Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff
CZENUKFR

Sunday, 2 September 1877

Life loses something out of Rome. It is only her that each day holds for us two spent thousand years.

In English in the original.
How do free people whom no one compels go and spend a day in Pissbaden — that is, Wiesbaden?
And yet we go — to see the most ridiculous people in the world celebrate the defeat of the most elegant. I was sleepy and took black coffee from time to time, like Alexandre.
(I write and snore to take revenge on my neighbour, who made a devilish racket with his nose last night; when I am tired I have Rosalie snore.)
Many officers bow; the Liemans are looking after Maman, Mme Lieman being ill. One of the introduced gentlemen, named Orth, was with us; Chemisot had left after boring us for three long hours.
I was fairly tranquil, the little Lieman girls being taken off in turn by Mme Gerbel and her four daughters, who belong to the Countess of Merenberg's circle; the two eldest Gerbel girls are ladies-in-waiting to our Empress. Lautrec talks of them a great deal; they are plain, and somewhat related to him. Lautrec is of course with us always and at all times.
They talked of Italy; Maman asked Orth which part of Italy he had seen:
"Florence," he replied.
"Do you know the Countess of Larderei?" I asked — to say the maddest possible thing.
"Oh, yes! Certainly," cried Orth.
"And do you also know her children?" I continued, drinking black coffee.
"Zeulement un, lé zégonde." [Only one, the second.]
Alexandre?!
"Brécisément Alexandre!" [Precisely Alexandre!]
I was seized with such uncontrollable laughter that I set down my cup on the table, I blushed, and concealed not at all that I was experiencing an agreeable surprise. The movement was caught at once, and those kind little German women and the fair Orth — that cockroach (pardon the expression) — teased me innocently until our departure about ALEXANDRE.
Orth told us various things about Larderei, and also that he had heard about the duel, etc., from young men at the Italian embassy in Berlin.
He added further that the Count of Larderei is handsome and very rich, and that his extravagances and his recent duel have made a great stir.
You understand what effect that had on me. And I believe it is truly thanks to that that I found the rest of the celebration charming, the Germans more agreeable, and the music mit Trompeten attractive. The fireworks almost enchanted me, because the Gerbels were at my side (Lautrec had, ten minutes before, introduced Dina to them) and they made all sorts of friendly advances toward me, so that I was amiable, and by the last rocket everyone was at ease.
We shook hands on parting like real acquaintances.
Chemisot introduces his daughters, of whom the eldest, married, is a Berlin beauty. These devil of German names...
During the journey from Wiesbaden to Schweinbad we spoke of Alexandre, and I said something true in reply to Maman, who was recounting the free and mad ways of this tyer of knots.
"Alexandre," I said, "arrived in Naples softly softly, as the Russians say. He was so quiet (compared to yourselves, always) and so unsure of himself that he wrote to me asking when... 'I know you are in Naples, but when shall I be admitted to your kingdom...' and then all of that... But you! Ah, God, when I think of it! You snatch his pigeon out from under him, you invite him, you fuss over him, you call him 'my child,' you adore him! Oh! If you had held out for at least two weeks, things... would have been entirely different. I do not say this to prolong the conversation and joke — but because it is true, and you know it perfectly well!"
When shall I be able to kiss the earth of Rome!