attachment that was springing up between her and Mozart. Meanwhile
Leopold Mozart was in Salzburg wondering why his wife and son were so
long delaying their further journey to Paris.

When he received from Wolfgang letters full of enthusiasm over his
pupil, coupled with a proposal that instead of going to Paris, he and
his mother should change their destination to Italy and take the Weber
family along, in order that Aloysia might further develop her talents
there, he got an inkling of the true state of affairs and was furious.
He had large plans for his son, knew Weber to be shiftless and the
family poor, and concluded that, for their own advantage, they were
endeavoring to trap Wolfgang into a matrimonial alliance. Peremptory
letters sent wife and son on their way to Paris, and the elder Mozart
was greatly relieved when he knew them safely beyond the confines of
Mannheim.

Mozart's stay in Paris was tragically brought to an end by his mother's
death. He set out for his return to Salzburg, intending, however, to
stop at Mannheim, for he still remembered Aloysia affectionately.
Finding that the Weber family had moved to Munich, he went there. But
as soon as he came into the presence of the beautiful young singer her
manner showed that her feelings toward him had cooled. Thereupon, his
ardor was likewise chilled, and he continued on his way to Salzburg,
where he arrived, much to his father's relief, still "unattached."

When Mozart departed from Munich, he probably thought that he was
leaving behind him forever, not only the fickle Aloysia, but the rest
of the Weber family as well. How slight our premonition of fate! For,
if ever the inscrutable ways of Providence brought two people together,
those two were Mozart and Constance Weber. Nor was Aloysia without