en one hasn't an income of at least
300,000 francs!

I have a dozen gowns made, a few hats, and stop there! It's absurd;
one ought not to be embarrassed by such things. Oh, money, money! I
must have it; I'll take any husband, if he will give it to me.

"And she has such ideas at fifteen," said my aunt.

"Yes, Aunt; not at fifteen; since I was thirteen--always."

"You are crazy," replied my aunt.

"I think so, too, but what is to be done?"

"If you don't sleep for ten nights wealth will not arrive any the
more; come, go to bed; it's heartrending, heartrending."

"Madame, I must be married!"

"To E----? No, indeed, he doesn't suit me."

I have written a lot of nonsense this evening; my ideas are very
much confused, and the novel especially. And every time I talked
seriously, my aunt was alarmed. Whenever I laughed, she laughed
too.

Saturday, November 20th, 1875.

For three hours everything in the house has been in a state of
revolution, but all the flames were extinguished in a business
interview with D----. With pride and confidence I assure myself that
I am the wise head of the household. I believe that this time all
the difficulties are smoothed, unless the matter is upset when I am
no longer here.

Sunday, November 21st, 1875.

I want to return to Nice, the longer I stay here, the longer my
departure for Rome is delayed. I spend my time in complaining; my
aunt says I am crazy. I laugh, and so does she. Life is full of
interest.

Monday, November 22nd, 1875.

We went to my beautifiers, and also to B----'s. To-morrow we shall
decide upon the carriages. Then I went to see B----, with whom I
always keep up a correspondence. I spent an hour with her; we are
not intimate friends, like young girls, we are mere acquaintances.

We received a letter from Mamma, with a clipping from a newspaper in
which the opening of the opera at Nice was described, and a number
of complimentary things said about us. So people are interested in
me, but let us pass on. Mamma has been to the opera again, there was
some mistake about the box, and old A---- came to give her a box by
the side of his. Everybody came to see her--he was with Dina and
O----. Everybody enquired for us except G----.

While reading this letter I committed a thousand extravagances, to
the amazement of my aunt. Instantly taking a sheet of paper I wrote,
disguising my hand, a letter to A---- D----.

"Sir, here is a recent and true story from wh