Thursday, 5 March 1874

Last night I put a mirror under my pillow, to know what our villa will bring. Here is my dream:
We enter Manby's to ask for some cloth or other, but little by little the shop grows dark; the shutters are closed. I ask why, but I do not listen to the reply; I lose myself [Crossed out: When I come to] and I know that the shop is rising; we can see nothing, everything is shut, there is not the slightest jolt, but I know we are ascending. All at once we come to a stop; it is very bright and the earth can no longer be seen, so far are we from it (high). I see two staircases on which I meet the two little Bravuras, Mlle de Galve, Mme Zveguinzoff. I am astonished to see them here; how could they have got here? -- and they seemed to find it perfectly natural to be on these staircases and seemed to have come from even higher. I took Mme Zveguinzoff by the hand and told her how glad I was to meet her, and that although I did not know her, she [Crossed out: seems to me] is dearer to me than an acquaintance, since I find her so high in the air where I thought myself alone, and since I saw her often on the Promenade des Anglais. She receives these sentiments rather coldly and seems not to understand why I am astonished to see her here, as if things are as they should be and it is I who have imagined all this. Through the windows one sees nothing but air on every side.
And then from that moment I remember nothing more; there ends my fantastic and strange dream.
[Written across: A significant dream and of good omen.]
At two o'clock I go on foot with Machenka (brown dress, black hat, hairstyle more on the nape and two small ball-combs, one on each side -- good). Arrived there, Machenka is tired; she stays in the garden and I go up and wander through the rooms. There is a superb echo; I sing at the top of my voice. I make a thousand plans, about the wing, the improvements.
Then I see our whole party arriving; I take Papa's arm and show him everything. The Anitchkoffs criticize everything in an unseemly manner -- what savages! Mme Koulichoff comes too.
At last we have been visiting the whole time. I am very tired; I omit the details; I have a headache.
At half past four we leave. Today there are more people than usual at the concert. And I see the one who has not appeared for so long, the Comte de Lambertye, with the Duke de Mouchy; all three turned around.
I take Maman and my aunt to the station and go with Papa to 55 to fetch Stiopa and Machenka, but we do not find them.
On the Promenade I see yet another interesting personage -- Wittgenstein with Prince Dolgorouky. I leave Papa at home and go to tell the few people we know to come tomorrow at two o'clock to attend the blessing of our villa, by Father Levitsky. I find the Potemkines at home; the young couple were sight-reading a four-hand waltz. I stay a few minutes with them.
I write to Helene, to Mme Teplakoff and to the Filimonoffs. I have ordered kulebyakas etc.
I should so like to begin in the new house.
Maman has returned from Monaco; I go to her and a small family council takes place.