Friday, April 28:
Ever deeper into the miseries of the world! R. says, “One has only to want something, and one is at once vulnerable.” But everyone so far friendly.
At midday in the hotel a visit from Alwine Frommann, which gave us great pleasure. She is utterly ancien regime and in good humor, which we did not expect after the “old Moor” incident. We go for a walk with her.
At 6 o’clock Dr. Gruppe calls to conduct R. to his lecture in the Academy. He comes home toward 9 o’clock; he laughs and says that the whole enterprise had been mad. He had expected large public sittings such as take place in Paris, but the Academy of Sciences was not even present, and at the green table he read his thing out to musicians, sculptors, and painters.
He was introduced to each in turn, came to Joachim, who said, “It is a long time since I last saw you.” “A long time indeed,” R. replied. To Dorn R. said, “I should not have expected to see you here,” whereupon the insolent man replied, “I am always interested in anything you do.” And so on.
In the evening we had guests, and R. related all this in front of Dohm, Heigel, Tausig, and young Hellwig, who is a bit green and pert.