❦

Wednesday, 23 September 1874

Mercredi, 23 septembre 1874 Il pleut, nous allons chez Laferrière mais en vain de nouveau, cette sorcière ne fera rien cette semaine, elle m'énerve et a l'air de ne pas vouloir travailler pour moi. J'ai l'air chez elle d'un misérable solliciteur, j'entre la queue basse et entre les jambes comme un chien étranger ! Je suis lasse de cela ! Et le cœur rempli d'une noble ardeur je m'élance chez Worth. Là je suis bien reçue, très bien, on est honteux de la farce de jadis, on est empressé, Augustine élégante et jolie me fait mille politesses, me montre ce qu'il y a de mieux et je commande deux toilettes, une toute blanche en drap, et l'autre gros bleu, en drap d'amazone, corsage cuirassé, jupe unie avec des filets d'or, tunique et corsage aussi.

It is raining; we go to Laferriere but in vain again — that witch will do nothing this week, she exasperates me and seems not to want to work for me. At her shop I look like a wretched supplicant; I enter with my tail between my legs like a stray dog! I am weary of it! And my heart filled with a noble ardour, I rush to Worth. There I am well received, very well; they are ashamed of the fiasco of the past, they are attentive; Augustine, elegant and pretty, pays me a thousand courtesies, shows me the best there is, and I order two outfits — one all white in wool, and the other dark blue, in riding cloth, with an armoured bodice, a plain skirt with gold braiding, tunic and bodice as well.

I feel my heart and soul light; my mind is made up and my winter dresses are ordered and they please me. Ah! It is no small thing! Would anyone believe I could not sleep because of these dresses?!

But thank God! I can now sleep in peace.

From there to Duval; he has made drawings for my bedroom and I am enchanted. The bed is a pink shell resting on two winged lion's paws, the wings in gold; the curtains, which are admirable in taste and grace, are surmounted by three shells matching the bed, and above there is a plume of three feathers — it wants only ich dien¹. This adorable bed is set upon a dais of blue velvet. The whole room is tufted and hung with a kind of blue satin, and instead of buttons there are daisies, because the bed and window curtains are blue with bouquets of these flowers; the rest and the ceiling, stretched in a sunburst pattern, are plain. The wood is lacquered white, with small light paintings in blue and gold braiding.

We spend two hours at his shop and still do not decide.

Nous passons chez lui deux heures et ne décidons pas encore.

Afterwards we go to Baccarat, and there my aunt chooses several articles in which I do not meddle — the everyday crystal, the table service, et cetera. It all costs dearly because one chooses the best there is.

Après nous allons chez Baccarat et là ma tante choisit plusieurs articles dont je ne me mêle pas, les cristaux de tous les jours, la garniture de table etc. Tout cela coûte cher parce qu'on choisit ce qu'il y a de mieux.

We dine at home and afterwards go to see "Mignon," that delightful opera, interesting from beginning to end, without dull passages, without empty stretches, but entertaining and moving like a comedy.

Nous dînons chez nous et après allons voir "Mignon", ce ravissant opéra intéressant depuis le commencement jusqu'à la fin, sans lenteurs, sans vides, mais amusant et émouvant comme une comédie.

Notes

German: "I serve" — the motto of the Prince of Wales. Marie writes "ich dieu," confusing the German dien with the French Dieu (God). ↩

Previous entry Notebook overview Next entry