Saturday, November 25:
R. had a good night and is considering his preface to the Stein dialogues. It is rather misty, but we go for a walk anyway, exploring the district around Madonna dell'Orto, and return home in good spirits. At lunch R. describes his impressions of Weber, of Leyer und Schwert, Freischütz. Then, amid great laughter, he comes back to the story of my father's "Saint Moderate" - he finds it priceless!
In the afternoon we stroll in Saint Mark's Square. When I remark happily that he is walking in a much livelier way, he says he ought to apostrophize his stomach in the same manner as H. IV.: vieux paresseux [old sluggard]. This brings him to Gobineau's failure to appreciate the French Protestants. In the evening we are visited by Herr Passini and Herr Ruben; R. finds them quite pleasant.