Sunday, January 27, 1827

1827

January

Sunday 7

7 5/60

1 1/2

very hard frost Fahrenheit       23 3/4 at 8 a.m.

rather thawed at night             32 at noon

                                                34 – 11 3/4 p.m.

In my room at 7 57/60 – Very cold this morning.  Stood or sat reading aloud to myself over the fire from 8 10/60 to 9 1/2 – Read from page 102 to 131, Montlosier’s Dénonciation –

From 9 1/2 to 12 (breakfast at 10 10/60), made out a list of all we should want in our new apartment and finished dressing – Looking over my accounts –

At 12 25/60, into the salon to read prayers – Read the epistle and gospel but left out the litany, and read no sermon, wishing to go soon to Quai Voltaire to ask Mrs. Barlow to come and dine with us and meet M. Sené in the evening –

Went out at 1 25/60 – Found Mrs. B- and Jane talking of going out – Walked with them in the gardens about 1/2 hour – On returning, Jane went to see her friend Adile, and Mrs. B- and I sat quietly tête-à-tête from 4 to 5 1/4, when she dressed and walked back with me –

Got here in 20 minutes at 6 5/60– Washed my hands and did my hair and dinner at 6 25/60 – Went into the drawing room at 8 3/4 –

All sitting cozily over the fire when M. Sené came at 9 – a well-informed, sensible man – A great amateur of music – Very civil and ready to do anything to oblige us to make the apartment comfortable – Of course, we had therefore little to say, but that we left the matter to him, quite sure that he would do all that was requisite ‘convenablement’ – We seemed mutually satisfied with each [other] – He very civilly asked Mrs. B- also to visit him at his campagne – Said his wife had a nice library there, which should be at my service – In short, no one could behave more handsomely –

He said he had been 10 years in the army – Entered du temps de la révolution pour sauver la tîle – 1 year ‘soldat’ – 9 years 'en militaire’ – An officer – Had served 3 campaigns, been in Switzerland, Italy, Holland, and 18 months or 12 prison in England –

Fond of travelling – On the return of Louis dixhuit (from England 1st landing), had taken his wife over to London for a month – 2 or 3 years hence, on finished his daughter’s education (now 14), would travel with her for 2 or 3 years –

Glad Mrs. Barlow had come – She looked well, and made a good help to conversation – Tea at 10 – M. Sené much amused with our plum cake – Did not like it at 1st, but afterwards said he got accustomed to it, and liked it better – He staid till 11, seeming well satisfied with his visit – He drank 3 of our small cups of tea with 4 lumps of sugar in each ! The first cup without cream – Afterwards took cream, and said the tea was very good, inquiring if we had brought it from England – It was Bertrand’s at 8 francs a pound –

I hope the taking this apartment will turn out a lucky hit – I feel glad of it at present – My aunt, too, well satisfied, ditto Mrs. B- – we wished my aunt good night at 11 20/60, and came to my room – Mrs. B- put on her things and went home in a fiacre at 11 40/60 – I then wrote out the washing bills for tomorrow – Made memoranda of today – Calculated what I should have to pay from this time to 1 April, when I am to pay 1/2 year’s rent – What with the old apartment and the new rent will be 3343/. say Linen etc. etc. 750/. George’s clothes 200/. McDonald’s quarter’s wages 96. 12 weeks housekeeping 1200/. ? = 5589/.  All this took me till 12 25/60 – then began to undress –

Very fine day – Hard frost till between 5 and 6 p.m.  Then began to rather thaw a little –

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/10/0042