Monday, 17 March 1873

To the station to see off Emile and Sophie (black dress, grey jacket), but there had been an accident on the railway in Italy, and because of that they would not take trunks weighing more than fifty kilos.
Sophie had to unpack everything and make four trunks instead of two. They leave tomorrow. Then to the Howards' to fetch a book — we did not get out of the carriage — then a little on foot to return from one end to the other of the promenade. I saw Mademoiselle de Galve — how well dressed and coiffed she is! I should like to know who makes her dresses. She is so nice, she has such a pretty expression, shy, childlike. One would not think her capable of smoking and wearing too low a neckline as the other evening.
I should like to be coiffed and dressed like her — simple, recherché. Dina told me this morning that yesterday Gioia was at the theater with her old woman and a gentleman: could it have happened that the Duke has been set aside for want of money and that she has abandoned him? No, I know — so long as the Duke had enough money to prevent her from having others, he did so, but now he is quite ruined and she cannot remain without income. But how does he bear it? Oh! but does he have her as a woman all to himself? He knows she is his as well as others' — so if she is with a man, it does not mean that the Duke is no longer close to her.
[Written across the page: What naivety!]
She is not his wife. She is a high-class courtesan whom he pays. But if he only regarded her in that way, why does she travel with him? Why does he go to her house every day? No, she has a strong hold on him. I know nothing; how to think about all of this. I know only to pray God to help me, [Crossed out: to grant my prayer.]
How I love him — I love him truly, even when I do not see him,
[Written across the page: Especially since I do not see him.]