| Description | [Diary Transcription]
24
1826
November
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best particularly the turquoise perhaps by candle light the emeralds would be best — last and best the crown reset expressly for
Charles X — no stones but diamonds and sapphires, blue being the colour of France — 8 radii instead of 6, as I think they said,
there used to be, and as there are in the English crown — the magnificent Regent diamond surmounts the whole, and crowns the crown —
this alone is valued at twelve millions of francs (weighs 380 grains), and all its humbler fellow gems are
altogether only valued at 3 millions of francs i.e. the crown is valued at 15,000,000 francs (or Exchange at par) £625000
of which the regent diamond is worth four-fifths or £500,000 — They cried up the great superiority of the French crown over ours —
I have not seen ours — know nothing about it — nor how rich our king is in such costly bijoux — one of the pearls
was as large as a sparrow’s egg — what misery to the poor oyster that produced it! It is oddly enough observed by
Soame Jenyns, may there not be a race of beings superior to us in some way benefitted by our sufferings
as we are benefitted by the sufferings of beings inferior to us? Never uttered while seeing all these fine things —
bowed myself in and out — held my handkerchief to my mouth after the hot stoved air of the rooms, and got home at 2 1/4—
Went out again at 2 25/60 — took a turn on the Terrasse d’eau in the faint hope of meeting Mrs. Barlow — then finding it in vain, went to to the shop (rue St. Honoré 371 Baurens, vide the 2nd instant) where I saw such good sugar
at 26 sols — the shopman shewed me quite different — sent for the master — shewed him his own sample — said
he had no more such at that price — c’est augmenté [it is increased] — at last he owned that people were sometimes willing to make
a little sacrifice for the sake of gaining the custom of the house, but it was long since I had been there a week or
fortnight — no! no! said I not so long as that, and walked off, saying to myself when you see thing that you approve
(and the use of knowledge is to know at the moment whether the thing is worth approval or not) never delay — strike
while the iron is hot — Went to some other shops — could find no sugar so good at even 28 sols — ’twas a wrong
hour of the day — try again, before breakfast — got home at 3 3/4 wrote all but the 1st five lines of today, and had just
got so far at 4 3/4 when George said Mrs. and Miss Barlow were come — their visit was to be to my aunt — had desired to see
Mrs. Barlow here just before she goes for I am busy — Settled my accounts — Mrs. Barlow came to me for a few minutes
at a little past 5 — Told her I had been in the gardens but could not find her there — Jane, too, came for a minute or 2, to ask
me how I was — her 16th birthday today — Took Mrs. Barlow round the waist kissed her rather warmly which she tried to put
off saying better now and not so easily managed she will take it quietly enough by and by Dinner at 6 10/60 ~ Expected
the porter’s wife — her daughter came at 8 to say her mother was obliged to go out, but had sent the bill as I wished, for the last
month’s hire of our apartment and carriage stand which I paid — from 8 1/2 to 10 1/4 wrote 1 1/2 ppages very small and close to M- [Mariana] — a sort of summary of the fortnight, and mentioning my having been unwell (now nearly recovered) and nursed by Mrs. Barlow
Very fine day — went to my room at 10 25/60 o. ~
[margin text:] Fahrenheit 51°. at 10a.m.
ditto — 6 p.m.
52° — 10 1/2 —
Friday 10
8 1/4
11 35/60
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Slept well till 6 — my throat much better the stine on my eye that gave notice of approach yesterday painful this morning —
Came to my salon at 9 — skimmed over Galignani’s Messenger — Sat down at my desk at 9 1/2 — from then to 12 40/60
(breakfast at 10 3/4 and skimmed over Galignani all which took me 3/4 hour) wrote the latter 1/2 page 2, page 3. and the ends, and under the seal,
all very small and close, and finished my letter to M- [Mariana] — said I had forgotten what calculation I had given her of Mrs. Ackers’s
account, but that the money M- [Mariana] paid me at the hotel de Londres (Boulogne) was right — I had paid Madame Contant right and all would
be set right when I regularly booked M-’s [Mariana] account — only hoped she would have enough for herself — whenever she wanted money to tell me, and I would contrive for her to have it meaning if she wanted to come to me — gave an excellent account of my aunt — She ate well, slept well, was
quite well in her bowels — had more strength in her limbs — she herself said she was so much better it was ‘quite a resurrection
to her’ — She looked quite rosy — and it was a healthy colour — in fact she was literally very well — likely enough to live
these dozen years — but bade M- [Mariana] not mention this (till I gave her leave) so that it could come round to the Norcliffes; for though my
aunt was not so well when I wrote to Mrs. Norcliffe, I had not made the best of things for fear IN [Isabella Norcliffe] should never dream my aunt would
assuredly be too weak and unwell to be able to receive her next spring — mention Mrs. Barlow’s having nursed me — done me great
[margin text:] Fahrenheit 51° at 9 a.m.
—— 2 1/4 p.m.
—— 6 —
50° — 10 1/4 —
25
1826
November
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service on Tuesday and Wednesday — that I understood my aunt had told her her coming was quite a Godsend; and we were all
quite harmonious — She had explained how she called everyday to inquire after my aunt during my absence and to know if she could
do anything for her, but that she could not, of course, come up to see her, because I had not desired her, and had besides said she
was so weak she could not always bear me in the room and the sound of the voice of a friend of ours had quite disturbed
her — She and Jane called the day after this explanation, and my aunt was made satisfied — M- [Mariana] knew how I had
left Mrs. Barlow one day in a huff — she had taken the hint, and never since annoyed me in any way — Now she I
was not pothered, I liked very well to walk with them now and then — Mrs. Barlow had again told me, she never meant
to call M- [Mariana] ugly, she was far from being so, but that, after all all she heard me say, she did not think her
so pretty as she expected — She knew she had behaved very foolishly on our arrival — was sorry for it — could not
help it — was taken by surprise — scarce knew what she was about — for my own I really could not make her out —
often thought of what M- [Mariana] had told me of her mother, and thought she must have been a little like her — She had
been more ill than I thought — had lived on almost air these 2 months — but was now better — She was taking nitric
acid which had been of great service to her — she said I should always have plenty of friends — was in a situation of life to
make them and was too agreeable — her aunt had found fault with her for her weakness — she had read merely a few passages
from some of my letters, and she had never said another word — I thought now that we understood each other we should go on
well — at all rates, begged M- [Mariana] to have no uneasiness on my account — my mind was made up — I would do what she wished — she could not
doubt my regard — it was in her power to proof it when she chose ~ meaning in her power to come
to me when she chose all which she would surely understand as well as ssome other passages equally unintell
igible to all but her the letter ought to satisfy her whatever Mrs. Barlow may be to me it will not injure π [Mariana]
in my serious regard and at all rates when she comes to me I will be constant and contrive to get out of Mrs.
Barlow’s way I wonder what [π [Mariana]] will say to my letter poor soul she is right about Mrs. Barlow and will be always and naturally
suspicious I must mind what I am about and by seeming to have no disguise leave her no room to think
of any ~ Read over my letter to M- [Mariana] (though I had told her I could not having stine on my eye wrote with difficulty all
along and could see no longer) did my eye no good by it — and sent it off to the great post office at 1 10/60 — It took
me above 20 minutes reading over — with regard to the day I wished to receive her letters left her to choose, but asked if Saturday would not be a good day — I could then answer immediately if required — If she had heard more from Miss Fletcher
desire her to tell her from my aunt and me with our best compliments, my aunt is so marvelously recovered as to astonish us both —
Finished dressing — wrote all the above of today all which took me till 3 — from then till 6 looking over our
housekeeping accounts, and making [illegible] summaries of the 2 weeks beginning 17 September last — my eye painful, and much swollen
about the lid, and red, and feverish = bathed it with hot water — Dinner at 6 3/4 — the porter’s wife came about 8, and staid till
10 5/60 — Came to my room at 10 10/60 — Fine day, but rather gloomy this afternoon, and a little gentle damp or rain before dinner rainy evening and raining heavily at
10 1/2 at night. o. ~
Saturday 11
7 35/60
11 20/60
better this morning except as to my eye — in my salon at 8 1/2 — had a fire, for the 1st time, except the few minutes as it were
on Wednesday — Should not have had it but for airing things to be ready which are too damp to do with being thrown
over my bed ~ making up my fire and finishing dressing took me till 9 1/2 then till 12 1/4 (breakfast at 10 1/4 ) reading
Galignani of this morning, and the conclusion of Bligh v Wellesley criminal conviction in Tuesday’s paper and skimming over Wednesday’s paper —
and wrote and sent about 11 1/4 a note to Mrs. Barlow to say I could not get out perhaps for some days on account of inflammation in my eye
I should be glad to see her here when time and skies seemed willing she should come (very rainy this morning and great deal of rain during
last night) — asked her to tell me if she could without trouble order us a sack of charcoal so that we should have it today or tomorrow
at 12 1/2 note from Mrs. Barlow who, it seems was confined to her bed yesterday with a cold, suffering much from pains in her bones, and head —
yet she is ‘so much better that no doubt I shall see you tomorrow — I have ordered you a sack of charcoal’ — Cut my nails ~
[margin text:] Fahrenheit 52°. at 8 1/2 a.m.
54° — 12 at noon
56° — 6 p.m.
55° — 10 p.m.
fire in my room
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