It appears to me that to share our thoughts, feelings, and impressions with another is one of the greatest blessings in the world. H’m.... That idea is cribbed from some work translated from the German; I can’t remember the title. I say this from experience, although I have seen little of the world beyond the gates of our house. My life passes peacefully and joyously. My mistress, whom papa calls Sophie, loves me passionately. Aï! Aï! Never mind, never mind; silence! Papa, too, often caresses me. I drink my tea and coffee with cream. Ah! _ma chère_, I must tell you that I cannot understand what pleasure there can be in the big gnawed bones that our Polkàn devours in the kitchen. Bones are only good if they are from game, and if no one has sucked the marrow out of them. It is a very good idea to mix several kinds of sauce together, only there must be no capers or herbs; but I know nothing worse than the custom of rolling bread into little balls and giving it to dogs. Some gentleman, sitting at the table, who has been holding all sorts of nasty things in his hands, will begin rolling a bit of bread with his fingers, and then call you and put it in your mouth. It’s impolite to refuse, so you eat it, with disgust, of course, but you eat it. What the deuce is all this rubbish? As if they couldn’t find anything better to write about. Let’s look at the next page, perhaps it will be more sensible. I shall have the greatest pleasure in informing you of all that happens in our house. I have already spoken to you about the principal gentleman whom Sophie calls papa. He is a very strange man. Ah, now, at last! Yes, I knew it. They look at all things from a politic point of view. Let us see what there is about papa:— ... Strange man. He hardly ever speaks. But a week ago he kept on constantly saying to himself, “Shall I get it or not?” Once he asked me, “What do you think, Medji? Shall I get it or not?” I didn’t understand anything about it, so I smelled at his boot and went away. Then, _ma chère_, a week afterwards papa was in the greatest state of delight. The whole morning long gentlemen in uniform came to him and congratulated him on something or other. At table he was merrier than I have ever seen him before. Ah! so he’s ambitious; I must take note of that. Good-bye, _ma chère_! I run ... &c. To-morrow I will finish the letter. Well, good-morning, I am with you again. To-day my mistress, Sophie.—— Ah! now we shall see—something about Sophie. Oh! confound it!... Never mind! never mind! Let’s go on: