Thursday, March 11, 1830

1830

March

Thursday 11

7 5/..

1

At my desk at 8 10/.. Fahrenheit 46° at 7 1/2 a.m. and rainy morning as yesterday –

Till 10 1/2, writing – Two and a half pages to π [Mariana], all wrote last night about Little Mariana curtailed into about one half, much more guarded, but still sufficiently candid and against π’s taking too much of the responsibility of the child’s education –

Mention to M- having taken 2 little rooms and a little kitchen about 6 feet square, rue du Jardin des Plantes, but beg her not to name it to anyone – 

‘Perhaps this will set you a little at ease as to your fanciful theory of my commonplace worldliness – Good society, or none but that of books and savans – 

Now perhaps I may quote, and laugh at, the following sentence of yours without running the fearful risk of your mistaking me – ‘My only fear is that you will become so wedded to the world, as to lose all relish for more rational and less exciting enjoyments’ – Now do laugh with me, and be pleased to say if was not a bad speculation of yours – 

Ignorance makes us fearful – I trust, you will have no occasion to find fault when you see me again – Think of this – Reflect upon it – Turn it in all ways, and surely you will find enough to satisfy you.  Tell me, in your next, whether you are satisfied or not’ –

Wrote the above of today –Breakfast at 10 40/.. in 20 minutes –

Brion came – all his carriages engaged – He must get one of a carrossier, and this will cost me 150 /.per month – advised me to see if I could not have my old wheels done up to last till the new are made – Went down with him to look at the carriage – He will go and speak to Daldringen, and see if the old wheels can be repaired –

Dressed – Went out at 12 10/.. Back at 5 1/4, – having gone to the bank and got for a £50 circular (Exchange 25/70) 1285/. including 2 napoleons I asked for –

Then called and sat an hour with Madame Droz – Then called on Mrs. Hamilton (not at home – did not leave a card), then called on Madame Cuvier and Mademoiselle Duvançel, and left my card (Madame Lister).  Then called and sat 1/4 hour with Madame Audoin to ask her to ask M. Audoin to get the floors of my rooms mis en couleur as soon as possible –

Then called at the de Noés – sat 10 minutes and took Mademoiselle de Noé to the bois de Boulogne – Usual drive – Spoke nothing but French – She always compliments me – says she knows no English person who speaks so well – Our conversation rather more animated than usual?  Laughed and told that a few days after our last conversation about my wanting a companion, I had mentioned to me a Lady Richwell, informed, musical, wanted to travel for a few years, no fault but speaking a little through her nose, coming to Paris probably next month – We talked over the oddity, happening so soon after our last conversation etc. etc. Paid her one or two little gentle compliments.  We are getting very good friends

Damp and raining a little.  Did not attempt to walk – Set down Mademoiselle de Noé at home – (she had given me the receipt for their good, excellent vinegar, and a handful of vétiver, Indian scented grass), and got home myself at 5 20/.. –

Brion came – My old wheels too bad to repair – To take up the carriage a little and use these new wheels that I have till the others are made –

Changed my dress – Dinner at 6 1/4 – Read, partly aloud, the whole newspaper as usual –

No. 2 sent me of ‘Le Feuilleton du Journaux Politiques’ a weekly Wednesday paper professing to be ‘le seul journal qui offre le prix réel des livres, ce qui produit un rabais d’au moins un quart sur les acquisitions annuelles”—Partly read it – Well enough pleased with it – Abonnement pour 6 mois, 11/. –

Le cours de M. Hugot, professeur d’histoire, à l’école des beaux arts, aura lieu le 11 mars à 2 heures après midi.  Les monuments de l’antiqueé seront l’objet du cours – I think I shall inquire about the cours – Sorry I did not know of it sooner –

Dinner at 6 1/4 – Came to my room at 8 – Dressed – Wrote a little of today – Nodded over it –

M. Normandin came at 9 5/.. instead of 8 3/4 – 3/4 hour dressing my hair – The large poppy in it, but lower and much better put in than when I dined at the embassy –

Coffee at 10 1/4 – off to the embassy at 9 25/.. – 1/2 hour dans le fil du voitures – and 1/2 hour waiting in the anteroom for my carriage on coming away – Home at 12 20/.. – So many arrivals at and after 12, the carriages could not get up to the door –

Did not see Lady Stuart till I had been there some time – She shook hands as usual – Came and sat by me on the ottoman a minute or 2, and was very civil – Said I should take 2 tickets for the charity ball (to be on the 18th at the Menus-Plaisirs French opera house), which she said was very good of me – Told me the King had given them, the Menus-Plaisirs, £500/.  Very handsome de la part de sa majesté –

With  the Poores the whole evening from the time of 1st seeing them – after I had been perhaps 10 minutes there – Walked round the rooms with Sir Edward – Promised to call for Miss Poore at 1 tomorrow –

Saw Captain and Mrs. Hall – Captain Brisbane, and Mr. Jones, Hamiltons, Henry Stuart etc. never once saw Mr. Charles Stuart – Very agreeable evening – Tho I had no great inclination for going, repeating to myself first line last verse of Horace ode 10 liber 2 – In rebus Augustis, etc. etc.  Made all haste to get into bed –

Fahrenheit 51° at 12 1/2 tonight – Rainy morning and damp and gentle rain more or less almost all the day –

Found little note on coming in from M. Dior, giving address of cheap furniture shop, rue Traversière No. 41 – The handwriting and note give one no idea but of a shopman –

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/13/0010