Saturday, 22 April 1876

The second day of the races!
Quite as many people and far more animation than the day before yesterday. I am quite elated.
The monkey who bored me so the other evening at the theatre is the Prince de Melissano. Altamura thought we had left — he arrives quite astonished and has an excellent luncheon served; after which Torlonia comes with Saint-Joseph, straight to us, without any roundabout approach. There is no question of courting, and so I am with him as I would be with a woman, without the least coquetry. He is not drunk today, which gives him a very respectable air, but which also restrains his tongue. Before, I was rather in awe of him, as it were — but now I am, thank God, perfectly at my ease. As for Saint-Joseph, he is a charmingly ugly man, exceedingly likeable, and he makes one feel as if with an old friend.

Notes

Passage in italics in the original.