Monday, December 7:
Resumption of lessons with Isolde, interrupted by some callers and an invitation to coffee (Frl. v. Kohlhagen).
R. feels very annoyed at Bismarck’s last appearance in Parliament; he says he would like to write to him saying that, having committed the great folly of forming this Parliament, he should at least deprive it of its power by ceasing to attend it, and not let himself be agitated by the spiteful remarks of Messrs. Jörg and Windthorst.
It cuts one to the heart to see such a man pale with anger as he replied to such pitiful and heartless creatures, and quoting his conversation with Kullmann! In the evening R. reads me passages from the Saxon advocate’s book, Secret Societies, and we agree that it is the manner in which Christianity interprets ancient rites which gives them the stamp of indecency.
In these everything was solemn and secret, and it is we, the observers (particularly the French), who are frivolous.