It frightened me at first that the awful, ungrateful Leo bit you, I hope it won't get bad. I'd rather have taken the bite myself, because such wounds heal quickly with me. The stupid animal doesn't even deserve to be fed scraps of bread as you probably used to do; just be careful with him, you never can trust these old malicious bulldogs. You'd do me a favor if you'd tell me in two words that your poor hand is all right again. Is the friendly light-colored little dog still living? You must feed and pet this friendly little animal all the more.
Source: Letters of Richard Wagner: The Burrell Collection, ed. John N. Burk (Macmillan, 1950), No. 255