Today we are going out — to the Gavinis', the Jides', the Fitz-Jameses', Etincelle's, etc.

Mme de Bailleul dines here and very nearly settles our uncertainties about the cancellation letters.

The author of them would be Mme Mackay — not the enormously wealthy one — Mackay-Bastien.

And here is why. All those society ladies — Cartwright and the rest — were put off; we had not invited them this year, and other people from last year also not invited this year were equally put off, and then our best-known friends.

It is above all the names of the ladies in the circle of these dubious American women — not invited yet put off — that make one believe it, because last year we had invited Cartwright, the Comtesse de Bari, and Bargigli.

La Bari is the legitimate wife of the brother of the King of Naples, but a former opera chorus girl and... As for Cartwright, I had invited her but intended to put her off somehow so as not to make an enemy of her... But I am recounting all this with a concierge's prolixity. In any case, what confirms these suspicions is that at Mme de Bari's, in front of Mme de Bailleul, it was said that this Mackay is furious and jealous, that Bastien spoke in flattering terms of Mlle Bashkirtseff and goes there a great deal, and that she had better watch out — for Mackay is a very wicked woman capable of anything, and she considers me very dangerous... And she is attached to her Bastien. And in front of several people she said with spite that this evening would be a failure and that nobody would come. In short, now I have a whole Bastien business on my hands. This idiot Bastien said — or so people say — that he finds me gifted, charming... What do I know. Some infamy will be invented from it. In the meantime it amuses me enormously.

That woman must be called Stéphanie.

The idea that he has had domestic scenes on my account — it is very droll. Are we not innocent enough, good Lord? The heavens are not more pure... But Stéphanie is attached to her Bastien; she is right to be attached to him, but she is wrong to fear me — for I am far too ambitious to content myself with this great talent...

Cartwright is depraved but good-natured, while Stéphanie is dreadfully wicked and of the most vile morality... She is a dreadful woman... Men have said as much to Maman...

In any case, it amuses me.