Friday, April 9:
Disturbed night, bad dreams of Father and Mother; the young people well, however. I feel that I must not leave the children. Finished my letter to the King.
R. continually unwell; he does not go to work. Family lunch; Boni very bright, but somewhat affected, Loulou seems nervous.
A telegram brings news of the second performance of Rienzi in Paris; “tous nos amis heureux,” cable Flaxland and Nuitter.
In the garden with the children, violets and primroses! Loulou dictates to me a letter to her father and I enclose with it Claire’s last letter praising Hans.
Then received a few lines from Mathilde, with it an article from the Wiener Revue; reports that R. is to blame for the exhibition’s not taking place. Now that the King has had to give way, Das Rheingold will also not be staged!! R. sends this to Düfflipp and writes to the press.
To town with the children, to the post office, the baker, then drove home.
I find the sight of the elder children painful; first, they do not look as well as the younger ones, then I see that their development has lacked my hand. A dark premonition tells me that I shall come to grief on this feeling.