Dear, faithful Friend!
. . . I am so exhausted that I shall need two days of absolute rest in order to fortify myself for the approaching period of strenuous work. Therefore I shall not leave my asylum for either to-day or to-morrow, except in case of extreme necessity; this necessity, however, is scarcely apt to arise, as our excellent burgomaster holds the key to the entire situation; you yourself could quickly take hold, and, for all musical arrangements, my splendid conductor, Hans Richter, will always be on hand.
If you have time to spare, may we hope to see you at the Fantaisie?
With the most cordial greetings.
Yours most faithfully,
Richard Wagner.
Source: The Story of Bayreuth as Told in the Bayreuth Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Caroline V. Kerr (Small, Maynard and Company, 1912), No. 26