Sunday, 1 August 1875

I have just arrived. The journey did not pass as miserably as I had feared. We laughed the entire time, and to prevent people from entering our compartment Stiopa would remove his frock coat while Smirnoff stationed himself at the window and declared with priceless composure that there was a raving lunatic among us. This made us burst out laughing so violently that at every station everyone stared and listened in astonishment.
We are at the Hôtel des Îles Britanniques, 22 rue de la Paix. I am not pleased. We ought to have gone to the Grand Hôtel.
Oh well! It is a saving — here I pay only fifteen francs a day. And we have three pretty rooms on the mezzanine.
I need money and my aunt gave me only three thousand one hundred and seventy-five francs for everything. It is dreadfully little but she had no more. Smirnoff came with us; the poor boy has lost so heavily at cards that he will travel third class all the way back to Petersburg.
He has just come in and says he has seen d'Audiffret. I do hope I see him soon. I have grown used to the idea of meeting him here. I read the cards on the way — for myself and for him. For me: complete success, and that eternal King of Spades, in love with me; for him: anxieties, worries.
I am very eager to see him.
He is staying at the Hôtel Splendid, right next door to me.
Let us sleep and be fresh for tomorrow.