Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff
CZENUKFR

Sunday, 5 April 1874

One evening as I was praying to God, here is the thought [sic] that came to my mind: I had my head bowed, and from my right breast emerges the Duke of Hamilton, and the Prince of Wittgenstein, and they begin to fight. But the Duke of Hamilton contrives that the Prince of Wittgenstein becomes a little white dog; then the Duke takes the dog in his arms, but at that moment the dog is no longer a dog -- it is I. I saw the Duke, the Prince, and the dog, but myself -- no.
Since that day this madness often returns to my mind.
I slept until noon. They wake me; I dress in haste, for we must go to Mme Teplakoff's for lunch. A small lunch -- a large one, that is to say; I call it small because there are children. We and Helene and Lise (brown dress, good). For the past few days I have been doing my hair yet another way: I tie up part of my hair as all little girls do; I part the hair in two, I make two sorts of plaits that I join at the ends and bring these ends back to the nape under the hair. This forms a pretty new coiffure. All the golden hair lies on top; it is very wavy. I do not know if I am mistaken, but in a hat this coiffure suits me very well, especially in the carriage, when one cannot see my short dress. Alas! I did not do my hair this way, but put it up instead.
They placed us with the Howards, Bete, Paul (Dina did not come), Abrial, and the Comte de Camprien in the salon. But they remove the last two. Lise looks exactly like a Dresden porcelain doll; Helene is not as pretty as she, and Helene makes faces because she thinks herself the most beautiful of beauties. We go to the children and swing on their swing, which gives me the idea of making one at home.