Thursday 31 October 1839
Very fine morning - arborescence (frost) on the windows - wrote the last 11 lines of last page and so far of this Fahrenheit 61 3/4 now at 9 10/60 and breakfast till 9 55/60 - Read and made some little notes from the 1st 18 pages Voyage dans l'Oural par Kupffer till 11
Out at about 11 35/60 or 11 1/2 - had had a measuring of cloaks &c. &c. respecting which should be the one to be lined with the fur - called on Madame Fischer - received - 50 minutes there from 11 50/60 to 12 40/60 - very civil - gave as a general invitation for Sunday evenings - the calling here from 12 to 2 - I saw that they would rather call here in the morning than in the evening therefore said we did not in general go out before 12 - talked about going to Siberia in January or to Orenberg and Astracan as might be better - Mr. Fischer brought out maps, and read book bound up with an almanac - 2300 + versts to Tobolsk 1700 versts to Ekaterinberg - Mr. Fischer asked age and our de naissance and to write our names in his little good sort of almanac album - I wrote A Lister de Shibden hall and Ann wrote Ann Walker de Cliff hill after each of which Mr. Fischer wrote Yorkshire - I said I had said æt 45 at the police at St. Petersburg and was really going to give the day and year but something put it off as in Ann's case also - It seems the Polish M.D. Heirmann or some such name we met there on Sunday is their son-in-law, who married their daughter who died 1 1/2 years ago
Home before 1 and took up Mrs. Howard who went with us to the Gastinoi Door to the fur shop - As I expected, we might as well have bought of the other man at once - there was one skin, or rather doublure that Ann liked - asked 270# - offered 225 - not taken - came away - went to the other man who is only a shop or 2 from our man he is to come tomorrow at 10 a.m. with more fox skins as well as collars - 10,000 shops in the Gastinoi Door - coolish along the long galleries or alleys of shops - Ann cold - ditto apparently Mrs. Howard who seems to have a wooden leg or a stiff leg (right) or something - bought gloves, and cloak-lining, and then brought Mrs. Howard home
Then to the Manège, great salle d'exercise, - walked there 40 minutes and home about 3 1/4 - sent Grotza in the carriage to the Gastinoi Door to get the address of the shop where she saw quilted bonnets, and then she was to go to the Enfans trouvés for the girl
Had just written so far (all but the first 2 1/2 lines of today) now at 3 55/60 - on return home found on the table the card of 'Countess Alexandra Panin' - mentioned to Mrs. Fischer our having a girl from the Enfans Trouvés coming and she thought it a very good plan
At Russian grammar for tomorrow till about 4 1/2 when Grotza returned bringing with her the Russian girl from the Enfans trouvés - not one word can the girl speak of French - looks very tidy in her new gown, and a nice girl but she must learn English as a medium of communication - the poor thing very nervous - had her reading aloud Russian grammar while Ann dressed and Ann had her while I dressed
And then afterwards till dinner at 6 in in [sic] 50 minutes - Ann and I then walked about the room 3/4 hour
How miserable poor Ann begins to fancy she must go home to look after her affairs how then can i do anything? what a goose it makes of me i can count upon nothing but her indecicion
It is now 8, and tea is ready - tea in about 1/4 hour - then 1/2 asleep for 1/4 hour - then reading Kupffer and made notes, to page 57, till had Grotza at 10 1/2 and asleep afterwards till 11 - then read forwards Kupffer to page 77 and made a few notes - very fine winters day - Fahrenheit 63 1/2 now at 11 3/4 on my table Mrs. Howard said was -12, today.
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