Carissima Minna! Vita della mia anima! Come sta?—I can hardly speak German any more, I have become such a raving Italian! But in order not to put you into a bad humor, I'll write in German, and avoid appearing again in the guise of a Vestri.
Yesterday, at the Lago Maggiore, I smoked a divine cigar given to me by Otto Wesendonck which inspired me so that I wrote him at once some silly lines, the best of which were greetings to you, and these, I hope, he forwarded to you. I did not want to write to you, my darling, until I got to Lugano, because I wanted to go into detail at the same time about our rendezvous, which I could do only after having seen Lugano and found out whether it was worth while to chase you to this place; besides, I was expecting a letter from you here. (Here I am using a mantelpiece as a standing desk.) Today at noon I arrived here and at last found letters from you; namely, the one sent to Meiringen (where I had given orders at the post office) and the other written to Lugano directly. I thank you heartily for both; they made me very happy. However, you are doing me an injustice in believing that I had given orders for my mail at the post office: I had only written to Uhlig to send his next letter to Lugano directly—and to the point! Regarding my trip and the impressions I received there, I am not telling you anything else today than that it went excellently and that I did very well on foot, almost too well, for the days' journeys were often too short for me. I sent a few words to Wesendonck about the impression that Italy made on me when I came down from the Gries Glacier through the Formazza Valley toward Domodossola. However you shall learn 100,000 times more if you are nice and sensible, if you follow my advice and my request, and come at once to join me here. Now I come to the main point! My impression of Lugano again has decided it: I urgently beg you not to hesitate a moment; pack your three stockings and two chemises, take Peps and put yourself on the mail coach with him; it is too heavenly here. And rest assured that you will not regret having followed my advice this time, for I cannot enjoy, and I do not like to enjoy such things alone; and what's more, it is with you above all that I wish to share this beautiful trip. So listen to how we'll arrange it! Either money has come to you from Leipzig, Frankfurt, or Wiesbaden, or it has not. In the first case you take 20 louis d'or and come along; as for the second case, I am writing today to friend Sulzer, asking him to advance me 20 louis d'or for these few days. Don't worry about that; the way my income is now, and since I can pay back the money at once, this is only a small favor which surely nobody will grant me with greater pleasure than Sulzer. I can very well use the 20 louis d'or for our enjoyment, and you are certainly worth that; since I am now already on my way, and since the weather is so beautiful, it would certainly be foolish if, instead of asking the favor of a friend, I should allow a fine opportunity to slip away by waiting day after day. Is this not true? So—let us agree! If money has arrived already, all the better; however, in any case start on your way at once, for—I am longing for somebody to share with me the beauties of the trip. I am so lonely that I really can't stand it any longer! It is you and Peps that are dearest to me!
I advise you (either as soon as the money has arrived or Sulzer can provide for the loan) to leave by the night-express post for Lucerne the evening of the same day you get this letter; from there you will cross Lake Lucerne to Flüelen, whence a direct coach goes to Lugano. You may want to book your journey only as far as Bellinzona at the Angelo (angel). That is a good hotel. But if you delay for a day after receiving this letter, then write me quickly when you will have left, so that I can receive you nicely. However, don't delay anything for that reason; and if you come at once, there is no need to write ahead. I shall look out carefully, and in any case I shall leave a letter for you (Mad. M. Wagner) here at the post office and tell you in detail how to find me. Today I am staying in the Albergo del Lago; I do not yet know definitely whether I shall remain there.
Now, you may be sure that you will make me very happy if you don't hesitate but come at once; then we shall celebrate in such a way that Peps will be astonished.
Lord, what a lot of things I have to tell you, and how wide you will open your eyes— If you knew what kind of roast I ate in the Formazza Valley! Now guess! However, you will not guess it. Therefore, to close, I give you a big kiss and I await you longingly as your
immensely loving
Richard
Roast marmot devourer
For the time being have letters addressed to me sent by Natalie to Lugano. Härtel wrote to me and asked me urgently by no means to approach anyone else but them about the publication of Siegfried. So you see how things are! Therefore come.
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 121