FL4651336

3 April 1892
Villa S. Margherita
Florence

Dear Mrs Onslow

Your welcome letter found me
at Edward Ogilvie's Villa so that it
gave tidings of you to other friends
as well as to myself. It was indeed
a sad fate that cut short the life of
the young Duke of Clarence just as
so many hopes were founded upon
him and a fortunate career deemed
opening out for him. I had
written previously to congratulate him
on the coming marriage, & as the
doctor peremptorily forbade my remaining
in London & I was about to start
for the Riviera, I wrote again, saying
that as I could not hope to be at his
wedding I hoped he would accept
a small keepsake (a Japanese cigar case)
too small to be enumerated amongst
such presents as would be showered
upon him. That week he became
ill, and on the Monday, being too