[Geneva—Saturday, 1 October 1859]
Saturday 1st of October. Lovely day. Drove to the Diodati Villa. It was closed but the grounds were open and we wandered about there. Our companions were Milton, Diodati, Byron. The scene, Paradise. Every leaf seemed undisturbed as if souls walked there in disembodied presence. Heavy roses still hung full blown upon their stalks as if June lingered while the ground was strewn with nuts and the vines bowed low beneath their burden.
At Vandœuvres we saw Madame Malan and her most excellent daughter. We shall not soon forget the neatness and unassuming simplicity of the little cottage. The poor mother asked with a touching anxiety after the welfare of her child. She herself has seen to [sic] much of life to believe it can be easy for her children. Her daily exhortation is that they should “fight the good fight.”
Dined early and walked out. The night was superb. All its beauty was reflected in the rushing Rhone and the clear sky-like lake.
