Sunday, April 9:
Christ is risen! But here in Sicily in bad weather! Talk of leaving; R. enjoys moving about. Pleasant lunch with 10 at table; at one point R. loses his temper in earnest over the Catholic clergy. Then a joke from him about his interest in education brings from me my solemn assurance to Gravina that he did in truth educate the children. He tells me that he can well believe it, since they would have seen R. expressing only noble and great feelings. Since this answer pleases me, I repeat it to R., and he, asking in protest how I could possibly justify my claim, says, "It was you who preserved my life, and it was this act of preservation which gave dignity to my life." In dull weather we go for a walk in the garden; since many of the citizens are there, R. quotes Wagner's words about ten-pin rolling, fiddling, etc., and Faust's fine answer, "One impulse art thou conscious of, at best." "That," he says, "is the Faust who grips us"; later we return to Mephisto. He intends to complete his work in June, and he says it will be more significant than he himself first thought or others expected; he says he will connect it with Gobineau, start with him. The rest of the day R. finds thoroughly unpleasant. Dr. Strecker inquires whether the specifications for Parsifal are all right as they are, after R. returned the corrected proofs weeks ago! Then he finds the weather a trial, and he comes to supper in an irritable mood. But as soon as Pasquino's performance, which Gravina and I arranged, begins, he cheers up, and he is completely won over by the talents of these good people. Gr. had arranged a fee of 30 francs, R. raises this to 100 and then goes up to 200 lire, and is touched by the solemn expression of gratitude on Pasquino's face. The rest of us are pleased as well, I in particular by his delight in it all.