Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff
CZENUKFR

Saturday, 5 July 1873

At eleven came a young Englishwoman with her mother, for me. She is rather nice but limp. She does not shake one's hand but merely gives it — this does not denote a frank character. She will come to give me three lessons of two hours each per week — six hours per week.

A onze heures est venue une jeune Anglaise avec sa mere, pour moi. Elle est assez gentille mais molle. Elle ne secoue pas la main mais la donne seulement, cela ne denote pas un caractere franc. Elle viendra me donner trois lecons de deux heures par semaine, six heures par semaine.

Today is Nathalie Patton's birthday, and at five we went to their house (grey dress), but they were out. After dinner, a short drive and to Rumpelmayer's. Maman and the others to the station, and we took several more turns.

Aujourd'hui, le jour de naissance de Nathalie Patton et a cinq heures nous allames chez eux (robe grise) mais ils etaient sortis. Apres diner, une petite promenade en voiture et chez Rumpelmayer. Maman etc. a la gare et nous avons fait encore plusieurs tours.

I said that we are giving a ball on my birthday, 12 January; I shall be fifteen. We interrupted one another. Everyone wanted to speak at once; each wanted to set forth his plan. At home we went through all the rooms; everything is already assigned, arranged, decided by us. It will be splendid, this ball.

J'ai dit que nous faisons un bal le jour de ma naissance 12 janvier, j'aurai quinze ans. Nous nous interrompons* l'un l'autre. Tous voulaient parler a la fois, chacun voulait exposer son plan. A la maison nous avons parcouru toutes les chambres, tout est deja distribue, range, decide par nous. Il sera splendide, ce bal.

At lunch, I no longer remember in connection with what — the pigeon shooting, I think — they were talking about how people are addressed. Then my aunt said:

A dejeuner, je ne sais plus a propos de quoi, du Tir, je crois, on parlait de comment on appelle les personnes. Alors ma tante dit :

— And why does one say His Grace the Duke of Hamilton?1 One does not say Count Ferreire, because he is not one, while the great [sic] titles are called by their title.

- Et pourquoi donc on dit "His Grace the Duke of Hamilton" ? On ne dit pas Ferreire comte parce qu'il ne l'est pas, tandis que les geans [sic] titres sont appeles par leur titre.

On hearing his name I did not blush, but my breath failed me; I wanted to pour water and my hands were trembling. I prefer that to blushing! She repeated that fateful name twice. She likes Hamilton — the whole house likes him. Maman is very fond of him. And my aunt speaks of him willingly.

En entendant son nom je ne rougis pas, mais la respiration m'a manque, je voulais verser de l'eau et mes mains tremblaient. J'aime mieux ca que rougir ! Elle a repete deux fois ce nom fatal. Elle aime Hamilton, toute la maison l'aime. Maman l'aime beaucoup. Et ma tante en parle volontiers.

Notes

In English in the original. ↩