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3 June 1912 — Ca’ Capello, Venice | |
Monday. 3rd [June 1912]. Breakfasted at 8 & went to the station where Nurse Christie met me & we started at 9.13 for Castelfranco. It was a lovely day after the storms of rain of yesterday & the country looked bright & green– We reached Castelfranco at 10.20 & I found no carriage & was just about to hire a little cab when a 2 horse fly came up having been sent from Asolo to fetch me. The horses had not time to rest & had to return at once very tired and went very slowly so we only reached Asolo at 12. Went straight to Mr Young’s house but he was out so we started on foot for Browning’s house & met Mr Young on the way. He had been to announce my advent & led me to the back door of the Browning villa—the front door not being yet properly arranged. I found that Marchesa Peruzzi (née Story) was staying with Pen B. He had had a very bad & dangerous heart attack a week ago & the servants had telegraphed for the Marchesa to come from Florence as she is a great friend of his. She told me that Pen is at this moment better but that his state is a precarious one & the Dr thinks it may end fatally any moment. He was brought round with great difficulty last week. I told her how I had brought a nurse with me in case it was necessary. She thought it would be an excellent thing but feared Pen would not let her stay. At 1 Nurse & I lunched with the Marchesa in a handsome dining room the only room in the house properly finished & furnished. The rest wait for want of funds. After lunch the Marchesa went up to ask Pen to see me & to tell him about the nurse & then fetched me to him. He is living in the small rooms of an upper floor a kind of attic wh he says he can breathe better than below. He came to the door to meet me & seemed glad to see me—but he is so changed I should never have recognised him. He is perfectly bald, very thin & quite changed in expression. We insisted on his lying up on the sofa & trying to keep warm for his hands were icy cold. He steadfastly refused to keep the nurse & said he had only got a little asthma & wanted no care except the people he now has. I could not insist any more & brought Nurse Christie home with me to Venice. He asked about all his friends at Venice & then when the Marchesa left the room said “Now tell me about Fanny.” I told him I had heard his wife is very unwell & said I supposed he did not want her to come & wd not see her. He answered “Oh I don’t wish to do anything wrong but what wd be the good of her coming—she would upset the whole house—& wd not stay here.” She never has really quarrelled with him but still she leaves him suddenly. He told me that they had been together several times last year at Florence & she had left suddenly & he had been told that she had said that he drank! He said he was so hurt at this that he wrote to ask her if she had really said this. She had answered admitting it & saying is red face had led her to this conclusion! I told him I would write to Fanny & give her news of him but wd not encourage her to come & I feel sure she had better remain away. After an hour’s chat he asked to see Nurse Christie & she joined us & he was very pleasant to her but wd not change his mind about keeping her– We went off with the Marchesa in Pen’s motor car to the lace school in the town wh has been arranged by him. The directress is a Countess of good family who manages it very well. We thence went to the Villa of a Count Zen, a charming house on the slope of the hill– He met us at the door. He is a good looking middle aged man—rather smart & dapper. He showed me his pictures mostly family portraits—a good one by Moroni, others by Tintoretto, Bassano &c. He is evidently a man of taste & has collected china & other bibelots. He has also a nice garden well kept & the house, tho’ small is comfortable. On leaving him we called to see Mr Young to thank him for the trouble he had taken for me in sending to meet me at Castelfranco & we returned to Pal. Browning & had tea & then the Marchesa took us in the motor to Castelfranco where we took the train & returned to Venice getting there at 7 having had a pleasant day out though unsuccessful in my mission. | |
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