Wednesday, 4 April 1877

Setting aside all gloomy thoughts, I rose at six in the morning, returned the ring to Maman, and having looked out at the sea and sky and the rising sun, I made my toilette while drumming on our neighbours' door — they were sleeping like two angels. The poor souls were furious, and every five minutes I reminded them that they must come out. If Bijou is not a fool, I thought, he will dress and come out as I have. Opening my door, who should I find? Marcuard. Marcuard is in love with Dina. What a charming man!
It is not for that love that I praise him — it is to do honour to the truth. I was exchanging a few morning pleasantries with him when Bijou appeared. I had been eager to see him again; it had seemed yesterday as though he would remain drunk for the rest of his days. We went out onto the balcony to look!
Temp'era del principio del matino ET Sol montava 'n su con quelle stelle Ch'eran con lui quando l'amor divino Mosse da prima quelle cose belle.
What expression in the world could better render the freshness, the serenity, the divine beauty of the scene before our eyes!
— Hoo! The fishermen! cried Larderei. Hoo, look — I should very much like to see that! Mademoiselle, come with me — will you come and see? Marcuard, are you coming? Well?

— Let's go, I said.

— Oh, it's too far, said Marcuard.

— Come, Mademoiselle, come with me.

— Let's go.

— You're staying, Marcuard?

— Yes, I'll stay.

— Let's go! we said in one voice.
And off we went, Larderei and I.

— How strange it is to know you! I said.

— Why is it strange?

— And to see you here, in the countryside, in the morning — I had thought you could only exist at the races and in cafés!
We crossed several streets searching for a way down. One could see the fishermen clearly from above, but from our hotel perched above the sea the descent seemed impossible — there was one, however, and by it we made our way down to the water. Larderei gave me his hand; our bare hands touched.
[End of entry — paragraph 9 has no text in source]

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Notes

In Italian in the original. Dante, Inferno I:37-40: "It was the beginning of the morning, and the Sun was mounting with those stars that were with him when Divine Love first set those beautiful things in motion."