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13 June 1904 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Monday. 13th [June 1904]. Painted & wrote in morning. After lunch had a visit from Mrs Wynn Finch & Miss Thesiger & showed them round the pictures. Iduna Belmondo called & had tea with me. At 5.30 I went to the Hotel Victoria & picked up Baroness Reinelt & took her in gondola to the Public Gardens. She was in a great fright most of the way because it was a little windy. However we got there by making a detour by the small canals. The gardens tho’ nearly deserted were very pretty & we sat at the café & ordered lemonade wh was very bad. Saw in the distance the odd Armenian priest who had announced his wish to become a Protestant, walking about with a Greek priest. This is the 2nd time I have seen him & probably the poor old man is turning his thoughts to the Greek church wh will probably suit his Oriental soul better than the Anglican. Suddenly while we were sitting talking the Baroness jumped up & flew to greet a party just landed– She signed to me to approach & I found myself being presented to the Archduchess Isabella of Austria who had come from the Lido to take a walk with her children in these gardens. She is young but plain & very stout & ungraceful both in figure and manner—rather brusque & conversation did not flow. She made her little daughter abt 12 shake hands with me—so she meant to be amiable—& then walked on– I rowed the Baroness back to her hotel at 7 & then returned home. The evening’s post brought me letters from England announcing Irène Ponsonby’s engagement to Mr Cosgrove, nephew of a Baroness Oesterreicher who has a house here! So the sposi have each a house in Venice. It is not a good match as to money but Edward in his letter seems to approve & the girl writes happily. | |
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