Dearest Minna!
Your letter of today has really distressed me because I could see what terrible money troubles you have gotten into again, despite my efforts to keep them away from you. First of all, Sulzer told me earlier that he was prepared, for the period of my absence, to provide you with the necessary money in an emergency; for that reason he advised me not to do anything hasty about getting some money here. Secondly, however, I was completely reassured by Hülsen's promise of the advance payment and thus hoped not to have to bother even Sulzer. I sent the receipt to Hülsen three and one half weeks ago and thus could not foresee this dreadful delay. Therefore don't be angry with me, and don't increase your bitterness by persuading yourself that I spend 50 francs a day here or even that I have so much to spend. I'll write to Hülsen today; but just to make sure I also wrote to Sulzer through whom you are receiving these lines. So as not to embarrass him either, I just now sent over to Anderson in order to ask for another £50: he had already left, and it is possible that I shan't get the money until tomorrow. Then I'll immediately—tomorrow at the latest—send the 1,000 francs for Wesendonck to Sulzer, which he can then—as soon as the money from Berlin arrives—put back with Wesendonck's money and thus send him the whole amount. Oh, how unpleasant this is for me; you'd never believe it!
I have now also written Sulzer at length, so that today I have little time left to write to you. But then I have nothing of any importance to tell you; so I just send you my most affectionate greetings, and thank you most kindly for your letter of today, even if it had to worry me. So don't be angry with me, but keep loving me. Tomorrow I have a rehearsal for the fifth concert, after which I'll write you again. Farewell, dear, good Minna, and get over the stupid money troubles which, I hope, have now been solved!
Your
Richard
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 152