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10 July 1907 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Wednesday. 10th [July 1907]. I went off at 7.30 to the Lido for my bath & after a rest on my return, I dressed & went to lunch with the Queen at the Palazzo Reale. I was invited for 12.30 & arrived at the Palace punctually. The Queen was still out in gondola having gone to the Exhibition of pictures for the 6th time. I found Countess Brandolin and her daughter Margherita there also invited to lunch. The Dss Sforza and Count Zen entertained us until the Queen came in at ¼ to 1 & taking my arm she led the way to lunch. She was dressed in light grey & looked very pretty & was very chatty. She asked after the welfare of my hospital of wh she is patron, she spoke with enthusiasm of the pictures in the Exhibition in wh I could not join her. Css Ninina Brandolin chaffed me a good deal, as she often does wh amused the Queen greatly. After lunch we sat in the drawing room looking over the bacino for another hour & then the Queen took leave of us & said to me that she hoped to see me this autumn at Stupinigi & so I departed home. In the evening at 6.30 Baroness Reinelt called for me & went for our usual row to the public gardens & had our rinfresco & then home again. I dined at 8 & was just about to start off to the weekly concert at the Sailor’s Institute when Sr Arbib came. He was in a very agitated state & soon explained that he had come to me on a serious matter to see if I would help. He said there has been a great financial crisis in Egypt which threatens to drag down the house of Arbib in London of wh he is a partner. He enjoined the utmost secrecy & I assured him I was ready to do all he might suggest. He said if I would telegraph to my brother in law Bessborough asking him to do what he could, the Ottoman bank might do much. This I at once agreed to do. Poor Arbib. It was piteous to see him– He was shaking with emotion. He said it was a relief to be able to speak to someone on a matter wh he has kept pent up for 3 days & he felt that if it all came out, his good name, of wh he had been so proud, was gone & he was eternally disgraced. I comforted him as well as I could & at last he left more calm. It was too late for me to go to the Institute so I went to bed. What troubles there are in all directions in the world & how powerless one is to help! | |
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