Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff
CZENUKFR

Wednesday, 13 December 1882

The architect Bastien, who boasted the other evening of teaching me perspective, comes to give a lesson; Bojidar attends. But I grasp these things with extraordinary difficulty — it is like mathematics, which used to stupefy me and make me cry, since I wanted to force myself to master it. Everyone dines together, and Maman and I go to the Opéra with the Gavinis while the others go to the Gymnase.
At the Opéra — a great box, magnificent toilettes, Maman in all her diamonds. And I, still warm from reading Balzac, was searching for the Marquises d’Espard, the Rubemprés and the Rastignacs; and without looking far, Comte Plater and Comte de Solms seated behind me seemed close cousins of Lucien Chardon.
Immortal genius.

Notes

The Gymnase: the Théâtre du Gymnase-Dramatique on the boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle, one of the most fashionable Parisian theatres for lighter comedy and drama. ↩
The Marquise d’Espard, Lucien de Rubempré and Eugène de Rastignac: characters of Balzac’s Comédie humaine. ↩
Lucien Chardon (alias Lucien de Rubempré): the protagonist of Illusions perdues (1837–43) and Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes (1838–47), the handsome but weak provincial who is consumed by Parisian ambition. ↩