Diary Entry of July 29, 1881
Wagner suffers a miserable night followed by a prolonged chest spasm in the morning, and the doctor confines him to bed with a diagnosis of indigestion and a chill. Cosima stays by his side through most of the day, and though he manages to rise in the evening, he remains exhausted throughout. The entry is brief, punctuated only by Wagner's sharp, witty characterization of an acquaintance as being coated in an "icing of triviality."
Friday, July 29:
R. had a wretched night, then a prolonged chest spasm in the morning. He stays in bed; the doctor diagnoses it as indigestion combined with a chill. We lunch without him.
But after I have been with him all day, he gets up in the evening, although he is quite exhausted. Recently R. described one of our acquaintances as being covered with “an icing of triviality.”