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13 September 1912 — Salce, Belluno | |
Friday. 13th [September 1912]. Breakfast at 8. Dante. Walk. Lunch at 12. Sat in the porch with Mrs Eden talking till 3. Then Nela & I went in the Victoria a drive over to Col Vago to see the Montalba family. Close to the villa Mr M. met us & asked us not to drive by the farm as there was a funeral to go by. It was that of a little baby & as we walked by we saw the body of the little mite arranged on a board covered with a cloth with flowers & gay colour handkerchiefs knotted together round it & a bevy of children sitting by the roadside waiting for the priest to come to lead the procession. Four little boys in dirty white shirts were waiting to give grandeur to the ceremony. We found Clara sitting under the portico of the villa & she came towards us & folded me in her arms. The tea table was laid under the shade of the portico, the bullfinch hung up close by in its cage, the big grey persian cat welcomed us—& we were soon eating an excellent meal. Hilda poured out the tea & Augustus entertained us with his amusing talk. Only Ellen was absent—not being well. After tea Clara showed me some of her lovely paintings—she declared that she thinking of my criticisms had lately begun to paint with more vigor. I said I was ashamed of my audacity in finding fault with so great an artist but I was glad to think she did not mind it. At 5 o’cl we set off to return to Salce. When we got as far as the turning down to the Wiels villa we left the carriage to return the rest of the way on foot. We climbed a hedge & got into the fields & got into the track across the fields reaching the Villa Eden a few minutes after 7. Unluckily the servants had not told our hosts that the carriage was back & that we were coming on foot & we found that they were in some anxiety about us. Dined at 7.30– To my room & I read aloud– Patience. Bed. | |
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