 | Lady Layard’s Journal Go to a Date Search the Journal |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |
29 May 1904 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Sunday. 29th [May 1904]. We went to 10.30 service. Sir Hubert Miller at the organ. After lunch Mr Barber called. He is a friend of Mrs Poynter—a middle aged man & very spick & span– He lives in a villa at Florence at Careggi & Mrs Poynter is going to stay with him & his wife tomorrow & he will take Mrs Poynter with him. She & I went to tea at the Prefettura & there met the Canevaros, Ersilia & her sister. Ersilia told the Prefect privately that Css Brandolin is frantic with him for not having prevented the socialists publishing insults of her. In fact Ersilia tried to stir up strife. In vain I tried to undo her work. The Prefect is really not in fault. He said to me “it was the business of the Procuratore del Rè & how can I go & give orders to one who is my equal”– In the evening Mrs Poynter & I went to Countess Marcello’s reception. As there was a ball going on in town there were very few people there. They all sat round in a circle and it was very solemn. Bss Reinelt had begged me to go there as she said they were hurt because I never went to the house. I said I had an objection to go to evening parties on Sundays as it is against our Protestant habits but for once I wd go to show my goodwill. So I put off going to the service at the Sailor’s Institute & we went to the Marcellos. I had once been a great friend of the Count’s mother & knew the rooms well. There was an old gentleman named Casati there who effects being a Frenchman. He is a savant on Etruscan remains. He wears a glossy black wig & has the Legion d’honneur in his buttonhole. He said he had known Henry in former days. The conversation dragged along & the Count spoke of the Campanile of S. Marks– He asked me if I had a bit of the wood of the old tower. On my saying I had, he left me & offered his arm to Mrs Poynter & led her into another room. She afterwards told me that he said he was going to give her a present & proceeded to present to her a small piece of blackened wood abt 3 inches long wh he said came from the piles of the foundation of the tower. He then came to me & offering me his arm led me into the same room where he showed me a beautiful old illuminated missal wh had belonged to Blanche de Navarre. It then being abt 11 I said we must leave as Mrs Poynter had still to pack. We went back into the sala to take leave of our hostess & everyone rose as we left exchanging bows. At the doorway I turned & seeing the company still standing gave a final bow such as I had seen Queen Margherita do to us—& then retired in confusion. The Count armed me down to the gondola—& we went home—laughing at our solemn experience. I felt like a counterfeit queen & Mrs Poynter like a lady in waiting. We did not mean to laugh at our host & hostess—but it was an old world ceremonious visit to wh we are not now used. | |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |