Thursday, 26 December 1878
Yesterday at supper my mother infuriated me again. She pretended to believe a reconciliation possible.
Hier en soupant ma mère m'a encore fait enrager. Elle a fait semblant de croire une réconciliation possible.
She lets herself be taken in by this gentleman's lies — his plan is perfectly clear. He is getting old, he is ruined, he is bored! He hopes to recover a certain elegance by regularizing his life, and to have his family there — beautiful and elegant — who will cost him nothing, do him honor, and amuse him.
Elle se laisse prendre aux mensonges de ce monsieur, son plan est bien clair. Il se fait vieux, il est ruiné, il s'ennuie ! Il espère retrouvé un *certain chic* en régularisant sa vie et avoir là sa famille, belle et élégante qui ne lui coûtera rien, lui fera honneur et l'amusera.