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My Life, Volume 1
By Richard Wagner
1850-1861
MINNA had been lucky enough to find quarters near Zurich whichcorresponded very closely with the wishes I had so emphaticallyexpressed before leaving. The house was situated in the parish of Enge,a good fifteen minutes' walk from the town, on a site overlooking thelake, and was an old-fashioned hostelry called 'Zum Abendstern,'belonging to a certain Frau Hirel, who was a pleasant old lady. Thesecond floor, which was quite self-contained and very quiet, offered ushumble but adequate accommodations for a modest rent.
I arrived early in the morning and found Minna still in bed. She wasanxious to know whether I had returned simply out of pity; but Iquickly succeeded in obtaining her promise that she would never againrefer to what had taken place. She was soon quite herself again whenshe began to show me the progress she had made in arranging the rooms.
Our position had for some years been growing more comfortable, in spiteof the fact that at this time various difficulties again arose, and ourdomestic happiness seemed tolerably secure. Yet I could never quitemaster a restless inclination to deviate from anything that wasregarded as conventional.
Our two pets, Peps and Papo, largely helped to make our lodgingshomelike; both were very fond of me, and were sometimes even tooobtrusive in showing their affection. Peps would always lie behind mein the armchair while I was working, and Papo, after repeatedly callingout 'Richard' in vain, would often come fluttering into my study if Istayed away from the sitting-room too long. He would then settle downon my desk and vigorously shuffle about the papers and pens. He was sowell trained that he never uttered the ordinary cry of a bird, butexpressed his sentiments only by talking or singing. As soon as heheard my step on the staircase he would begin whistling a tune, as, forinstance, the great march in the finale of the Symphony in C minor, thebeginning of the Eighth Symphony in F major, or even a bright bit outof the Rienzi Overture. Peps, our little dog, on the other hand, was ahighly sensitive and nervous creature. My friends used to call him'Peps the petulant,' and there were times when we could not speak tohim even in the friendliest way without bringing on paroxysms of howlsand sobs. These two pets of course helped very much to increase themutual understanding between myself and my wife.
Unfortunately, there was one perpetual source of quarrel, arising frommy wife's behaviour towards poor Nathalie. Until her death sheshamefully withheld from the girl the fact that she was her mother.Nathalie, therefore, always believed that she was Minna's sister, andconsequently could not understand why she should not have the samerights as my wife, who always treated her in an authoritative way, as astrict mother would do, and seemed to think herself justified incomplaining of Nathalie's behaviour. Apparently the latter had beenmuch neglected and spoiled just at the critical age, and deprived ofany proper training. She was short in stature and inclined to becomestout, her manners were awkward and her opinions narrow. Minna'