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5 August 1903 — 3 Savile Row | |
Wednesday. 5th August [1903]. I left Venice on Monday 3rd at 2 P.M. to come here & arrived last night at midnight. Mr Harston came to Venice station to see me off. At Padua a nice old lady got into my carriage & chatted away pleasantly. We talked of the Election of the pope & who would be the result of the conclave, each of us being of opinion that Sarto the Patriarch of Venice wd not be a good choice as he is a hard man—& of a peasant & violent in his opinions– In S. Marks he has preached against Protestants & refused the blessing both to Mme Wiel & Edith Rescalla when they were married by him because they were Protestants. The old lady left the train at Tavernelle & I remained & got to Milan at 7.30. I was met there by Umano (Meale) & leaving Baker to take care of our parcels & to dine at the station, I went with him to dine in town. We dined in the Galleria—& took our coffee in a café where there was a string band playing consisting entirely of women. They played well & with spirit. After that we walked to see some of the new streets & then slowly back to the station. Umano introduced me to one of the station authorities one [illegible word]—a character. This man has under him the facchini or porters of the station & he said that he would answer for the absolute honesty of the whole 160 of them. He said he had been to Venice & organized the facchini of the whole place but a couple of avvocati had come & upset all his arrangements. Left Milan at 11.10 P.M. & had a comfortable sleeping berth & coffee brought to me at 7 A.M. Arrived at Bâle 9.40 changed trains & went on at once to Boulogne. A very rough passage in a musty little steamer very overcrowded with yesterday’s bank holiday trippers. I took refuge in the ladies cabin & even the stewardess felt unwell. Reached Folkestone abt 8 & London rather late abt 11. I got to Savile Row & jumped into bed at once. Nellie Alderson was here & got me tea &c. This morning I went over the house with Nellie to see the rooms Monty has vacated & wh I have had cleaned & done up. We find that the whole house is panelled with wood wh had been hidden up with wall paper on canvass. The house seems large & empty now Monty has gone. We are sorry he is no longer here—but suppose he is happier away. Duncannon came to see before I was dressed to tell me about his boy Bertie’s illness. A nervous break down & his parents had a great fright when they were suddenly telegraphed for last week to fetch him home. D. wants me to get Blanche to go to Bessboro’ for a while during the time that Bertie is undergoing a rest cure. He wants me to accompany her as she is very much shaken in nerves. This following on Myles’ motor car accident only a month ago is very trying. Connie came to see me & to say that Princess Christian will arrive at Venice on 8th Sept. to stay with me. At 1 I walked up to Cavendish Square & lunched with Blanche & heard from her all the account of Bertie’s illness. Then we drove together till 4 when I walked home & Nellie & I had tea at 5. I went to dine with the Duncannons & met Lord & Lady Bessborough & Oranmore who is staying at Cav. Sqr. They sent the motor brougham to fetch me. | |
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