[...] A few new acquaintances have forced themselves upon me: as far as the spear side is concerned, I am utterly indifferent, but rather less so as regards the distaff side. A rich young merchant, Wesendonk - brother of the Reichstag member - settled here some time ago, and did so with a great show of luxury: his wife is very pretty, and seems to have taken a fancy to me thanks to the Preface to my 3 opera poems. The same is true of a number of Swiss families from the local aristocracy (I speak only of the women - for the men are dreadful.) It astonishes me to find so much liveliness and even charm among them. - Let me take this opportunity to reassure you that there is nothing to fear! There will be no more “scandals”! - It is true that I can no longer find any pleasure in other people’s company, not even in that of women: yet this latter element continues to be the only thing that now and again helps me to maintain my illusions, for I can no longer entertain any illusions about men. [...]
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 140