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Thursday, 31 December 1874

As I said, at half past ten I go riding with Foster; M. de Mauldre joins us near the public garden and we ride out to the Var. I ride Nesky — a charming horse for one hour, but exhausting for three. This gentleman mentioned no message whatsoever — the wretch, he has none. He is a young man of twenty-eight to thirty, rather lean, almost short, almost dark, with a long thin nose and side-whiskers; he speaks like the Belgians, like Baron Leiss of Ostend. We galloped at quite a pace on the racecourse, but three times my steed refused to take the obstacles. He has a jerky gait and never settles into a walk, but dances perpetually. At a quarter past one I return home, thoroughly shaken by the creature's incessant dancing.

Comme je l'ai dit, a dix heures et demie je monte a cheval avec Foster, M. de Mauldre nous rejoint pres du jardin public et nous allons au Var, je monte Nesky, cheval charmant pour une heure mais fatiguant pour trois heures. Ce monsieur n'a parle d'aucune commission...

As my aunt was following in a carriage, she had to be sent back until four o'clock. I walked with my aunt (white dress, fine). I am beginning to love the dress — but [hong for]¹ Laferrière, and God knows how she will receive me.

Comme ma tante nous suivait en voiture on a du la renvoyer jusqu'a quatre heures, j'allais a pied avec ma tante (robe blanche, bien) je commence a aimer la robe mais Hong for [sic] Laferriere et Dieu sait comment elle me recevra.

We walked as far as Mortier and from there returned to the Promenade des Anglais, where there was music and society — or the common crowd, one can never be sure which.

Nous avons marche jusqu'a Mortier et de la sommes retournees a la Promenade, il y a musique et monde ou peuple.

About halfway along the Promenade, my aunt told me to cross over. When we were on the other pavement, I saw the reason for this change: Terffidua was approaching on foot. Once he had passed she brought me back to the Promenade.
— "Ah! I see why this change of direction — you wanted to avoid that man. But how silly you are, my aunt — what are you afraid of?"

A peu pres au milieu de la Promenade ma tante me dit de traverser, quand nous fumes sur l'autre trottoir, je vis la cause de ce changement, Terffidua venait a pied, lui passe elle me ramena sur la Promenade.

"You really make me laugh — I shall laugh for three days straight; if I don't laugh for three days, I at least laughed for three quarters of an hour."

Vraiment vous me faites rire, je rirai trois jours de suite, si je ne rirai pas trois jours, j'ai ri trois quarts d'heure.

While we were crossing, d'Aspremont and de Constantin passed us. Poor aunt, I believe she was frightened again.

Quand nous traversions, d'Aspremont et de Constantin nous passerent. Cette pauvre tante a je crois encore eu peur.

Sciocchezze!² Because a man looked through his opera glasses at the theatre several times, one imagines God knows what! Ohimè!³ How stupid.

Sciocchezze ! parce qu'un homme a regarde plusieurs fois au theatre dans le binocle on s'imagine Dieu sait quelles choses ! Ohime ! que c'est bete.

We were at Rumpelmayer's, at the Cercle.

Nous etions chez Rumpelmayer au cercle.

Foster has copied my grey dress in heavy blue fabric and velvet. Un sot trouve toujours un plus sot qui l'admire.⁴

Foster a imite ma robe grise en gros bleu et velours. Un sot trouve toujours un plus sot qui l'admire.

In twenty days the races — and still no Paris!

Dans vingt jours les courses, et pas de Paris !

Notes

In English in the original. Marie writes "Hong for" — her phonetic rendering of "longing for." The handwriting suggests she was writing quickly and transcribed the sound rather than the spelling. ↩

In Italian in the original. "Nonsense!/Foolishness!" ↩

In Italian in the original. "Alas!/Oh dear!" ↩

French maxim (attributed to Boileau, not La Rochefoucauld): "A fool always finds a greater fool to admire him." ↩

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