ithfulness of a
dog. Her father lived formerly at Verona, but in the war of 1866, having
sided with Austria, [337] he fell upon evil days; and retired to Trieste
on a trifling pension. Mrs. Burton and Lisa had not been long acquainted
before Lisa became a member of the Burton household as a kind of lady's
maid, although she retained her title of Baroness, and Mrs. Burton at
once set about Anglicising her new friend, though her attempt, as in
Khamoor's case, was only partially successful. For instance, Lisa, would
never wear a hat, "for fear of losing caste." She was willing, however,
to hang out her stocking on Christmas eve; and on finding it full next
morning said, "Oh, I like this game. Shall we play it every night!" Just
however, as a petted Khamoor had made a spoilt Khamoor; so a petted Lisa
very soon made a spoilt Lisa.

With Mrs. Burton, her Jane Digbys, her Chicos, and her servants, Burton
rarely interfered, and when he did interfere, it was only to make
matters worse; for his judgment was weaker even than hers. On one
occasion, however, he took upon himself to dismiss the cook and to
introduce another of his own finding. On being requested to prepare the
dinner the new acquisition set about it by drinking two bottles of
wine, knocking down the housemaid, and beating the kitchenmaid with
the saucepan. Burton, who flew to their rescue, thought he must be in
Somali-land once more.

Chapter XXII. August 1881-May 1882, John Payne

103. With Cameron at Venice, August 1881.

Burton had for several years been acquainted with the African traveller
V. Lovett Cameron, [338] and in August 1881 they met accidentally
at Venice. A geographical conference was being held in the city and
representatives from all nations were assembled; but, naturally, the
first geographer of the day, Captain Burton, was not invited either to
speak or even to be present. On the morning of the conference, Burton,
Mrs. Burton and Cameron gave themselves the treat of going over to the
Lido for bathing and breakfast; and being in puckish mood, the two men,
notwithstanding the great crowd of pleasure seekers, took off their
shoes and stockings, turned up their trousers, and made sand castles.
"Look, nurse," bawled Burton to his wife, "see what Cammy and I have
done!" "If you please, nursey," whined Cameron, "Dick's snatched away
my spade." At that moment Lord Aberdeen, President of the Royal
Geographical Society, and a party of grave