Saturday, October 7:
Letter from Herr Rothschild; he ignores the fact that he made no payments at all during the siege of Paris and sends me nothing for this October, reckoning that from January onward he has paid me for the whole year 1871. I am making inquiries and want simply to know whether, after my marriage to R., my father perhaps gave orders to pay me nothing; otherwise I do not understand Rothschild’s mistake. I write to him.
On top of this unpleasantness comes R.’s talk of the need to receive and entertain the people who come to the laying of the foundation stone in Bayreuth, though we do not really have the means for it, and R. still has several debts to pay. Deep concern over this; I realize with sorrow that in this matter I cannot share R.’s cheerful spirits. I would rather do without even the most important things than be in debt; also, I have no confidence about the earnings R. expects to make. I overcome all my worries and keep silent; but how hard life is, how dismal! Who would want more of it?
In the afternoon went to meet our nephews, who had driven out to Flueelen in the morning and are now going back to Basel. The children on the velocipede carousel. Hermine still not back, although I had urgently begged her to return. Wrote to Frau Tausig, still in connection with Tristan, but she knows nothing, either.