Sunday, 31 August 1879

Yesterday we went to Pourville and when one goes to Pourville one has lunch there and then one goes to lie on the pebbles and throw them at each other's heads. Dina spoiled the outing for me by making a thousand flirtatious provocations to Hecht and to the others, I no longer knew what to say, she fluttered about and made such impudent eyes at the men that I was embarrassed and at the same time vexed to see the men going her way, but this did not make me precisely jealous, it seems to me that I would want nothing at the price of so many languorous and absolutely shameless glances, not to say a word I cannot find. She is a good child but when she gets going one must hide under the table. I am foolish to the point of being ashamed for others.
This evening at table d'hote she became so frisky that she threw a piece of bread at Da Costa's head. It is fortunate she does not drink anything, otherwise one would say improper things. I told her all this rather harshly, for Hecht and the others know us little and might think God knows what.
It is the same with Blanc too, she copies me literally and then introduces variations of doubtful taste and in a style that strikes me as a badly printed book, which wounds and grieves me. It is her mother's blood, who amused herself as much as she could and passed on to her that vulgar outburst she has in her gaiety. Already she lost Marcuard by disgusting him with these manners.
They say she is sweet and calm but certain things in her eyes and thick lips denote many things. I like her well when she is calm, I would wish to see her coquettish and nice and surrounded, but when she is so to speak inspired she drives me out of my mind and horrifies me like streetwalkers. Our little society hardly separates, I had a piano brought to my room and Hecht makes music for us, in the evening we went to the casino where I recovered a little wit and today I made a small portrait of Hecht and we talked and laughed. This Jew flatters me greatly, I am astonishing, profound, what else do I know. He seems to take pleasure in my speeches and thank heaven I was not crazy as I was before Cassagnac, I wanted to be interesting. Blanc says I have gained 50 percent in wisdom and that I am no less extraordinary: she is good now says the illustrious waltzer. Do you know that he waltzes really well, I danced with him at the ball.