Vienna, Thursday
May 29, 1884

My darling, my precious darling, so this is how you neglect me? Two long days without a letter, and only because I failed you for a similar time? Don't you grant me this little privilege? If only you knew how things have been accumulating here, things of which I am the center, how the world has been bringing pressure on me from all sides! And you, darling, surely you should have time for me, even if once in a while I have none for you. But I don't want to be angry; you probably have a reason too, but it mustn't be because you are not well, or because you don't love me.

Tuesday evening there was a Club meeting and Nothnagel invited me to accompany him. This was rather less than I had expected; I would have preferred to spend an evening in his room. What he said on the way also fell rather short of my expectations, or perhaps matched my earlier ones. I am afraid there won't be a golden snake, child, but it was a step forward all the same. You