She said it would be like selling her friends. So she
packed the few things she thought she would want to furnish her flat
in London, and all her manuscripts, and she gave away the rest of the
furniture where she thought it would be useful or valued. These duties
occupied her fourteen weeks in all, and she worked every day early and
late, the only break in her labours being her frequent visits to the
_chapelle ardente_ where the remains of her husband were reposing,
preparatory to being carried to England. The only comfort to her in
this time of sorrow was a visit from her cousin, Canon Waterton of
Carlisle, a scholarly and cultured ecclesiastic, who, in addition to
providing her with spiritual consolation, also gave her much valuable
advice as to the disposition of the books and manuscripts. In order
to guard against any misconception, however, I should like to add that
Canon Waterton did not come to Trieste until some time after _The
Scented Garden_ had been burned. That act, in spite of all that
has been said to the contrary, was entirely Lady Burton's own act,
influenced by no priest, layman, or any person whatever. She spoke
of it afterwards as a secret between herself and the dead husband.
So this year (1890) the saddest in Lady Burton's life, came to an end.
On January 20, 1891, she caused her husband's remains to be removed from
the chapel and conveyed on board the Cunard steamer _Palmyra_.
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