[Maxims on the title page:] Ment sana in corpore sano Tutto fano nulla sauna Tutto saumo, nulla fauno Gara voit sa Francsi Piu gli pesi mon fi danus...
Besides, I am fairly easy in my mind about all the spiteful tricks he might play on me; I am expecting something from Nice which, God willing, ==will...
Right beside the church stands the column raised on the very spot where, after winning the battle of 21 June 1709, the Emperor deigned to rest,...
Maman writes to me abusing my father, and since this abuse was at bottom a set of instructive truths, I gave him the letter.
I was only reassured after making him swear on the Gospel that he had not read it — and besides, one could see as much from his face.
My father seems put out, and my marvellous instinct guesses why. A quarrel with his mistress.
My two uncles, Alexandre and Étienne, arrived at about eight o'clock. And I am almost sorry I kept them until nightfall, for they thus witnessed the...
Michel has brought his pack of greyhounds and some *rossrin*. We were barely in the fields when I got on horseback, without taking off my pelisse,...
I know nothing of what is going on. My father confers with his sister every moment. I ask nothing, and what can I ask? Mme Tutcheff is polite and...
Pacha decided to come with us after I had told him that filial respect required it. And he consented only after taking my word of honour that I would...
They used to call me Mouche, *Mouha*, and as I could not aspirate the h the Russian way, I did as the French do and said Moucha, which means:...
I am irritated by the delays, and it seems to me that they are being contrived.
Alexandre has singularly enlightened me, and I have only to remember to see that he is telling the truth. Indeed, nobody in Poltava society visits...
Alexandre keeps talking to me about Miloradovitch and says, rightly enough, that he (Milorad.) was very much offended by the way he was treated at...
Nadine is the patroness of the neighbouring schools. She has taken up with admirable energy the work of civilising our peasants. They study, they...
Dear Papa, The same old business, the business you know of, is keeping me another day or two in Poltava. And [Bottom of page: one line torn] I would...
of the new law on horses, Petersburg has sent us some fifteen officers of the Guards who, because of their mission, naturally have dealings with my...
I did not utter a word during the journey; I was dreaming, as always.
My father "quibbles" with me over everything. A hundred times I long to send everything to the devil, and a hundred times I hold myself back, which...
I am caught between two fires. Bashkirtseff says I am driving him away? Paul has fed him invented nonsense and goes in for gossip to earn his favour....
Mamma is not to blame; one cannot live with such a man. He has suddenly revealed himself. I can judge now.
— I have lost all esteem for you. You have committed a *petty* baseness, and to crown it all you resisted all my entreaties; you will regret it, for...
I saw two Cardinal Antonellis in a dream, one all in red, and the other all in black and looking like the devil. I dreamt of Pietro, at the theatre,...
I have broken my mirror! Death or great misfortune.
Paul was driving, and taking advantage of the moments when Pacha was sitting most awkwardly, he would send the horses off at full gallop, spattering...
And first, let us cite Gogol, our star of humour.
He is a clever rogue — though not clever, since I call him a rogue. I played again — what else was I to do! I spent a good hour translating Gogol,...
I did not know which way to go, and woke in a state of considerable agitation. And today Pacha puts before me the *Goloss* with this dispatch: "Rome,...
Last Sunday I was woken by Nadine's children, who had been brought during the night from Tchernakovka.
Last Thursday we were in Vienna until six o'clock. My father took me to Sacher's, the restaurateur, and showed me a little of the imperial city —...
— Look at those fine shoulders, I said — and to think that I am condemned never to wear a décolletage... I lay down in a fury, beside myself, and...
Parisian boxes are instruments of torture — we were four, in a front box at a hundred and fifty francs, and could not stir.
You know what Walitsky told Maman. Antonelli made him his confidant — well... you know... he spent every night with prostitutes! Straight from my...
Berthe came to see me — dear little thing. Caroline delights me; she dresses me as I have never been dressed before.
Until the evening things went tolerably enough, but suddenly a very serious, very measured, very honest conversation began about my future. Maman...
Maman is so ill that there can be no thought of taking her to Versailles. M. and Mme de Mertens came to fetch us. I was dressed in white as always,...
The Mertens woman came in the morning to tell me that young de La Motte had called on her yesterday at eleven o'clock at night to tell her that he...
I hate Paris. Perhaps if I stayed here for some time without going to the shops this hatred would pass.
Soon I shall not write anything any more; I feel myself becoming more and more boring.
We went with de Daillens to look at our carriages, and in the very middle of the Champs-Élysées we met Count Merjeeswsky. He greeted me; I blushed...
Yesterday at nine o'clock we left Paris. Maman with her thirty-six packages reduced me to despair. Those cries, those panics, those boxes — it is...
My aunt brought me my coffee herself; I had a few trunks unpacked and became myself again for the first time since my journey. In Russia I missed the...
Princess Souvoroff came to see Maman. She has just married off her daughter, and she is still young and admirably beautiful. I showed her the house,...
Ricardo lunched here and I gave him the cigarettes, each one stamped with his name.
I have reread Rome. Where had I found so much audacity and so much roguery? I should like to strangle myself for having thrown myself into so dirty...
I have begun the portrait of Olga Anitchkoff, a ravishing creature of six, but horribly badly brought up. Still, she listens to me.
We returned the call on Mme Souvoroff and went to Mme de Ballore's and Mme de Wykersloovth's, who had come to us. Jeanne is at present with her...
Petty domestic troubles leave me disheartened.
I went to fetch Olga and, to make her pose properly, had to improvise fairy tales of a remarkable absurdity.
Mme Bonnin, daughter of Tamburini, sent us tickets for the requiem mass for [words crossed out] her father, and I went in a grand black toilette....
I went to church. The weather is so fine that I went for a walk after trying to skate while there was still no one there. On our way out we ran into...