Saturday, 11 October 1879

I abandoned my head study in the middle of the week, consequently as Tony was passing from the large studio to the small one I hid myself behind the coats, but he saw me and addressed me with a friendly reproach and as I was replying he continued on his way shaking his head and looking at me, which meant that he was not looking ahead of him and went and flattened his nose against a door and I burst out laughing. So he was very cold in correcting my torso and said nothing good to me. Another time with the same canvas I would have had a little more success, so here I am unhappy, unhinged, offended, lost and if Julian had not comforted me a little with the composition I would have thrown myself on the ground in despair. Each Saturday costs me dearly in emotion... if the professors could suspect what torments I undergo they would not have the courage to say anything.
In my absence there were visitors, on returning there were still Gery and Gavini, a blond gentleman Bichinsky introduced us to a dark young man the Marquis de Tarente (son of Mac Donald Duke of Tarente). There is the first of the things predicted by the fortune-teller yesterday arrived.
By the way! I forget to tell you that yesterday I went to a card-reader and she divined a heap of things for me then she predicted to me that after many struggles I would marry an illustrious man who will give me a very great position, a man who has been dark and whose hair is whitening, of forty to fifty years. I myself think it is Gambetta all the more because she said that I do not yet know him and that I will not love him.
Then she said that if I occupy myself with art I will have the finest success one could imagine in the course of the year but that if I do not occupy myself with it these cards signify great and brilliant advantages of all kinds and that moreover I will have in my life an honorific, brilliant side which will not bring in money but honor, (to be compared with Edmond's prediction!) It appears that I must direct my aspirations toward ambition and never think of the heart which will often suffer while honors will pour in.
A widow must die in the household and I am moreover destined to lose many people. And finally that within forty-eight hours I would have a sharp vexation... I had it Saturday and that I will receive a letter which will give me great pleasure.