We arrived safely and we are a very happy party. Lady Jarvis has gone to
Venice to stay with the Lumleys, but comes back to-morrow. George is, of
course, immensely happy at being here, but it isn't really satisfactory.
We haven't seen many people, though we have been out to luncheon twice:
once with that terrible bore, Eugene Lowe, who lives in a flat which is
the most monstrous ind absurd thing I have ever seen. The walls are hung
with Turkish carpets; the chairs and tables with Church vestments; the
books turn out to be cigarette lamps and cigar cases; the writing-table
is a gutted spinet; and in the middle of the room there is a large
Venetian well, which he uses for cigarette ashes.
On Saturday we had luncheon with a Mrs Fairburn, who professed to be an
old friend of Mrs Housman's. This turned out to be a gross exaggeration.
She is an affected woman who dresses in what are meant to be
ultra-French clothes, and she speaks broken English on purpose. She
pretends to be silly, but is far from being anything of the kind. I can
see now that she has got her eye on Housman. He was quite charmed by
her. She has arranged an outing next week. I can see that she is going
to stick like a leech, and she will be, unless I am very much mistaken,
much worse than Mrs Park or any of them.
Godfrey Mellor is, I think, liking it, but he insists on going out by
himself, and every day he goes to some gallery with a Baedeker, all
alone. We always ask him to come with us, but it is no use. He says he
has got things to do in the town and off he goes.
We go about mostly all together except for Godfrey, who always manages
to elude us.
I am staying till Monday, then two days at Mentone, and then home (via
Paris, but only for a night).
Yrs.
G.
_From the Diary of Godfrey Mellor_
_Monday (Easter Monday), March_ 28_th._
We all had luncheon with the Albertis. Lady Jarvis returned in the
afternoon from Venice.
_Tuesday, March_ 29_th._
Went to the Uffizzi. Housman said he was going to spend the day in
visits.
_Wednesday, March_ 30_th._
Mrs Fairburn came to luncheon. Housman said when she had gone that she
was a very remarkable woman, so cultivated, so well read and widely
travelled. He said she ought to have held some great position. She
should have been an Empress.
I went to the Pitti in the morning and to the Boboli Gardens in the
afternoon.
_Thursday, March_ 31_st_.
The Albertis came to luncheon. Baroness Strong and Mrs Fisk called in
the afternoon. They both asked us all to entertainments, but Housman
explained that we had guests ourselves every day. He asked them to
dinner on Sunday, but they declined.
_Friday, April_ 1_st_.
Housman has bought some miniatures by a young artist recommended by Mrs
Fairburn. I do not think they are well done, but I am no judge. A. and
Mrs Campion left.
_Saturday, April_ 2_nd_.
Mrs Housman suggested having luncheon in the town and going to Fiesole
afterwards, but Housman explained, with some embarrassment, that he had
promised to go with Mrs Fairburn to see a studio and to have luncheon
with her afterwards.