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Sherry （trained nurse）。
Two days later he wrote：
Heavy storm all night。 Only 3 stewardesses。 Ours served 60 meals
in rooms this morning。
On the 27th：
Livy is enduring the voyage marvelously well。 As well as Clara &
Jean； I think； & far better than the trained nurse。
She has been out on deck an hour。
November 2。 Due at Gibraltar 10 days from New York。 3 days to
Naples； then 2 day to Genoa。
At supper the band played 〃Cavalleria Rusticana；〃 which is forever
associated in my mind with Susy。 I love it better than any other；
but it breaks my heart。
It was the 〃Intermezzo〃 he referred to； which had been Susy's favorite
music； and whenever he heard it he remembered always one particular
opera…night long ago； and Susy's face rose before him。
They were in Naples on the 5th； thence to Genoa； and to Florence； where
presently they were installed in the Villa Reale di Quarto； a fine old
Italian palace built by Cosimo more than four centuries ago。 In later
times it has been occupied and altered by royal families of Wurtemberg
and Russia。 Now it was the property of the Countess Massiglia； from whom
Clemens had leased it。
They had hoped to secure the Villa Papiniano； under Fiesole； near
Professor Fiske； but negotiations for it had fallen through。 The Villa
Quarto； as it is usually called； was a more pretentious place and as
beautifully located； standing as it does in an ancient garden looking out
over Florence toward Vallombrosa and the Chianti hills。 Yet now in the
retrospect； it seems hardly to have been the retreat for an invalid。 Its
garden was supernaturally beautiful； all that one expects that a garden
of Italy should besuch a garden as Maxfield Parrish might dream； but
its beauty was that which comes of antiquitythe accumulation of dead
years。 Its funereal cypresses； its crumbling walls and arches； its
clinging ivy and moldering marbles； and a clock that long ago forgot the
hours； gave it a mortuary look。 In a way it suggested Arnold Bocklin's
〃Todteninsel；〃 and it might well have served as the allegorical setting
for a gateway to the bourne of silence。
The house itself； one of the most picturesque of the old Florentine
suburban palaces； was historically interesting； rather than cheerful。
The rooms； in number more than sixty； though richly furnished； were vast
and barnlike； and there were numbers of them wholly unused and never
entered。 There was a dearth of the modern improvements which Americans
have learned to regard as a necessity； and the plumbing； such as it was；
was not always in order。 The place was approached by narrow streets；
along which the more uninviting aspects of Italy were not infrequent。
Youth and health and romance might easily have reveled in the place； but
it seems now not to have been the best choice for that frail invalid； to
whom cheer and brightness and freshness and the lovelier things of hope
meant always so much。 ＇Villa Quarto has recently been purchased by
Signor P。 de Ritter Lahony； and thoroughly restored and refreshed and
beautified without the sacrifice of any of its romantic features。
＇ Neither was the climate of Florence all that they had hoped for。
Their former sunny winter had misled them。 Tradition to the contrary；
Italyor at least Tuscanyis not one perpetual dream of sunlight。 It
is apt to be damp and cloudy； it is likely to be cold。 Writing to
MacAlister； Clemens said：
Florentine sunshine？ Bless you； there isn't any。 We have heavy fogs
every morning & rain all day。 This house is not merely large； it is
vasttherefore I think it must always lack the home feeling。
His dissatisfaction in it began thus early； and it grew as one thing
after another went wrong。 With it all； however； Mrs。 Clemens seemed to
gain a little； and was glad to see companya reasonable amount of
companyto brighten her surroundings。
Clemens began to work and wrote a story or two； and those lively articles
about the Italian language。
To Twichell he reported progress：
I have a handsome success in one way here。 I left New York under a
sort of half…promise to furnish to the Harper magazines 30；000 words
this year。 Magazining is difficult work because every third page
represents two pages that you have put in the fire （you are nearly
sure to start wrong twice）； & so when you have finished an article &
are willing to let it go to print it represents only 10 cents a word
instead of 30。
But this time I had the curious （& unprecedented） luck to start
right in each case。 I turned out 37；000 words in 25 working days； &
the reason I think I started right every time is； that not only have
I approved and accepted the several articles； but the court of last
resort （Livy） has done the same。
On many of the between…days I did some work； but only of an idle &
not necessarily necessary sort； since it will not see print until I
am dead。 I shall continue this （an hour per day）； but the rest of
the year I expect to put in on a couple of long books （half…
completed ones）。 No more magazine work hanging over my head。
This secluded & silent solitude； this clean； soft air； & this
enchanting view of Florence； the great valley & snow…mountains that
frame it； are the right conditions for work。 They are a persistent
inspiration。 To…day is very lovely； when the afternoon arrives
there will be a new picture every hour till dark； & each of them
divineor progressing from divine to diviner & divinest。 On this
（second） floor Clara's room commands the finest； she keeps a window
ten feet high wide open all the time & frames it in that。 I go in
from time to time every day & trade sass for a look。 The central
detail is a distant & stately snow…hump that rises above & behind
black…forested hills； & its sloping vast buttresses； velvety & sun…
polished； with purple shadows between； make the sort of picture we
knew that time we walked in Switzerland in the days of our youth。
》From this letter； which is of January 7； 1904； we gather that the weather
had greatly improved； and with it Mrs。 Clemens's health； notwithstanding
she had an alarming attack in December。 One of the stories he had
finished was 〃The 30；000 Bequest。〃 The work mentioned； which would not
see print until after his death； was a continuation of those
autobiographical chapters which for years he had been setting down as the
mood seized him。
He experimented with dictation； which he had tried long before with
Redpath； and for a time now found it quite to his liking。 He dictated
some of his copyright memories； and some anecdotes and episodes； but his
amanuensis wrote only longhand； which perhaps hampered him； for he tired
of it by and by and the dictations were discontinued。
Among these notes there is one elaborate description of the Villa di
Quarto； dictated at the end of the winter； by which time we are not
surprised to find he had become much attached to the place。 The Italian
spring was in the air； and it was his habit to gro