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Saturday, 19 May 1877
I went to swell the numbers at the Skating rink, very elegantly dressed. Dina was skating with Lise, and I watched them with Collignon. That was the entire attendance. Audiffret came in, looked all round at the empty benches and came and sat beside me. I am polite to him while continuing not to notice him, which he does not like at all in front of Laurenti and Sommier, and he leaves before they do.Samedi 19 mai 1877
Poor man, I feel like a queen with him, one hardly knows why.
Pauvre homme, je me sens reine avec lui, on ne sait trop pourquoi.
Some kind souls came to warn Rosalie that we would leave her in the lurch and that she would do well to leave us; she came to tell me, all in tears, that she was going. I found out the reason — I do not know how, for she would not tell it — and having found it out, I called her a good-for-nothing and an idiot and told her she could go and serve whomever she liked from tomorrow on, that I had no need of a wretched hussy like her.
De bonnes âmes sont venues prévenir Rosalie que nous la planterions là et qu’elle ferait bien de nous quitter, elle vint me dire tout en larmes qu’elle partait, j’ai, je ne sais comment su la raison car elle ne voulait pas la dire, et l’ayant su, je l’ai traité de vaurienne et d’idiote et lui ai dit qu’elle pouvait aller servir qui elle voulait dès demain, que je n’avais pas besoin d’une fichue-coquine comme elle.
— What! You listen to people in the street and you dare to believe them in spite of what I say! Since I am satisfied with you, and you are satisfied with me — what the devil!
- Comment ! Vous écoutez des gens dans la rue et vous osez les croire en dépit de ce que je dis ! Puisque je suis contente de vous, puisque vous êtes contente de moi que diable !
Reassured in this way, she stays, and brings me a letter from Little Charles which, among other things, asks her for news of me as always, where we are going and when, and then whether we have had any news of Monsieur the Count. One supposes the people at No. 19 want to know whether we are corresponding.
Rassurée de la sorte, elle reste et m’apporte une lettre du Petit-Charles qui entre autres, lui demande de mes nouvelles comme toujours, où nous allons et quand, et puis si on n’a pas eu de nouvelles de Monsieur le comte. On suppose que les gens du 19 désirent savoir si nous correspondons.
In the evening I had Alexandre’s coffin carried out into the garden and charmed the ears of the passers-by. Alexandre’s coffin is my mandoline case.
Le soir, j’ai fait porter au jardin le cercueil d’Alexandre et j’ai charmé les oreilles des passants. Le cercueil d’Alexandre, c’est la boîte de ma mandoline.
What I lacked was the ability to play an instrument like this one. The piano displeases me unless it is something fabulous.
Il me manquait de savoir jouer d’un instrument comme celui-ci. Le piano me déplaît à moins d’être quelque chose de fabuleux.
I dreamt that Alexandre told me his mother had lived with Marcuard’s father.
J’ai rêvé qu’Alexandre me disait que sa mère avait vécu avec le père de Marcuard.