Saturday, 28 February 1880

Flowers were sent from Nice to the Queen, and today we receive her card:
“Queen Isabella II of Spain to Mme and Mlle de Bashkirtseff with her thanks for the lovely bouquets.”
Crowds of people: Mme de Bailleul introduces MM. d’Astafard and de Bouteiller. Wodzinski introduces a Turkish embassy secretary. Mmes Gavini, Poitrineau, Tchoumakoff, Berthe, Cerny, Balagny, Mlle de Villevielle, MM. de Rouzat, Soutzo, Lahovari, Turquan, etc., etc. Saint-Amand too. We chat a little, and he leaves, kissing my hand: “Farewell, exceptional nature.”
Then Courtès, and then I forget who else; in short, they came in droves.
Five of them stay on to dinner.
Julian did not come, and I cannot begin to paint without advice from him, or from Tony, to whom I have not dared say anything.
They say that Cassagnac had relations with his wife before the marriage and felt obliged to marry her. It is Soutzo who tells this. Their families have been linked for a very long time; since old Cassagnac died (six weeks ago), the family is very unhappy, especially his sisters-in-law, and so there is talk of the Mlles Soutzo leaving their sister Mme de Werbrank to go and live with Mlle de Beauvallon (Paul’s aunt), who is without resources.
Soutzo gave me a Renaissance shovel and tongs and a subscription to Clemenceau’s La Justice.
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