Diary of Marie Bashkirtseff
CZENUKFR

Monday, 4 August 1884

Opening of the Congress — I am not sorry to make my entrance in such illustrious company.
The Marshal is much surrounded. We have good seats on the right, the same as five years ago at the last Congress. The Marshal's wife, Claire and I.
It was not expected — and the session was very stormy.
Things perhaps never seen before at the tribune.
Jules Ferry wished to speak; the right and the far left were howling to prevent him when M. Andrieux arrived at the tribune face to face with Ferry, looking so menacing that Ferry must have been frightened.
But as both were there, Langlois came to hang onto the railing; the president covered himself and as Jules Ferry was descending from the tribune, Andrieux, with a small cocky air, took his glass of water and drained it as if drinking to the health of the Chamber.
This boyish prank produced a very comical effect, and while he leaned at the back of the tribune with his legs crossed, Langlois bellowed from the front — but the Chamber bellowed louder.
Very amusing, all of it — but what a melancholy spectacle. It is the monarchists who are the most infamous.
Prince Napoleon has published a manifesto — this man has my full sympathy; he does not speak of rights... And here, besides, are both the manifesto and the proceedings of the session.
I leave tomorrow at 11.
There is something in Claire's manner that irritates me — the poor girl has perhaps her own preoccupations, but I always claim everything as being about me.
These people are charming to me, but I have had enough of them.
They write from Paris that Bastien is so ill that they despair of saving him.
Yes, and besides I am very irritable, and there is always a certain constraint with strangers. Sometimes the large white hands and black curly hair of the Marshal's wife irritate me... and Louis's pranks, and Claire's too long and too slender waist, and Marcel's dull expression. The Marshal alone is always agreeable and admirable.

Notes

The joint session of the Chamber of Deputies and Senate meeting at Versailles on 4 August 1884 to debate the constitutional revision under Jules Ferry's government. ↩
Parliamentary procedure: when the session president puts on his hat it signals suspension of the proceedings. ↩