❦
Monday, 11 January 1875
The sun reappears — the kind of Nice spring weather: wind and abominable dust.My aunt has finished her questionnaires — and tomorrow, if God permits, we shall leave. Oh! happiness!
Ma tante a termine ses questions et demain si Dieu le permit nous partirons. Oh ! bonheur !
I submit to Dumas's books like every mad creature of my age — these volumes change every day on my table, while the venerable Walter Scott is always the same, [Crossed out: halfway through,] and the [Crossed out: folded] page in the middle of the book never advances.
Je subis les livres de Dumas comme tous les fous de mon age, et ces volumes changent tous les jours sur ma table tandis que le venerable Walter Scott est toujours le meme [Raye: a moitie] et la feuille [Raye: est pliee] au milieu du livre ne s'avance pas.
These past few days I have noticed that I am pretty — every day I forget it, and the next day I remind myself of it and try to convince myself, for there is nothing that beautifies like knowing one is beautiful — unless one is plain, in which case it is simply ridiculous.
Ces derniers jours j'ai remarque que je suis jolie, chaque jour je l'oublie et, le lendemain, me le rappelle et tache de m'en convaincre, car il n'y a rien qui embellit comme le savoir d'etre beau a moins qu'on ne soit laid, alors c'est ridicule.