choir held their breath to listen." At the close of the service
the choirmaster sent for him, and, apologizing for his previous
rude behaviour, invited him to his house for the day. The
invitation extended to a week, and Haydn returned to Vienna with
money enough--the result of a subscription among the choir--to
serve his immediate needs.

An Unconditional Loan

But it would have been strange if, in a musical city like Vienna,
a youth of Haydn's gifts had been allowed to starve. Slowly but
surely he made his way, and people who could help began to hear
of him. The most notable of his benefactors at this time was a
worthy tradesman named Buchholz, who made him an unconditional
loan of 150 florins. An echo of this unexpected favour is heard
long years after in the composer's will, where we read: "To
Fraulein Anna Buchholz, 100 florins, inasmuch as in my youth her
grandfather lent me 150 florins when I greatly needed them,
which, however, I repaid fifty years ago."

"Attic" Studies

One hundred and fifty florins was no great sum assuredly, but at
this time it was a small fortune to Haydn. He was able to do a
good many things with it. First of all, he took a lodging for
himself--another attic! Spangler had been very kind, but he could
not give the young musician the privacy needed for study. It
chanced that there was a room vacant, "nigh to the gods and the
clouds," in the old Michaelerhaus in the Kohlmarkt, and Haydn
rented it. It was not a very comfortable room--just big enough to