that seven whole weeks had passed since I had written a single word
in my poor diary.

This day certainly deserves to be noted down, for never since I was born
did such a thing happen to me as I experienced this morning. I received
a letter by the mail, and the world is no longer ignorant that the
Countess Frances Krasinska is now living in Warsaw! I danced with joy
when I saw my letter, my own letter! It came from her ladyship, the
Starostine Swidzinska; I shall keep it as a precious and delightful
remembrance. My sister writes to me that she is quite well, and happy
beyond all I can imagine; she was kind enough to send me four gold
ducats, which she has saved from her own private purse.

For the first time in my life I have money to spend as I will, which
gives me great pleasure. With the money came the desire to spend, and a
variety of projects; it seemed to me as if I could buy the whole city.

Thanks to my parents, I need nothing, and I will buy nothing for myself;
but I would have liked to leave a pretty remembrance to each of my
companions, a gold ring, for example; but madame quite distressed me by
telling me that my four ducats would only buy four rings-a real
affliction to me, who had hope to purchase, besides the rings, a blonde
mantle for Madame Strumle herself.... All my projects are overturned; I
have learned that the mantle will cost at least a hundred ducats, and
have thence determined to give one ducat to the parish church, to have a
mass said in the chapel of Jesus to draw the blessing of Heaven upon the
affairs now occupying my parents, and for the continuation of the
happiness of her ladyship the starostine. I will have another ducat
changed into small coin, to be distributed among all the servants in the
house; there will still remain two ducats, which will buy a charming
collation for my companions on Sunday next. We will have coffee, an
excellent beverage, which we never see here, cakes, and fruit. Madame
Strumle willingly consented to this last project.

May God reward my dear starostine for the happiness she has bestowed
upon me! There can be no greater pleasure than that of making presents
and regaling one's friends. If I am anxious to have a husband richer
than I am myself, it is solely that I may be very generous.

I am not losing my time; I improve daily. I can already play several
minuets and cotillons from the notes, and will soon learn a polonaise.
The most fashionable one just now ha