Friday, March 19:
Cold and gray weather; R. somewhat depressed. He says he intends to write the biography while he is here and to finish ruling his lines, so that in Wahnfried he can write his work on the affinities of art and religion and complete his score. "Wahnfried is the place to work in." He thinks of the garden, which we shall now leave to bloom in solitary splendor.
Today we arrange with Herr Lo Piccoli to remain here until the end of October. When he complains to Dr. Schron about feeling so tired, the latter replies that this is unavoidable, but he will return home regenerated; only then will he really feel it. R. laughs and says, "Then I shall return home at once, so as to enjoy the benefits."
At lunch, talking of criminal cases, he recalls Balzac's Veronique and praises the book highly. Regarding our recent experience, he says that in such cases a jury seems to him to be entirely appropriate, but not in political matters, also not in cases of robbery, for, when property is involved, human beings are pitiless. He agrees with Prof. Holtzendorff's views on homicide.
In the evening R. is very tired, and he looks worn out. We play whist after conversing for a while about England, where Parliament has been dissolved on account of the Irish question.