Cosima's Diaries

Diary Entry of September 10, 1871

Overview

Loulou suddenly falls ill with fever and suspected throat inflammation, confirming Cosima's anxious sense of bad omens. Wagner suffers from foot pain and gloomy fears that illness and expected visitors may interrupt his work. Prince Georg's flat visit brings little relief, while Carlyle again restores some measure of seriousness and pleasure to the evening.

Content

Sunday, September 10:

Still the bat: Loulou suddenly falls ill. Violent fever and headache; I send for the doctor, who fears a throat inflammation. I spend the day with her.

When I then go to R., I find him suffering from a pain in the foot; I tremble at the thought of gout. He has been suffering for two days now. He is in dismal spirits, thinks of all the visitors we are expecting, fears a serious disturbance of his work, and wonders whether he will not have to break it off for a while.

As we are talking, Prince Georg of Prussia is announced. His visit gives R. little pleasure, since the conversation turns out to be very flat and trivial. Carlyle makes up for it in the evening.