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[to Gizella Pálos]
Vienna, January 23, 1917
IX., Berggasse 19
Dearest lady,
I am sending you back Elma's letter, the contents of which I have naturally taken a great interest in, and I thank you very much for your kindness.
I now receive little news from our friend. I, too, expect good things from his stay in the Tatra [Mountains]. I, too, have endured much with him. Since I know you and know about your relations, it was an urgent wish on my part to see you united. He is not a person who can live and work without intimate belonging to another, and where would he find anyone more excellent than you? Although I, too, had the impression that the best time has been missed, I have worked on the realization of this wish with the most varied means, directly and indirectly, in friendly intercourse and through analysis, carefully, so that my preambles would not produce recalcitrance in him, and with blunt demands, in order to bring my influence to bear. I have urged him to make himself free from you, as a test of whether he is capable of doing something else for himself, and then I referred him to you, after it became evident that he is incapable of doing without you and replacing you. I have really left nothing untried and have met with no success. Finally, I had to come out and tell him gruffly that he doesn't want to do anything decisive and that he is even misusing the analysis in order to conceal his no. It is not even a no; he just doesn't want to change anything, do anything, wait passively to see if something comes to his aid. Then this stupid, trifling, but nevertheless undeniable organic affliction, morbus Basedowi, came and has permitted him to free himself from the snare in which I was hoping to catch him. It troubles me deeply that he should have no more of you and of life than before. But I can do nothing.
In these dismal times I accept your heartfelt assurance that you will not turn away from me, with heartfelt gratitude and respectful affection.
Your very devoted
Fre