Tuesday, 11 November 1873

My first breakfast is a great pleasure, and every day I look forward to it. But today Lemp comes ten minutes early and I had not time to eat. Afterwards I come down, everything is cleared away, and with difficulty I obtained bad tea, cooked cream, and sweet bread (I adore salt). It ruins my mood.

^[In English in the original.]
We go out walking with Hitchcock (brown dress, black hat, good); I am at ease with her, or beginning to be. A dreadful wind. I go to buy a box of compasses to begin the metric system, then we walk on and on and my feet are tired -- the soles are burning and swollen. I want the carriage, but those bipeds still have it.

^[In English in the original.]
Mme Prodgers passes on foot and quickly outstrips us. But what a bearing, what a gait! She copies Gioia a great deal, but no one save me will guess it, so much is it a caricature. How wretched Nice is. Oh, when shall we leave!
There are not even lemon peels; there are only old figs -- no! dried olives. At last we get into the carriage; I pick up Troost's "Chemistry" at Cambaceres and a German reader. We miss the school coming out. I had the honest intention of studying from four to six, but the demons seduced me and I walk about until dinner. What is more, we go -- myself, Dina, and Bete (Hitchcock has gone to see friends) -- to the Sainte-Reparate fruit market; Said follows us. I cry: "Who has cucumbers! Give them to me, I'll take them all." We found only six. Then I go to the fruit stalls; I buy a few trifles (what a difference from the London House). I clown about with the market women, I drop a franc fifty which I abandon, and in triumph we rejoin the carriage. The boy carries behind us the marvels of Sainte-Reparate. It is dark; we go home. Tormosoff is with us; he dines.
I cannot prepare my lessons; they make me write I know not what for the case at Aix which takes place the day after tomorrow. Georges has been here since Saturday.
By lamplight his portrait is striking. I looked at it this morning. Miss Hitchcock comes to find me; she has returned, very kind and nice; she comes to kiss me.