Monday, May 17:
To bed at four, up at eight, fairly fresh. Gave the children their lessons. R. has a letter from Düfflipp. He claims the evil things in Munich have been put right, God only knows! The King wishes to see R. on his birthday, but R. wants to stay here.
At lunch a philologist, Professor Nietzsche, whom R. first met at the Brockhaus home and who knows R.’s works thoroughly and even quotes from Opera and Drama in his lectures. A quiet and pleasant visit. At four we drive through light rain into town. R. is preoccupied, since he is not satisfied with his work this morning.
In the evening I tell him that I should like my confinement to be away from here. Great weariness, asleep from eight o’clock onward. Loldi causes us concern with her excessive, exclusive attachment to me.
Tuesday, May 18:
Rose early, wrote to Marie Muchanoff, declining her sympathy. R. still sad about our conversation yesterday; I tell him I will do what he thinks right. He writes to the King and says he will not come for his birthday.
I embroider and work with the children. After lunch they go to Countess Bassenheim’s; only Eva and Loldi remain with me. In the evening R. brings me a letter from the painter Lenbach; since it transpires from this that he is not sending my portrait, R. is very dejected. In the evening several intermezzi by Cervantes.