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6 May 1904 — Rome | |
Friday. 6th [May 1904]. Eda came & sat with me in the morning & I had a visit from the Dss Sermoneta & so I did not go out in the morning. After lunch while sitting with the Q. she suddenly rose & telling us to sit still went to her own room & brought back 3 parcels & gave Css Brandolin a silver cigarette box, Margherita a silver bag & me a beautiful silver bowl a reproduction of Melitto’s of Naples of a chased bowl discovered at Pompeii. It really is very beautiful and I am delighted. At 3 we were dismissed & told to return at 4. When we came back we found the Queen surrounded by 24 young girls who with their mistress at their head came to deliver to H.M. a splendid large silk war banner that they had embroidered at her order for the warship “Margherita.” The banner was displayed in the long gallery & there seemed immense. Then the box which was to contain it & which had been made at Paris was inspected & praised. I could not join in that chorus it was too much Art moderne for my taste– When everybody was tired of looking at it the Queen led the way into the garden & there under the shade of the trees of the ilex grove was laid out a table of refreshments where H.M. led the workers & made them sit down. It was quite a scene for one of Boccaccio’s novelle—these girls—sitting to a long table laden with fruits & served by the Queen’s servants—she herself walking round to encourage them to tea—the garden filled with roses the shady grove the bright blue above & the brilliant sunshine. Rome often seemed miles away. The Queen then led us of her lawn party to the 2nd villino in the garden kept for the use of the D. & Dss to Genoa when they come to Rome—in a small sitting room on the ground floor was prepared refreshments for us—fruit cakes coffee chocolate &c. We all seemed to feel that tea was too modern a thing to drink there & all asked for chocolate wh was excellent. When we had satisfied ourselves the Q. took us round the whole villino wh has many pretty pieces of furniture in it. As all the servants were busy waiting on the work girls H.M. was our guide & went before us to open the shutters of the rooms to let in the light– From there she took us to walk in the garden on the other side of the road to approach wh H.M. has had a tunnel made– The new garden is close to the Cappucine Convent & we could see the monks at work on their own little plot. I had given the Q. a bulb from Japan “the monarch of the East” which I had brought from London. It first flowers without earth or water & thus has to be planted & a leaf grows & dies down after wh one must take it up dry it & put it by till next year when it flowers da capo. The gardener is much interested to hear from me about it. From the garden the Queen took us up to the 2nd floor of the Palace where I am lodged—& showed us the apartment usually occupied by the Dss of Genoa her mother. It has a magnificent large library wh is not yet quite finished– The view from the windows is splendid as it is also from the rooms I occupy. By the time we had seen all this it was 7 P.M. & we had to think of dressing for dinner. I had meant to pay some farewell visits but there was no time for it. After dinner we went into the white drawing room & 2 or 3 gentlemen came & Css Somaglia. The Queen took leave of us as we depart for Venice tomorrow morning. I ventured shyly to offer her two old fashioned metal glass frames I had bought lately at Venice & she seemed pleased with them. I also gave her a small atom of radium shut in a case wh I had bought in London– It cost me £1 & is only the quantity that is on the point of a needle—always giving out sparks & never diminishing. She had none & it is a new plaything for her. The Queen had promised me a little sort of veil such as she always keeps to throw over her head on going into the garden &c. She told me I should have it before I leave in the morning. She kissed me twice & said she was sorry I was going. | |
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