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25 February 1908 — 3 Savile Row | |
Tuesday. 25th [February 1908]. Nellie & Charlie came from the Tile House to stay this week with me. I worked hard at bead chains. Gweneth & Bertie Ponsonby came to luncheon. Adeline Dss of Bedford came to see me at 3. Handsome & charming as ever. Nellie & I went out driving at 3.30. Paid a short visit to the Dss of Somerset to make a few arrangements about our coming sale. We then went on to call on Elaine Villiers who has taken 22 Montagu Sqr for the season. She showed us her sketches done in Australia & Japan, very prettily done & interesting. Lady Victoria V. her sister in law (a cousin) came also & we left her there & went to Gros. Place to enquire after Mrs Muller who is very ill & very old, but seems to be recovering. I also went to see Lady Stanhope at 20 Gros. Place. I had not seen her since her husband died. She is the same handsome dignified affectionate woman with whom I have so long been friends & is always the same tho’ years go by in wh we do not meet. We went home at 5 to tea. Charlie came home at 6.30. At 7 Mr Newgass came to see Charlie & to talk about V. Murano business—a dreadful little German Jew not even speaking good English. He said he was glad to make my acquaintance as he thought I had been set against him & that many people in London & Liverpool knew what he was (here Charlie & I involuntarily looked at each other, as we knew his universally bad reputation) & knew him to be a respectable & trustworthy person. He contradicted himself several times in his talk—but said that he was anxious to know what was being done abt the V.M. Co legally to give his assistance & even to put more money into the business. It was rather like a man in a play & he left knowing we did not believe is protestations & got nothing out of us. I went to dine with M. & Mme Blumenthal of the house they have lately taken in Cheyne Walk called the Queen’s House, supposed to be that of Catherine of Braganza. A charming old fashioned panelled house. Large party. Dss of St Albans, Lord & Lady Galloway, Mr & Lady Margaret Duckworth, Col. & Mrs Anstruther Thompson, Lord & Lady Reay. The latter is a marvellous person—over 80 & looks 50, dresses like a young woman & goes much into society. Mr Underdown took me to dinner & Mr Dudley Ryder sat on my right. He talked much of my brother Arthur & told the story how Arthur had known in America & disliked a man there & had generally avoided him. One night at a party he saw the man who came up to him saying “Hello Guest you here, you are the last person I expected to meet here.” Arthur replied dryly—“Curious but that is just what I was thinking about you” & then left the American to find out that Arthur was the brother of their host. On my return home I found Nora Hallé is sleeping here. Her brother Charles was taken ill at the Fine Arts Club & is still lying there ill. Nora had been telegraphed for & had stayed with him till he was better & then came to beg a bed here for herself. Nellie had arranged accordingly. Her brother is better now. | |
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