Sunday, 13 January 1878

Russian New Year. Blanc here through the night and all day.
Fresh telegrams from Nice.
The body will not leave for Nice until tomorrow.
It seems unbelievable... we speak of him as though he were alive — and for us he will never die...
Life is so short, so short! So short that it is not worth doing, for a single moment, things that give no pleasure.
I see myself at the Versailles station with the stationmaster, Cassagnac, and Paul — it was amusing...