Wednesday, 12 September 1883
This evening the priest having dined here, Bagnitsky arrives, then Madame Bogdanoff. That makes a fine cluster of Russians, and they gossip. I have never had the luck to hear Russians converse properly — all they permit themselves is tittle-tattle and then interminable stories about apartments, rents, servants, etc., etc.# Mercredi 12 septembre 1883
Madame Bogdanoff has come because people are saying that I am to marry General Fleury's son, and she wanted to find out whether it was true. They have invented that, no doubt, on account of our friendship with the Canroberts.
Mme Bogdanoff est venue parce que l'on dit que je me marie avec le fils du général Fleury pour savoir si c'est vrai. On a inventé cela probablement à cause de notre amitié avec les Canrobert.