Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff
CZENUKFR

Saturday, 24 January 1880

Our Saturdays are well attended. There are few absentees. Mme Pernety comes and says that Mme Gavini is ill, which means that abandoning Mme de Bailleul, Wodzinski, and Soutzo, whom we had kept for dinner, around nine o'clock in the evening with my aunt and Dina, Maman and I go to the rue d'Astorg. She is all alone, busy knitting a bedspread for Denis, very happy. That dear little woman. I was sure she would not leave me alone. We had to stay until Denis had returned from Rouher's, and then I learn that he (Gavini) has lunched at Plon-Plon's. Thereupon I have a fit of true enthusiasm, for I love this Prince and esteem him very adroit and altogether superior. And I point out that I was the first to rally to him, the little Prince being scarcely dead. "That does not prevent you from making escapades toward the Republic," the old man says to me. But no, and I shall make more, and everywhere I can take something I shall take it, and then if Plon-Plon dies I shall love his son, or another. And thereupon follies.
[Written across the page: Plon-Plon will not hear of Cassagnac, and Gavini has confessed that his latest articles in Le Pays are quite mad. So I am not alone in saying so.]
At lunch there were the Duke of Felbre, Baron Brunet, Gavini, Larlande, Roy de Laulai, and two others, and the Prince; that makes eight.
Afterwards I rush to see if de Daillens is sufficiently recovered to go to the Opera ball. Alas, no. I am furious this evening. By the way, the Count de Rouzat (introduced at the soiree, ugly, 60,000 or 100,000 francs of income, very good family and perfectly received in the best, the most exclusive houses, but a little ridiculous and a friend of the most illustrious, most grand, most handsome, and most magnificent Arnaud, lord of the Ariege) relates that Arnaud had at old Madame Adam's an oriental costume that cost 15,000 francs, not including jewels. It had been brought from Constantinople, marvellous fabrics. And Coquelin had one even finer.
These two aristocrats at the end of the ball lay down on the floor and seized the ladies by the feet. Perhaps it is merely gossip! And besides, in private! I am anxious to know whether Hecht has said horrors about us to Juliette Lamber at her last Wednesday...