“Yet I excused her on account of her sickness, although this sickness would have taken another and milder character if she herself were other and milder.  The many disagreeable blows of fortune which she experienced with me—­which my inner genius (which unfortunately I could not impart) easily raised me above, rendered me full of regard for her; I wished to give her as little pain as possible, for I am very sorry for her.  Only I feel myself constantly incapable of enduring it by her side; moreover, I can do her no good thereby.  I shall become always unintelligible to her and an object of her suspicion.  So—­separation!  But in all kindness and love, I do not desire her disgrace.  I only wished that she herself in time would see that it is better if we do not see so much of each other.  For the present I hold out to her the prospect of returning to Germany as soon as the amnesty is proclaimed; for this reason she will take with her all the furniture and things.  I purpose to make no slips of the tongue and to let everything depend on my future resolutions.  Do you therefore stick to it that it is only a temporary separation.  What ever you can do to make her quiet and reasonable I beg you not to omit.  For—­as said above—­she is unfortunate; with a smaller man she would have been happier.  Join with me in pitying her.  I will thank you from my heart for so doing, dear sister!

“I shall wait here a bit in Geneva till I can go to Italy, where I think of passing the winter, presumably in Venice.  Already I feel quickened by being alone and removed from all tormenting surroundings.  It was no use talking of work.  As soon as I feel myself in a temper to go on composing ‘Tristan,’ I shall regard myself as saved.  In fact, I must do the best for myself; I ask nothing from the world but that it leave me in quiet for the works which one day will belong to it.  So let it judge me gently!  The contents of this letter, dear Clara, you can confidently use to give any explanations where they may be necessary.  On the whole, however, naturally I would not like to have much said of the matter.  Only very few people will understand what this is about, so one must know well the persons introduced here.

“Now, farewell, dear sister.  I thank you again from my heart for the secret question which, as you can see, I answer confidentially.  Treat Minna with forbearance, but make her gradually understand how she now stands with me.

“Your brother,

“RICHARD WAGNER.”

This is Wagner’s side of the affair, only recently made public.  The translation is from the Musical Courier. Whatever is discarded, there remains enough to disprove Belart’s statement that Otto Wesendonck only learned of the affair from informants outside, and, finding Wagner and Mathilde together, compelled Wagner to leave Zurich immediately.  Besides, even Belart admits that Wesendonck and his wife continued to live together for the sake of the children, and that years after, when he had learned to understand, he renewed his acquaintance with Wagner.