Sunday, 4 May 1873 — Notebook 004

CZENUK FR

Then we went to music, very windy and hot weather. I passed two pages behind and must return. Hélène said she wanted we stay next winter in Nice. I said, I will come for race time, and she will see the complete reform of dress,³ instead of riches, complete simplicity as it becomes to a young lady, she would not believe. Then we conveyed her at home, and returned to the music. But met the Countess de Mouzay and her daughter, we cross them in carriage and after the music they wanted to go to Countess Benvenuti and as Mamma was her several visits.⁴ I went too. She is very amiable. But that stupid crowd⁵ — all these women with their dogs. It is a peculiar race of titled women not of high society with their white dogs, and as I call them the third-floor countesses with their canine visits,⁶ for they always come with two or more white little dogs. We spoke in the carriage of the Misses White! They go too much out, said I, I should like them to be one season in mourning to prevent them from doing so. For if we go rarely, our presence is appreciated and our absence noticed. But the White are quite lauded⁷ because of that.⁸ I should like their mother to be more severe Mme de Daillens said, they much ill treated their mother that it is quite revolting. You reap what you sow.⁹

Then we went to music, very windy and hot weather. I passed two pages behind and must return. Hélène said she wanted we stay next winter in Nice. I said, I will come for race time, and she will see the complete reform of toilette, instead of riches, complete simplicity as it becomes to a young lady, she would not believe. Then we conveyed her at home, and returned to the music. But met the countess de Mouzay and her daughter, we cross them in carriage and after the music they wanted to go to countess Benvenuti and as mamma was her several visits. I went too. She is very amiable. But that stupid bataclan all these women with their dogs. It is a peculiar race of titled women not of high society with their white dogs, and as I call them Les comtesses du troisième étage aux visites canines for they always come with two or more white little dogs. We spoke in the carriage of the misses White ! They go too much out, said I, I should like them to be one season in mourning to prevent them from doing so. For if we go rarely, our presence is appreciated and our absence noticed. But the White are quite lauded à cause de cela. I should like their mother to be more severe Mme de Daillens said, they much ill treated their mother that it is quite revolting. On récolte ce que l’on sème.

Notes

In English in the original. ↩

In French in the original: ressemblantes. ↩

In French in the original: toilette. ↩

So in Marie’s English. She means that Mamma owed the countess several visits; probably modelled on French être en reste de visites (to be behind with one’s visits). ↩

In French in the original: bataclan. ↩

In French in the original: Les comtesses du troisième étage aux visites canines — Marie’s satirical invention mocking minor nobility. ↩

lauded: so in Marie’s English. Taken literally it says the Whites are praised for going out so much. Everything around it is disapproving, though (they go out too much, their mother should be stricter, they treat her badly), and the But sets them against those whose rare presence is “appreciated”, so a mocking sense is likelier: perhaps a slip for “laughed at”, which a French speaker could easily confuse with it by ear, or for “derided” or “talked about”. The text alone cannot settle it. ↩

In French in the original: à cause de cela. ↩

In French in the original: On récolte ce que l’on sème. ↩