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18 March 1910 — Rome | |
Friday. 18th [March 1910]. Sophy came to see me in the morning bringing in a misterious parcel—a bottle of wine wh she thought I ought to partake of as a cure for my cough. I told her it was bringing coals to Newcastle but promised to try it. After lunch I had the use of one of the Palace motor cars & I went off to the Hotel d’Angleterre & called for the Franquevilles & took them for a long drive to Monte Mario & round back to Rome. The roads are very bad, but the views lovely & tho’ it was a grey day the country looked beautiful. I took them back with me to Palazzo Margherita & gave them tea—after wh we walked out together & Sophy & I went to call on Mme Latour a French lady widow of an Italian. We found there Monsignor Du Chesne also a great friend of Sophy’s. Mme Latour is rather nice looking oldish lady stout & with a kind expression. She is literary & showed us a large type writer wh she is using– She said she is putting in order interesting papers wh she will leave in her will to a museum to be published after a certain number of years. It was late when we left her & I had to hurry back to the Palace to dress for dinner. I made such haste that I got down into the royal rooms ½ hour before the time & had to sit there & wait. After dinner we sat as usual in the Queens private salon till ten when the Q. rose & we proceeded to the great reception room where H.M. gave audiences to the D. & Dss [illegible word], she is a timid little American (a rare article) & seemed grateful to be spoken to even by me, there was Duke & Dss Canevaro with a nephew of his, and several other ladies & gentlemen whose names I forget. The Queen sat in her high chair & the ladies in a circle round her for a while chatting. There was a puzzle table in one corner where I took refuge with Mimi thinking it better I should éffacé myself. After a little the Q. rose & went to the refreshment table to take “orange punch” & the rest did the same. After a little more talk the entertainment was over & the Queen retired to her apartment. | |
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