richard wagner was equally unscrupulous in other ways.an endless procession of women marched through his life. hisfirst wife spent twenty years enduring and forgiving his infidelities. his second wife had been the wife of his most devotedfriend and admirer， from whom he stole her.and even while hewas trying to persuade her to leave her first husband he was writingto a friend to inquire whether he could suggest some wealthywoman— any wealthy woman— whom he could marry for hermoney.
he was completely selfish in his other personal relationships.his liking for his friends was measured solely by the completeness of their devotion to him， or by their usefulness tohim，whether financial or artistic.the minute they failed him－even by so much as refusing a dinner invitation— or began tolessen in usefulness，he cast them off without a second thought.at the end of his life he had exactly one friend left whom he hadeven known in middle age.
理查德·瓦格纳在其他方面同样无所顾忌。他一生中交往过的女人有长长的一串。他的第一位妻子同他度过二十个年头，对他的用情不专一再忍受，一再原谅。他的第二位太太原是对他最敬慕、最忠实的朋友的妻子，他从挚友手中夺走了她。甚至在他劝说这位太太离开她的第一位丈夫之际，他已经在给朋友写信，询问能否介绍一位阔妇人——任何有钱的妇人都行——为了她的金钱他愿意娶她为妻。
他在别的私人交往中也极为自私。他对朋友有无好感完全取决于他们对他是否绝对忠诚，或者取决于他们在经济上或艺术上对他是否有用。一旦他们有什么地方让他失望——连谢绝赴宴之类的区区小事也不例外——或者不如以前有用了，他便不假思索地与他们断绝来往。在他生命的最后阶段，他只剩下一个朋友，就是这个朋友也是在中年时才认识的。