Tuesday, 20 July 1880

At Julian’s, with Villevieille to fetch the keys I forgot yesterday. That man encourages me greatly; I leave with a good impression. What is a relief is that Breslau no longer frightens me.
“The thing with her” (me), said Julian, “is that it is not painting, it is the object itself, and when she does not succeed, one sees all the same that the effort was aimed at that.”
Afterwards we go to see the Prix de Rome again... At four o’clock, she comes to say goodbye to me once more, and finally we leave. We arrived Monday at six in the morning at Clermont; I telegraph Amélie:
“Hasten to reassure you my health good. Embrace everyone, especially Rochefort. Long live the amnesty! Russ.”
And five minutes later this second one, to the same:
“Population of Clermont calm, reassure Palais Bourbon. Impossible to find carriage. No demonstration. Russ.”
At three o’clock, we arrive at Mont-Dore; it is six hours by carriage from Clermont to this dreadful Mont-Dore, but I prefer that to the railway. I telegraph Amélie again:
“Arrived Mont-Dore, feared demonstration but all is calm, scarcely a few cries of Long live the Republic. Auvergnats taking amnesty perfectly. Reassure Léon and Trompette. Greetings to Jules. Russ.”
We are badly lodged; everything is full. Dreadful cooking. It is only today, Tuesday, that I am getting a little used to it, especially because I have discovered interesting things for painting.
Madame Moreau (from the Mouzay establishment) is here with her daughter, who will serve as my model; I asked for her before discovering the picturesque things. I hope to have time for everything; I can stay five or six days longer.
But I brought only woollen dresses --- I had been advised to --- and it is so hot!