Vienna, Tuesday
June 23, 1885

My sweet darling

I have just received your long-awaited letter with the sad, anticipated news. I cannot entirely share your opinion, but there is probably no great divergence in our views. He [Schönberg] can-not marry her now, this is clear for every possible reason; he will not be able to marry her if he dies from his illness, and he ought not to see her as someone else's wife if he remains alive. There just isn't any decision to be made, is there? It decides itself. To break off an engagement now in view of a probable event for which one can only wait-surely this isn't necessary. As for Minna herself, she won't want to do anything but stand by Schönberg, as long as there is such a person. And you wouldn't behave differently, wouldn't leave me before I died, if it looked as though I were going to die. And I certainly wouldn't give up what is most precious to me as long as I am alive.-But we are alive and are going to be