In the morning the deacon comes; I tell him of the marvels of Duval and he will come there at three when we shall be there.

Then comes Rodionoff; among other things he tells me I am making conquests. We asked whether he had seen Maman or Walitsky, but he says he heard it from others:

"It was Doria who told you," I said laughing.

"You know Doria?"

"The brother, yes, and it was he who told me:"

"Oh! I beg you, Rodionoff — here I recognise Walitsky. I can see quite well what he told you to say."

"But no, I assure you, it is Doria's brother. He does not know me by name — by sight, yes, as I know him — and how can you know he was speaking of me?"

He told me that — your compatriot — and that you met his brother at Spa.

"That is true, and at Ostend."

"And he said that my brother is smitten."

It is too stupid, and one can see that Walitsky has passed through Paris. To prove to him that I am not his dupe, I write him at once:

My dear fellow, not so stupid as you think, and I understand perfectly the nonsense you had Rodionoff say about Doria.

Do try to be more cunning — you make me pity you!

I try on at two o'clock at Worth's and feel faint there, fortunately in the room where I was trying on. Afterwards I feel perfectly well, and as I was looking at bracelets that pleased me, Lucarini greets us and says he has come from the wedding of Lewin and the Durand girl, which was celebrated at the Madeleine.

At three o'clock we are at Duval's; the deacon is there. And after an hour or two of discussion we order definitively. The whole will cost [Crossed out: sixty thousand] fifty thousand francs.

"I am happy, the air intoxicates me" (Mignon).

[Crossed out: I ha] We take a landau and drive to the Bois, having told Mark to bring his horse there. It was a review of our Spa folk, Ostend folk, and Nice folk.

The celebrated del Puente I

And the Spanish swarm! The cast is complete.

Finally the Duc and Duchesse de Mouchy — she recognised me and nudged her husband. The poor duke on crutches, after his unfortunate accident.

The pale Doria with two gentlemen — I did not see, and Dina told me he turned round and spoke to his two companions, who turned round too. I did not see the tall one again. Rodionoff bid me farewell as if I were the Duchesse Doria and offered to introduce me, the brother not knowing the other. What a fool Walitsky is!

At Duval's they spoke of Blackprince, and Duval said in a low voice to the deacon that he sends furniture to Mme Leon but that it is for the prince. I heard. He has a ground-floor flat here but almost never stays in it, and when he is in Paris dines next to Duval at the Cercle de l'Union, I believe. It was Duval who told us this after we had finished with our furniture. Duval furnished his yacht.

[Crossed out: But th]

We dine at home; at half past seven they come from Worth's to fit me.

I prefer Worth's bodices — Laferriere always makes mine too tight in the chest — but despite that I do not know which I prefer, and there is in Laferriere an indefinable lightness, natural ease, grace, and delicacy.