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Thursday, 16 August 1877

So that is what the learned Church of Rome can do for me! Never mind — Rossi is quite stupid enough; he could have given me news of those I inquired after, and of others as well.

Voilà ce que l'église savante de Rome peut pour moi ! C'est égal il est assez bête Rossi, il aurait pu me donner des nouvelles de ceux dont je me suis informée et d'autres aussi.

At nine in the morning Hall literally dragged me out on horseback, but as we were given animals with hard mouths — hard as Alexandre's heart toward me — the ride lasted no more than twenty minutes.

A neuf heures du matin, Hall m'a emmenée vraiment de force à cheval, mais étant donné des bêtes avec des bouches dures, dures comme le cœur d'Alexandre pour moi, la promenade n'a pas duré plus de vingt minutes.

But now I learn "something new and atrocious," like the monks of Cimiez.¹

Mais voilà que j'apprends "du nouveau et de l'atroce" comme les moines de Cimiez.

The Baron de Mertens is paying court to Hall — seriously. He touched her knee at table yesterday, and at night, as she was about to enter her room, he was waiting at her door, took her in his arms, and kissed her on the cheek. He was in his dressing gown! The little one told me of it:

Le baron de Mertens fait la cour à Hall, et sérieusement. Il lui a touché le genou hier sous la table et la nuit comme elle allait entrer chez elle, il l'attendait à sa porte, la prit dans ses bras et l'embrassa sur la joue. Il était en robe de chambre ! La petite me l'a raconté:

-Because it is so awful; and you are my friend, and it is so much better to have some one to whom tell such a dreadful insult.²

- Because it is so awful; and you are my friend, and it is so much better to have some one to whom tell such a dreadful insult.

Having nothing to do with myself like an old grandmother, I naturally take a lively interest in the matter. Rosalie had already given me to understand that Hall had a detestable reputation because of this and that and the other, from which it follows clear as day that the baron is her lover. I laughed till I nearly burst, and having gathered almost immediately various pieces of information about the baroness — before her second marriage, etc. — I set about painting Antoinette while giving advice to Hall, who did not leave me all day. How fine this work is... and the gossip! No, the poor child! I spoke to her with sufficient bluntness, but as I did it for her good she did not take offence and told me that one never understood me at first; that one took me for a flirt, a frivolous, empty girl, concerned with herself and her dresses, but that... etc. etc... Tante grazie.^grazie

N'ayant rien à faire avec moi comme une vieille grand-mère, je prends naturellement un vif intérêt à la chose. Rosalie m'a déjà fait entendre que Hall avait une détestable réputation parce que ça et si et autre chose d'où l'on conclut clair comme le jour que le baron est son amant. J'ai ri comme une bossue et ayant recueilli presque immédiatement divers renseignements sur la baronne -avant le second mariage, etc. je me mis à peindre Antoinette tout en donnant des conseils à Hall qui ne m'a pas quittée de la journée. Que c'est beau ce travail... et les cancans ! Non, cette pauvre enfant ! Je lui ai parlé avec assez de brutalité mais comme je le faisais pour son bien elle ne se fâcha pas et me dit qu'on ne me comprenait jamais d'abord; qu'on me prenait pour une flirt, une fille frivole et vide, occupée d'elle et de ces robes, mais que... etc. etc... Tante grazie.

The baron has written to ask forgiveness! "That old piece of furniture!" as Rosalie says — "that old piece of furniture, what is he thinking!" Poor child, she was so imprudent — but who in the world could have foreseen it!

Le baron lui a écrit pour demander pardon ! Ce vieux meuble ! comme dit Rosalie ! ce vieux meuble, que pense-t-il donc ! Cette pauvre enfant était si imprudente, mais qui au monde pouvait prévoir !

Just think — he told her to open her door to him at night.

Pensez seulement qu'il lui a dit de lui ouvrir sa porte la nuit.

Notes

The monks of Cimiez: a Franciscan monastery in the Cimiez quarter of Nice; the allusion is to their reputed appetite for news and gossip. ↩

In English in the original. ↩

In Italian in the original — "Many thanks." ↩

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