Part 18 (2/2)

_16._ Dined with Mr. and Mrs. McHenry. Stebbins--Vanderbilts.

_18._ _Don Giovanni._ Checks from Mr. Cowen. Banker came to see us.

Duke of Newcastle--Sir George Armitage.

_20._ Benedict's Morning Concert, St. James' Hall. _Encore_ ”Beware”--_Don Giovanni_ in the evening.

_21. Sunday._ Dined with Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Newcastle. Major Stackpoole, Lady Susan Vane-Tempest and others. Rehea.r.s.ed _La Figula_.

_Monday._ Rehearsal of _La Figula_. In the evening went to hear Patti. Didn't like Patti. Received letter from Colonel Stebbins from Queenstown.

_Tuesday._ Rehea.r.s.ed _La Figula_. Called at Langham on G.o.dwin--all came out in the evening.

_Wednesday 24._ Morning performance of _Le Nozze_--got home at 6.

P.M. Charity concert for Mr. Cowen at 8.30 at Dudley House.

_Thursday._ Rehearsal of _La Figula_. Concert in the evening at Lady Fitzgerald's.

_Monday._ Louise and I went to drive. Do not learn anything definite about the future--where I am to be next winter--no one knows. I do not see any settled home for me any more. Sometimes I am satisfied to have it so--at others--get nervous and uneasy and discontented. Yet I have lost interest in going home--it will be so short a visit--so soon a separation--then to some other stranger place--new friends--new faces--I want the old. The surface of life does not interest me.

_Tuesday._ Dined at Langs'--large party.

_Wednesday 15._ Went to Crystal Palace--Mapleson's Benefit. The whole performance closed with the most magnificent display of Fireworks I ever saw--most marvellous.

_16._ _Don Giovanni_--full house--great success in the part--d.u.c.h.ess and Lady Rossmore threw splendid bouquets--house very enthusiastic--papers fine--Mrs. McHenry and Mr. Sampson came down--Duke of Newcastle and Major Stackpoole--Miss Jarrett.

_Monday. Le Nozze di Figaro._

_Tuesday. La Figula._

_Thursday._ Went to theatre. Saw Nilsson and all the artists. Went to hear Patti in _Romeo and Juliette_--Strakosch gave us the box.

Strakosch introduced Rothschilds.

_Friday._ _Le Nozze di Figaro._ Baron Rothschilds, Sir George Armitage came around.

_Sat.u.r.day._ Sir George breakfasted with Louise. Rothschilds called--letter from Mr. Stebbins.

_Sunday morning._ Dr. Kellogg of Utica called--spent several hours.

Santley called--and McHenry in the evening.

I was greatly shocked by the heavy drinking in the 'sixties that was not only the fas.h.i.+on but almost the requirement of fas.h.i.+on in England. My horror when I first saw a t.i.tled and distinguished Englishwoman in the opera box of the Earl of Harrington (our friend of the charming luncheon party), call an attendant and order a brandy and soda will never be forgotten. It was the general custom to serve refreshments in the boxes at the opera, and bottles and gla.s.ses of all sorts pa.s.sed in and out of these private ”loges” the entire evening. Indeed, people never dreamed of drinking water, although they drank their wines ”like water”

proverbially. Such prejudice as mine has two sides, as I realise when I think of the landlady of our apartment which we rented during a later London season in Belgrave Mansions. When singing, I had to have a late supper prepared for me--something very light and simple and nouris.h.i.+ng.

Our good landlady used to be shocked almost to the verge of tears by my iniquitous habit of drinking water _pur-et-simple_ with my suppers.

”Oh, miss,” she would beg, ”let me put a bit of sherry or _something_ in it for you! It'll hurt you that way, Miss! It'll make you ill, that it will!”

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