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25 January 1906 — Calcutta | |
Thursday. 25th [January 1906]. Wrote all morning for the English mail. It was today that I lunched with the Quadts—yesterday Elisabeth de Martino lunched here. At 4 o’clock we started off with the Haringtons in the Maharaja of Sinha’s motor car to pay him a visit at his nice palace sometimes known as Aukland villa. It took us abt 20 minutes to get there. The Maharaja & his son met us at their door– They were dressed in white trousers, a starched European shirt over which was thrown a fawn coloured shawl. Their hair was well oiled & their heads bare– As soon as we got into the hall they drew our attention to the collection of pictures & handed us the catalogue on which appeared the names of Raphael, Titian, Andre del Sarto &c &c. It was not easy to go round solemnly with our hosts to admire– On the 1st floor there were fine rooms all furnished in the worst taste possible. In one were two huge pictures—one representing Adam & Eve very much before the Fall. The one hanging opposite—the same after the fall—so dark that nothing could be distinguished which was no loss. Numberless glass chandeliers hung from the ceilings. There was a huge bed in one of the rooms. A fine wide verandah looked over a charming garden—quite park like & well laid out. Having examined the house we returned to a lower verandah where tea was served to us. It had evidently been standing ever since we arrived & was black & strong. I managed to consume mine as quickly as I could & resisted an offer of a 2nd cup. Then the 2 hosts led us into the garden to see a huge covered in finery wh was very prettily arranged. Here no glass is required as with us. It is eno’ to replace it with thick matting to keep out the rays of the sun & to have plenty of water. It was nearly dark by the time we had seen it & we had to return to Calcutta. The son of the Maharaja had all thro’ done the honors to us. It appears that as soon as the eldest son grows up it is the custom for the father to make over the whole property to the son—& this accounts for his constantly saying “my house, my garden” &c. In the evening Mrs Harington & I went to a party at the Bishop’s Palace where I saw some of the people I had made acquaintance with here. The Bishop took me in to tea & explained that the refreshment room was in reality his sitting room & library where all business was done & the great table in the centre was where he held his committees—adding & “to say the truth that small doorway thro which they are now carrying the tea & refreshments is my oratory! I suppose they dont know & after all it does no harm.” As I took leave of Mrs Girdlestone she said “Did I understand you yesterday to say Lady Wimborne was your sister in law”? I said that it was so. “Oh” she answered “good night”—& we parted. Evidently that stamped my religious views to the good lady’s mind & they did not accord with hers. | |
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