Friday, 23 April

Notebook 32.
[begun Friday, 23 April 1875, finished Sunday, 16 May 1875, Nice]
I do not go to mass. The day after tomorrow is Easter. At three o'clock at the procession of the plachtchanitsa.
The heat in the church is stifling; coming out, we go to Mme Voyeïkoff's, where we stay quite a long while. I adore the Hôtel du Luxembourg for a hundred thousand reasons. My aunt was in the drawing room with Mme Voyeïkoff, while Dina and I were on the balcony with Julie. One sees all the world passing by, the whole horizon, the entire Promenade des Anglais. I have a mind to sell my villa and come to Nice to lodge in this hotel.
The conversation turned on the fiancé, the family, celebrations, society, dresses, and so on and so forth.
"Come to Paris, Marie, I'll bring you out into society." I burst out laughing.
Julie is a thoroughly sincere girl and relates all manner of things. "You know," she says, "when he kisses me I go quite mad!" — and so on, and on again. "Marie, I propose my brother-in-law for you, he is magnificent — and besides, when you come to my Paris I shall introduce you to someone who will please you."
"Let's hear who?"
"I shan't say."

Notes

The plashchanitsa (плащаница): the icon depicting Christ's burial shroud, carried in solemn procession during the Orthodox Good Friday service.