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28 July 1906 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Saturday. 28th [July 1906]. Very hot & oppressive. Painted photo: which required arranging before reprinting. It brings home the absurdity of fashion– My photo done many years ago is a fine one—but at that time it was the fashion to wear one’s dress sticking out in a bunch at the back! This I have tried to paint out. Went over to hospital in afternoon. Dined with Mr & Mrs Johnston at Madonna del Orto in their charming Contarini Palace. Genl de Horsey came to pay them a visit at 9 & after staying for an hour chatting I came back with him in his gondola– I went up to Belluno to pay a visit to the Edens at their lovely villa at Salce on 30th. The change was delightful as tho’ it was very hot during the day—the nights were always cool. I sat every day with Mrs Eden in the big hall & generally read aloud to her. We chose “Il santo” of Fagazzaro a semi religious novel he wrote a little while ago & which incurred the displeasure of the R.C. Church that it has been put on the “Index” & is forbidden to the faithful. The book according to our ideas is rather sentimental and mawkish but there are fine parts in it. It is so liberal that it might have been written by a Protestant. The hero becomes esteemed as a Saint chiefly because he visits the poor & sick, which in our country is so common a thing that it would not be considered so great an act of piety. We saw several of the English colony who were staying in villas round about—the Hultons & the Villaris at Villa Mier, the Browns, the Raggs & the Wiels. I stayed a fortnight at Salce & then reluctantly moved on to Sacchieva to stay with the Wiels who kindly invited me. My visit was a short one as I heard that the British Fleet was expected at Venice & I wanted to be there so as to entertain middies. I therefore returned home & settled down again. Lord Charles Beresford the Admiral in command arrived on board the “Surprise” having his wife with him & I wrote & asked him to send me some of the boys from the “Bulwark” to stay with me. Only one of the ironclads could come up to the Baceno the 7 others all drew too much water & it was dull work for the middies. A young lieut, Mr Tippet came in charge of the 9 boys—who were all most delightful & well behaved. They politely tried to make conversation to me at meals & were always punctual & nice. One day they got the Adl’s steam launch & took me off to the Fleet wh lay outside the sea wall. They were delighted to show me over the ship & we had tea in the Admiral’s state cabin. I took Arbib’s daughter Matilda with me & also Mme Kwekwitsch & they enjoyed themselves. One day I went to lunch on board the Surprise to meet the Authorities the Consul &c. But the Prefect, the Syndic, the Admiral & the General in command were all absent from Venice wh seemed to me a want of courtesy. Venice was quite gay with the quantity of officers & their friends many having come to meet them. It was also the Italian bathing season so there was much animation. All my young friends left me with regret & the house seemed very empty when they were gone. After a few days I went off to Hungary to pay a visit to Princess Stephanie & Count Lonyay at Oroszvar. I had to go to Vienna by train & then to drive from one station to the other & take the train to Pozsony or Pressbourg. Messrs Cook sent an agent to meet me & to arrange the change. Baroness Gagern in writing to give me directions for the journey had told me to come to Pozsony—not knowing that it was the same place as Pressbourg I firmly refused to have a ticket to that place. It appeared afterwards that the Hungarians are very determined to keep the Hungarian name & the Austrians try to get the Austrian name used. At the station Baroness Gagern met me with the motor car and took me & Baker to Oroszvar in it. It was a bitter cold day—so she wrapped us up in fur coats. The Castle of Oroszvar is a modern feudal Castle built by a Countess Zichy about 60 years ago. She was a Miss Strahan. Her father had been one of Nelson’s Captains & her sister was Countess Berchtold who lived in Venice. She had insisted on having an English home in Hungary & thousands of pounds were flung away in building a mock Gothic Castle a short way from the Danube & close on the high road– Eventually the place was bought by a German family who proceeded to throw more good money after bad by having Prussian decorators from Berlin to paint & furnish the house in the vilest mock Gothic taste. The pinewood panelling was painted in imitation dark oak; & dark coloured wall paper did the rest. The billiard room was actually hung with Stewart tartan cloth! The Lonyays bought the place in the winter & came at once to live there not waiting to alter & redecorate but intend doing so by degrees. They are delighted with their new home & they will probably make it very nice. They have nice furniture of their own & good taste & have already made it comfortable. Some of the things in the house are appallingly ugly. The garden is in a tangle—the trees killing each other—but the park which goes to the edge of the Danube has makings in it. The Lonyays are a happy & devoted couple & she enjoys the pleasure of housekeeping & the freedom from Court life & etiquette. She is about 40. Tall & fair & very “grande dame” in appearance. She talks with emphasis & animation & is kindly in her judgments of others. She seems anxious to do what she can to help the people amongst whom she lives & has many schemes for that object. She seems to defer to her husband’s opinions in everything & he seems determined to keep the upper hand. They gave me a most comfortable & well furnished apartment with Baker next door—nice furniture &c. We breakfasted all in the long gallery at 9 o’cl after early mass—for she is very “dévote.” We lunched at one & generally had tea in the big hall wh is low & frightful in decoration and furniture, at 4.30. Dinner at 8 & early to bed. Unfortunately the weather was very bad & it rained hard nearly the whole time of my visit. When we could get out the Princess generally drove the horses with the old coachman sitting by her side. A few friends came to stay. Ct & Css Bornamissa & their married daughter & her husband came in their motor car. The Countess is an American & had been pretty. She & the daughter are excellent musicians & played duetts on 2 pianos by heart. They delighted us with very spirited Hungarian airs. Another day a Count de Way who resides chiefly at Pisa came but did not sleep there. I heard much at that time of Monsignor Way de Vay who is now in England & is very much of a black sheep & not able to come to Rome where he is not allowed to do the duties of a priest. In England he is now getting money ostensibly for Missionary work—but it appears his money dealings are very touche. One day we went over to Poszony to visit Count Batthyany & his wife who have a lovely old 17th century house which they have arranged with the greatest taste & with a beautiful view over the town. The Prince is himself a Dr surgeon by profession & he still continues to exercise his skill & has opened & arranged a hospital in his village wh is a great boon to the people. His wife is young & pretty & very kindly in manners—not of noble birth. They have 2 children & live a very quiet family life. The bad weather prevented my going about to see the country. The roads were too bad for the motor drives & the great wide Hungarian fields were rather monotonous at this time of year. I had hoped to have met Princess Charlotte of Meiningen & to have taken her back with me to Venice but she telegraphed that she was prevented coming. One day at Venice I was called up on the telephone. It was not a voice I recognised. On asking who I was speaking with “It is me Sophy” came the answer & it proved to be Princess Sophy on her way back to Greece. I went at once to the “Amphitrite” & fetched her to luncheon & then took her back & she left the same day. She was bringing her family home from their summer trip to Seaford in England. She brought her eldest boy to lunch also. A very nice youth of abt 14. She bewailed having to return to Greece where she always feels ill & wh she says is being quite out of Europe. | |
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