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18 April 1902 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Friday. 18th [April 1902]. Fiori the piano forte man came & I completed the purchase of the Zeiler piano & paid 2250 lire for it. Guggenheim paid me a visit in the morning to talk over the V. Murano affairs– I had a visit from a Mrs Fortescue who with her soldier husband is here for a short time. He is still delicate from the effects of the Transvaal war. After lunch I took Pss Taxis & Ct Seckendorff in gondola to Quattro Fontane at the Lido. We took our tea basket with us & made tea on the shore sitting under shelter of the Montalba’s cabin for a long time. Seck: began to talk in a very interesting way of the late Empress Fred: He regretted that the estrangement between her & her son the Emperor had never been made up– He had never expressed to her the least regret for his many unkindnesses to her—& all the family were so frightened of him that none of the sisters dared speak to him on the subject. Ct Seck. says he is convinced that had they done so the Emperor wd have spoken to his mother. Seck: regrets much that Pss Christian who was so much with the Empress towards the last days should not have done so & says he even suggested it to her at which she exclaimed that it was impossible. He also thinks that people liked to keep up the ill feeling for their own ends & says that the poor Empress’ own household were acting as spies & were unfaithful to her. He is particularly bitter against her master of the Household B. Reischach who was arrogant & dictatorial & because his wife is a distant connection of the R. family considered himself as almost one of them. Seckendorff also heard him say of the Empress even before she was barred that the Emperor would appreciate the influence he (R.) had had over the Empress F. which he had obtained entirely by having the controul of her purse! We talked much of the Emperor for whose talents Seck: has the greatest admiration—but regrets he should be so imperious. He said it was impossible that anyone should forget his behaviour on his father’s death– The breath was hardly out of his body when he sent in hot haste for a regiment of hussars who came in detachment as quick as they could be got together as might be done in case of a sudden revolution. These troops he posted round the palace at Potsdam in wh the Emperor lay death with strict orders that no one should be allowed to go in or out without a special permission thus making his own mother a prisoner—& later he was so suspicious that he suspected her of sending state papers out of the country to our Queen—because Dr Hovall, the English assistant Dr had been seen to deliver a sealed packet at the English Embassy at Berlin. The Emperor questioned Seck: himself on the subject—& he answered he knew nothing about it. On speaking afterwards to the Emp. Fred: about it she had said the packet merely contained our Queen’s letters to the Emperor Frederick which were returned to her– Seck: says that once the Emp. Wm in talking over something relating to his mother said, “Well see about it & write to me direct on the affair.” Seck: made his bow & said nothing but went at once to one of the Ministers & told him what had just passed & added “if the Emperor thinks I am going to write to him & act as a spy on his mother he is much mistaken & I would rather resign my place.” I said he had been told that the Emperor Wm has now a “culte” for his mothers memory– Seck: said he thought that it was so & it was one of the strange contradictions of his nature– The D. & Dss della Grazia came in the evening, a few people came & we had a pleasant evening of music. Trombini, Dini & Cassellari played 3 trios– I sent away my 2nd gondolier. | |
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