriage was arranged for her with Count Almoro III Pisani the last of the Ducal House of Pisani. He was a miserable looking little man—& she a stately tall lovely woman. However the Venetians were annoyed at one of their great families allying himself with a foreigner & the women were jealous of her looks. They nicknamed her “La Turchetta” & tried hard to snub her. But her spirit & cleverness made her resent this & she gradually became more & more unpopular. Before her marriage she had paid her father a visit to Console. My husband was at that time there attached to the English Ambassador Lord Stratford de Redcliffe & I have often heard him say how beautiful she was then. The whole family at the Embassy took a great fancy to her & she became a favorite. Her husband was a sallow unwholesome looking little man– He leaned entirely on his wife who made his house most pleasant. I remember him going about with a small monkey in his breast pocket– The poor man died of cancer & the Countess inherited all his property. She told me that she found 70000 fcs of debt but she sold some property borrowed some money & set to work to rearrange the affairs. At first it was very uphill work as the peasants would not believe that she understood anything about it—but she persevered in spite all difficulties paid off the debts & finally lived very comfortably herself & made all her dependants happy. Her cattle came to be known all round the neighbourhood—& were sought after. After she became a widow she shut herself up nearly entirely in the country at Vescovana & would have nothing to do with Italians– To us she was always very kind & by degrees we got her to allow us to bring her many of our friends especially such as were clever & interesting—& they, at once, delighted in her. The Empress Frederick was amongst the number. She had a great affection & admiration for the Countess who on her side was quite devoted to H.M. She had obtained permission fm the Empress to have a portrait of H.M. painted by Passini which is a remarkable work of art. After my husband’s death the tie between the Countess & myself was drawn even tighter– I was almost her only friend & felt her house was a home to me whenever I wanted rest or help. The world is more empty to me than ever without her—& a great prop has been withdrawn from me. Cecil Alderson called on me on his way back to Peterboro. He came up yesterday to preach at St Pauls. I walked up to see Maria & to tell her the sad news. All the Du Cane girls had known & loved “the Countess,” as they called her. She was as bright with young people cordial & kind & entered into all their little jokes. | |
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