Saturday, October 22:
R. had a restless night; he seems run down. At lunch he says he has been rereading his article "Shall We Hope?" Then he requests that the toast to my father be drunk soon, since he is not feeling well. Friend Wolzogen proposes it, but the atmosphere remains subdued, and when R. learns of the death of Councilor Kraussold, he says, "He was my forerunner - now I shall live another 10 years." We recall the prophecy of '94; he shakes his head and in the course of the conversation frequently regrets not having seen his old friend again. He recalls his speech at the concert on my birthday and says he feels that a cordial word of encouragement could keep such a person alive, whereas when he was left in a state of both moral and physical debility, life was bound to end. He relates the story of a soldier dying after an amputation, whom his lieutenant restored to life through friendly questioning.
He leaves us early, goes to bed, the children celebrate the birthday with charades at friend Jouk's, and I remain close by until R. no longer feels content in bed and we both go downstairs to the salon, where he shows me the picture of Japanese officials being received by the Mikado in European dress!
In the evening farewell chat with Stein; R., agitated by the unsettling effects of our plans, feels we should take him along, not leave it to him to decide. He expresses sorrow at having to leave the house.