COURTISANE - Wanda de BONCZA (1872-1902, Polish-born actress - Lot 581

COURTISANE - Wanda de BONCZA (1872-1902, Polish-born actress; like many in the Belle-Epoque, she was a courtesan, very much to the taste of Raymond Poincaré and Boni de Castellane (among others); she died at age 30 of appendicitis; the post-mortem sale of her jewels brought in a million francs at the time, enough to cover her debts, as she was a high roller and a gambling fiend) / Autograph letter signed, 2 p in-8 on mourning paper, embossed letterhead, Neuilly, [October1898], to her "dear friend": Missive emprunte de sous-entendus... ... she has been in Neuilly for a month now, "I've been wanting to ask you for a long time to come one of these days and share my chop", but she repeats "Struensée" [a play by Paul Meurice first performed on November 5, 1898, which makes it possible to date this letter] every day at 1 a.m., "I hope, however, to have a little time this week, so, if you would be so kind, and if it would please you, you could come on Tuesday and say hello to me in "Adrienne Lecouvreur" [drama by Eugène Scribe], "I'll be as happy as anything to see you, and we'll be able to arrange something", "A vous de toutcœur".