with extreme respect. She is overwhelmed
with congratulations and compliments; and I
think that there is not one of our household
who is not wishing to be taken into her
service.

Our parents have held a long consultation
to-day about Barbara's trousseau, which ended
in my father's placing a thousand Dutch ducats
in my mother's hand, with orders to prepare
everything that she considered necessary.
To-morrow, Mademoiselle Zawistowska, a
lady of confidence, who has been brought up
in the castle, sets off for Warsaw with the
commissary, to make purchases. In the
wardrobe there are four great chests of plate,
kept for myself and my three sisters. My
father ordered Barbara's to be brought to him
this morning, and, after examining its
contents, commanded that they should be taken
to Warsaw to be cleaned.

The Palatine and the Starost leave to-
morrow for Sulgostow, where they have
preparations to make for the bride's reception.
My father has ordered letters, announcing the
wedding, to be carried by the chamberlains to
different parts of Poland. The eldest of these
chamberlains—gentlemen all of noble birth—
attended by a groom splendidly equipped,
is entrusted with letters for the king, the
princes, the lord primate, and the chief senators,
begging their blessings on my sister's
marriage, and expressing appreciation of the
honour that would be conferred upon us by
their presence. What splendour it would give
to the wedding if one of the royal princes
really would come! But so much bliss is not
to be expected; the king and his sons will
content themselves with sending representatives,
according to the usual custom.

Our castle is in the greatest tumult of
preparation. As for the Starost and his
generosity,—let good works use their own
eloquence. He has given us all such lovely
presents. I have a turquoise pin; Zozia, a
ruby cross; and Marynia, a Venetian chain.
My father even condescended to accept a
splendidly enamelled cup, and my mother a
beautiful little casket inlaid with mother-
of-pearl. Madame, too, our French governess,
was not forgotten. She found in her
room this morning a handsome lace mantle.
She praises to the skies the generosity of
Poles, but she allows them no other good
quality.

This morning the whole court went hunting.
To do that is an old custom, which they say
brings luck to the betrothed. Formerly, the
lady was obliged to show her ancle to the
hunters, before their departure; however,
praised be goodness, this practice has fallen
into disuse. I think Barbara would have
died with shame if she had to submit to it.
Macienko wanted to persuade her, declaring
that by refusal she would spoil the hunt; but
he was wrong, for a wild boar, two deer, an
elk, and a number of hares, were brought
home. The Starost, who had slain the wild
boar, laid it in triumph at the feet of Barbara.
Previous to the setting out of the hunters,
my father had given to the Starost a mare
with splendid housings, and a groom to take
charge of her.

(After a few days the journalist makes
other entries in her book.)

We are all making gifts for Barbara. I am
embroidering her a morning dress, which will
be very sweet; Marynia is working a straw-
coloured muslin with dark silk and gold
thread, and Zosia is engaged upon a splendid
toilet cover. My mother is unceasingly occupied
with the trousseau; she opens all her
cupboards and coffers, and takes from them
quantities of linen, cloth, furs, curtains, and
carpets. I assist her as much as I can; and
she is so good as to consult me about many
things. She is scrupulous about making the
portions for all her daughters exactly equal:
so very scrupulous, that she has the chaplain
fetched from time to time to judge as a
Christian teacher of the righteousness of her
division.

The tailors and the trimmers who have
arrived from Warsaw will scarcely finish
their work in a month; the linen is all ready,
for the ladies of our suite have helped a great
deal in making it, and it has been in hand
during the last two years. They are all busy
now in marking it with the letters B and K.
Well they will know how to make these letters!

Barbara's trousseau will be magnificent.
Poor girl! she does not know what she shall
do with so many dresses. Until now we
have had only four apiece: two brown woollen
ones for every-day wear, a white one for
Sundays, and one more elegant for days of
ceremony. We found these quite sufficient,
but my mother says Madame the Starostine
will require a very different toilette to that
of Mademoiselle Barbara; and what is proper
for a young girl would not be at all fit for a
married lady. The skein of silk my mother
placed in Barbara's hands on the day of her
betrothal is being made into a purse for the
Starost. It was a trial of her patience and
skill to disentangle it, without breaking or
soiling the silk. She has succeeded admirably;
so, as Macienko says, she is quite in a
fit state to be married.

(Later still the journalist writes to the
following effect.)

The Starost returned yesterday evening;
and this morning Barbara found on her work-
table two handsome silver baskets, filled with
oranges and bon-bons. She distributed some
of them to us her sisters, and the ladies of
our suite; the rest she gave to the lady's
maids. My mother has presented Barbara
with two large feather beds, eight large
pillows of goose-down, and two small pillows
of swans'-down. The covers for the pillows
are made of linen spun in the castle; over
those there are cases of crimson silk, and
then handsomely worked lawn covers, richly
trimmed with lace.