Friday, 7 March 1879

Collignon, back from visiting her parents, came to see us; I kept her the whole day and talked the whole time — one must make up for lost time. Only there was my aunt who also wanted to talk, and who makes errors at every moment, saying "le" for "la" and then adding apostrophes where there should be none, and then showing herself ill-tempered when speaking of the Howards, one of whom is marrying. That irritated me a little.
Paul says he could barely recognize Cassagnac, so much has he aged — and Rosalie says she likes him better now. And why? "Because he no longer has that insolent gaze, that looking-down-at-people which gave him such a hateful air."
I would be curious to see this destruction — it would finish making him pass from my mind.