Tuesday, 5 October 1875

Three times I lay back down this morning — [Crossed out: so] my shoulder will not allow me to move.
How stupid!
Yesterday I told my Three Graces about the strange prediction a certain fortune-teller made to me. Girofla loves me — he will marry me. I shall make a brilliant match, [Crossed out: I asked if it was] but that brilliant match will not be this one.
However, I shall not marry a second time, [Crossed out: but] I shall be the mistress of the King... of Bavaria.
Nothing more extraordinary! In fact, it wouldn't be at all bad that way.
In the same way I have predicted to Marie that she will marry her Cima, that she will be happy, but that she will have neither brilliance nor great wealth.
Olga will marry a king in earnest, but he will not be a real king, and he will be poor.
But my own horoscope is the most extraordinary: to marry d'Audiffret and become the mistress of the King of Bavaria!
What a likelihood!?
It would be extremely brilliant — the little king copies the Sun King in everything.
But — to marry that man!
Well, we shall see. I note everything in this journal because things so often come true, and it is very curious to read afterwards.
Have I mentioned? — no, I haven't said that I have placed my own person among my caricatures of the Nice circle. Saetone to the left, Fiouloulou to the right, Godard in the centre, below to the right Girofla — in a top hat, his head peering over the battlements of the tower; and to the left, myself, a pendant to the châtelain — with pink wings and antennae on my head; I may as well call them horns, for in this affair I have a magnificent pair — a martyr's crown, as I call it. Girofla is very like — only he looks as if he is complaining, howling, as though he really were a prisoner in his tower; as for myself, I think I've come out rather well — I have my elegant, majestic, simple, and gallant air. The windows of Fire were open, and I thought he was there. No — he is not there, nor is she. Ah, creatures!
My shoulder is giving me pain; I am pale and have a slight headache. How frightened I am! Good God, what if this pallor were to continue.
No — God will have mercy on me.
I am bored; my aunt and I walk. Then I collect Marie and take her to the baths where all the others are. We speak to M. de Ballote, who heaps me with praise — people have spoken wonders of me to him. I thank those who have spoken so.
We see the Englishmen — two new Englishmen; one of them is handsome. My aunt has been saying so for the past three or four days whenever he passes. He is better than anything else here (which is not difficult), I have noticed him — he did not strike me, and I found him rather wooden.
I am in an eclipse at present — Girofla pleases me, and one would have to be like him to be truly handsome.
The young one from the other morning comes close, but he is too young and plain.
A beauty like — like Wittgenstein, for instance — pleases me, but I am daunted by that imposing man; whereas the Niçois is my equal in age and spirit, he is neither grave nor serious, I am mad and he is mad, he is a rogue and I am a rogue — that is why he amuses me; I feel free with him as with a companion, and so there can be nothing serious between us. He simply amuses me.
We have a good cook.
Ah, I forget — this morning I received yet another letter from one Couthon; this is already the second. He addresses me as Mlle Yvonne, speaks of my feelings, my reproaches, protests his fidelity, swears he is not indifferent, laments the impossible return of former sentiments, and complains of a misunderstanding.
In a word, I understand nothing of it. Two days ago Daniloff came to our house with this man's card — he was at her place, hoping she would introduce him to our household. Naturally we refused. She doesn't know him, nor do we. It is either a mistake, a prank, or the man is mad. No doubt a prank. Have I mentioned that two new letters have been dispatched these past two days? "Twice ill-fated Father," etc. and "unhappy," etc. — one to the Tower, the other to Paris.
I have the urge to commit another piece of nonsense — but this one is too risky; I may do it nonetheless.
Who are these Englishmen? The blond one has been watching me intently from the first moment; and tonight Marie let out a little "ah!" and made a face as though she had seen something very beautiful, when they passed us in their landau. She laughed at herself for it.
No, I'm bored — let us leave, let us leave my dear city, dear city that has given me nothing but vexations! Its climate has done me good, however.
No, it's silly — we don't even have the little Nice hullabaloo any more, Laurenti, Danis, Andriot, etc. etc.
Ah, I'm bored! Ah! Ah! Ah! The suitor who was to fall from the sky according to my premonition — could it not be this Englishman?
I have seen little of him — he doesn't thrust himself into one's eyes, not like Frédéric, the handsome Johnstone, whom at first glance I understood completely.
How tedious it is to be surrounded by petty vexations! Nothing from Hamilton.

Notes

King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845–1886), who notoriously modelled himself on Louis XIV — building Versailles-inspired palaces, staging elaborate court theatricals, and patronising grand opera.