Saturday, 12 December 1874

Maman, Dina, and young Foster are at the Masséna matinée.

At the opera again — Il Trovatore — Florence with us. (White dress, my hairstyle, good.) The house is full, and four boxes with that one side by side were occupied by the more or less youthful youth of Nice.

Audiffret with Saëtone — the former in white tie; and tonight he might have taken hilarity as his motto: he laughed, shifted about constantly, and struck poses that proved either that he had dined particularly well, or that he was in especially high spirits.

His friend, for his part, had more than ever the air of a man who thinks a great deal.

We I rather enjoyed myself — Foster is interesting and has wit. My aunt was smiling the whole time; only at home did I learn the reason for her amusement. It appears that Audiffret never stopped ogling me, and some other old fellow was watching me too.

My aunt I noticed nothing; on the contrary, it seemed to me that young Terffidua¹, hand over his face, had seen nothing — though with his hand shading his face he could see me looking watch without appearing to. This was during the intervals; during the acts I knew nothing, I was watching the beautiful Eleonora of the other evening.

If he looks at me, he finds me pretty — and if he finds me so, why does he not ask to be introduced? Last summer, Arson, I think, said that he had asked for an introduction — but I am not certain of it.

This afternoon I met Lise and Aggie in a shop; we spoke quite amicably... and at the matinée Madame Howard was the first to approach Maman.

This white dress suits me well, and in the evening I gain considerably.

On returning from the theatre we worked on the answers to the questionnaire² — I had to correct all the foolish things Walitsky had written. I did not go to bed until ten past two.