General Bihovetz

Overview

A Polish general in the Bashkirtseffs' Nice circle. The Mon Journal t.10 index has «Bihovetz (Général Polonais), 14, 125, 173, 177, 188, 199-200, 203, 205, 207, 214, 220, 237». Not further identified; the spelling is Marie's (the Mon Journal indexes also print «Bihovtez»). Marie nicknames him «Bibi» (t.6 and t.8 indexes list «Bihovetz, général [Bibi]»; confirmed in the diary: «notre scie à Nice avec Bihovetz, dit le général Bibi», 086.0227, 8 Sept 1879). Note that the Mon Journal t.6 index gives the same nickname to Olga Sapogenikoff, and in 047.0288 «Bibi» is Marie herself, so a bare «Bibi» must be read in context (062.0131, 062.0165 are him).

Relevance to Marie

First sighting 27 October 1874: «elle nous a présenté le général de l'état général Bihovetz, un Polonais qui lui a fait la cour» (025.0003; the «elle» is the Mme «Ange» of the entry, whom he then escorts, 025.0108). On 16 November 1874 he lunches with the family together with Mme Daniloff (025.0252). He appears in the diary until 1880, mostly in Nice: he dines with the family, walks them along the Promenade, takes them to the music (050/1875-12-01). He also reads cards for Marie, and she half believes him: «O Bihovetz ! faut-il donc croire les cartes !» and «Voilà la lettre froissante annoncée par Bihovetz arrivée» (062/1876-06-24). In Naples on 19 April 1877 she copies «le résumé des cartes tirées par Bihovetz» into the diary (070.0701–0721) and notes that he has guessed a plan known only to Rosalie and herself.

References in Diary

174 paragraphs tagged, from 025.0003 (27 Oct 1874) to 089.0228 (24 July 1880, where he and Barnola are «deux musiciens… ravis de ma voix»); densest in carnets 062 (June 1876, the cards and the prediction), 068 (winter 1876–77, Skating, Courses, dinners) and 071–072 (May–June 1877, Nice). Other facts from the tagged paragraphs: he is godfather to a black child of a Russian woman, with Marie as godmother (067.1455, 7 Dec 1876); he is 'amoureux… Il ne peut pas vivre sans amour… pur, l'impur, il le trouve à Monaco' (071.0365); on 15 June 1877 Marie, disguised, overhears how he remembers having met her at the Rostowzeffs' in Petersburg (072.0059); in 1879 he advises on the Tutcheff affair (084.0350–0355) and sends dispatches on news of a death (077.0181). Which paragraphs in 086.0227/089.0228 are him: both name him explicitly.