Thursday, January 12:
R. had a good night’s rest, and Dr. Berlin allays my fears; but we are alarmed to hear that an operation on his tonsils might one day be necessary. R. works. At lunch news about the Russian Emperor brings our conversation to the Russo-Turkish War, and R. says that he had been on Russia’s side, but when he saw how talented Osman Pasha was, and how utterly untalented the Russians, his sympathy for them diminished, for it was vital to a sympathetic attitude whether or not great abilities were in evidence.
A letter from Herr Marsillach in Luxor raises the subject of the Nile again. R. dearly wishes to forget Europe for a while. We visit the cathedral, La Zisa, and on our return R. works.
He comes to supper in an animated mood and assures us that he would not hesitate for a moment to sacrifice his works for the sake of the children, not for a single moment - Tristan for Isolde, Die Meistersinger for Eva, the Ring for Siegfried. “That is life,” he says. Then he jokes about having chosen a bad country in which to get them married off, for here they would have to become Catholics, and that would seem to him a very great shame.
In the evening he talks a lot with Rub. about the harp parts, then we read the story about Lucie, a converted Catholic, and we find it so delightful that R. resolves to renew his acquaintance with Keller. Yesterday he amused himself by telling me that Die Berlocken ends touchingly, so that, as the reader, I started off apprehensive of having to become emotional in my delivery.