because I had always felt that it was merely self-deception on my
part to maintain that it would be possible to produce Junger
Siegfried with the limited means at the disposal of even the best
German theatre.

My water cure and the hydropathic establishment became more and
more distasteful to me; I longed for my work, and the desire to
get back to it made me quite ill. I tried obstinately to conceal
from myself that the object of my cure had entirely failed;
indeed, it had really done me more harm than good, for although
the evil secretions had not returned, my whole body seemed
terribly emaciated. I considered that I had had quite enough of
the cure, and comforted myself with the hope that I should derive
benefit from it in the future. I accordingly left the hydropathic
establishment at the end of November. Muller was to follow me in
a few days, but Karl, wishing to be consistent, was determined to
remain until he perceived a similar result in himself to the one
I had experienced or pretended I had experienced. I was much
pleased with the way in which Minna had arranged our new little
flat in Zurich. She had bought a large and luxurious divan,
several carpets for the floor and various dainty little luxuries,
and in the back room my writing-table of common deal was covered
with a green tablecloth and draped with soft green silk curtains,
all of which my friends admired immensely. This table, at which I
worked continually, travelled with me to Paris, and when I left
that city I presented it to Blandine Ollivier, Liszt's elder
daughter, who had it conveyed to the little country house at St.
Tropez, belonging to her husband, where, I believe, it stands to
this day. I was very glad to receive my Zurich friends in my new
home, which was so much more conveniently situated than my former