. . . Just be patient, my good Mutz! The worst is certainly behind you! If you don't improve noticeably in the course of the next summer, the two of us will look for a really beautiful, mild climate for the winter, for the Dresden climate doesn't seem to be the right one either. I liked Dresden for your sake, especially because I knew that you like it, that acquaintances and diversions would best help you get over the present difficult time. Now you'll want to and have to stand it there a while longer; you won't find things much better anywhere else either, unless we go straight to Palermo. But only one thing—for God's sake don't deprive yourself of anything; rather let me know at the right time what you need, and don't let yourself be urged by me so that you have to come around with a lament like that!
Now something more about the future, which my last letter especially—as I confess—treated perhaps somewhat excitedly. The clipping you enclosed today was very pleasing to me, and I do believe that there's something to it. One must not expect much, in fact almost nothing; but one must not close the door entirely on good fortune and see everything black. Thus I received a letter a few days ago from Ed. Devrient in which he reports to me that he wishes to give Tristan on the birthday of the Grand Duke, on the 5th of September. (What do you say to that?) I should give my consent so that the Grand Duke may take all the steps necessary to effect my visit to Germany at this time. I wrote to him immediately to approach the Grand Duke most urgently in my name in order to find out whether I would get the permission or not. I shall first wait for this, and take further steps according to what I hear. If the Grand Duke receives the definite confirmation from Dresden, I admit that for the time being I would be satisfied. Once I am in Karlsruhe, I'll manage the rest soon; from there I would probably go to Dresden to settle the whole matter—if it should still be necessary. But if the Grand Duke receives a definitely negative answer, I'll then be free to start the matter in the way I discussed recently and to go to the Minister of Justice, in which case I would only have to apply for safe conduct to Dresden and back again in order to be able to choose exile in case I am convicted and sentenced to a disgusting prison term. . . .
As for you, my good Minna, I don't want you to get any more excited about the matter; for it is, after all, exciting for you too. I don't want you to go to the minister yourself: I feel myself how violently your heart would beat. That is to be avoided. Have a little more patience, dear Mutz. It will all come out all right, one way or the other, and in any case we'll have each other again in the summer and I hope we will know then where to make our nest. Now be a little carefree. Above all, wish me undisturbed health so that I can finish Tristan. Everything now depends on that, and therefore I must make every effort not to be impeded in that by anything. When that is completed, the world will suddenly look quite different for both of us. Today I had to laugh. The Breslau director informed me of the success of Rienzi at his theater and added the urgent request to let Breslau have the first performance of Tristan. That is now the sixth theater which wants this honor: Karlsruhe, Weimar, Munich, Prague—and Vienna. Lohengrin is to be produced in Berlin the beginning of January. We'll see. Don't you want to go there to see it? But—not third class, please!
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 199