Thursday, March 23:
R. had a good night; we discuss Blandine’s character and fate and agree that for her marriage is a good thing. Then K. expresses his delight in the refined tranquillity of this place and says he will find the desire to work - to write his preface for Stein, for instance. This brings us to Stein’s piece about Bruno and Shakespeare; R. feels that in it Sh. is not significant enough, though he admits it is extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to put words into Sh.’s mouth - how, for example, can one imagine what he felt with regard to Catholicism and Protestantism? And what impression the fate of the Dominican monk made on him?
During the morning an inquiry from Herr Batz puts him in very gay spirits, but particularly his own reply, in the form of marginal comments to the letter, which he returns. Among other things Herr B. had spoken of Richard’s “advanced age.” R. replies with his death, which at an advanced age is only to be expected.
At 1 o’clock the arrival of Count Gravina, who will now of course have to be regarded as our son-in-law, and whose natural talents speak highly for him.
In the afternoon R. tells me of a very forceful letter written by Garibaldi about France; we then visit the good monkeys, who entertain us greatly, and in the evening we look through some English illustrated periodicals, R. as always very interested in the human types, while all the children play. The Idyll accompanies us, its fair tones our guardian angels.