ABSTRACT
Marian Evans, who spoke French well, preferred to keep in the background and talk quietly with Adolf Stahr about 'German style, Lessing, Spinoza, History of Jesus. Marian is silent about another of Fanny Lewald's friends since the 1830s, with who she was in regular contact: Bettine von Arnim. Varnhagen von Ense and Wilhelm von Humboldt had been friends since the 1820s, and Humboldt used to be a frequent guest at both of Rahel Levin's salons. The meeting with Stahr and Fanny also had private significance for Marian. Seeing Fanny and Marian chatting to each other at his party, Varnhagen dryly commented in his diary that the two freethinking authoresses had, no doubt, much to say to each other. In appreciation of his friend's scrupulousness and reliability, Humboldt had always maintained that he wished Varnhagen to be his biographer. Fanny was related to Ludmilla Assing and a regular guest at Varnhagen's parties and the Solmar salon.
