Sunday, September 17:
A terrible storm in the night! In the morning we go to the Vendramin and arrange things there. When we return home at one o’clock, there is such a huge thunderstorm that we feel it will not be possible to ride in a gondola, but the gondoliers reassure us and perform a real masterpiece. R. feels depressed, goes to bed, but soon gets up again, goes out in spite of the rain, and returns in good spirits. A book belonging to the Hotel de l’Europe, Balzac’s, gives him pleasure, like everything else that is lively and has to do with significant personalities. The mention of Montfaucon, Balzac’s interest in crime stories, interests him tremendously; he thinks of postmen, locomotive stokers, and exclaims: “What moral powers and capacities of self-sacrifice can be seen there! They encourage one to be hopeful.” — In the evening all that finds its way through the floods to us is a telegram from the theater director Staegemann, instead of news from the children and our friends the Schleinitzes!