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Wednesday, 19 March 1884
I found an orchard at Sèvres and did not return until about eight o'clock, very tired; the Pelikans and Bagnitsky are dining. Yesterday the ballot took place at the Circle of Russian Artists. I was elected unanimously. I do not think it is of great importance.# Mercredi 19 mars 1884
Claire saw a gentleman who had visited Bastien and found him very ill; the following day he met Bastien's doctor, who said: "In my view this man is very ill — but I do not believe it is rheumatism; he is ill there (tapping his stomach)." So he is truly ill — so I forgive... He left three or four days ago for Blida,1 accompanied by his mother.
Claire a vu un monsieur qui a été voir Bastien et qui l'a trouvé très malade, le lendemain il a rencontré son médecin qui a dit: pour moi cet homme est très malade, mais je ne crois pas aux rhumatismes, il est malade de là (en se tapant l'estomac). Alors il est vraiment malade, alors je pardonne... Il est parti depuis trois ou quatre jours pour Blida, accompagné de Madame sa mère.
But at this moment I am far more occupied with an anonymous correspondence with another man of talent. We are on the third letter, and if it stops I shall share them with you.
Mais je suis bien plus occupée en ce moment d'une correspondance anonyme avec un autre homme de talent. Nous en sommes à la troisième lettre et si ça cesse je vous les communiquerais.
Thursday, 20 March 1884
Jeudi 20 mars 1884
Notes
Blida: a town in French Algeria with a mild climate, used as a convalescent destination. Bastien-Lepage was in fact suffering from abdominal cancer, to which he would succumb in December 1884. ↩