Monday, January 30:
R. had a good night; we have breakfast in bed in cheerful spirits, and I go off soon afterward to Porrazzi, return home in good spirits, although some things there seem to me somewhat primitive when I consider R.’s tastes, tell him of the fine carriage we shall have - Prince Gangi had just shown it to me - and the lovely location. At lunch R. talks about what he read today, Kant on earthquakes, which he enjoyed. But after lunch R. drives out to Porrazzi and is so struck by the simplicity of the house that he wants to make as many alterations and additions as possible; when I ask him to stop worrying on my account, since I should soon get things to my liking and do not like offending people who have been so friendly toward us, however alien they may seem, R. is at first angry, but then he jokes about what he calls my pride on the one hand and my aspirations toward sainthood on the other. We then talk about Lusch’s arrival tomorrow and the celebrations in connection with it, and very sweetly Fidi says to us in Sicilian dialect as he goes off to bed, “Allora domani non si parlano di questa casa, ma di Roma, di altre cose” [“Tomorrow there will be no talking about this house, but about Rome and other things”] ... Even yesterday, at the start of the disputes about Lusch, he said softly to me when I spoke my wish with regard to the children, “lo capisco” [“I understand”], and his gentle nature is a boundless delight to us. When we are alone, we read Stein’s article on Rousseau in the B. Bl. and find it quite outstanding. R. then talks of the possibilities: “If one were to win over a person of as good a disposition as young Mazzarino for great ideas, where, to whom could he look for support?” And he mentions little Cavaliere Guccia and smiles. —