ruined. Therefore I must dare all, as befitted my name, for in my
case he was not inclined to derive 'Wagner' [Footnote: 'Wagner'
in German means one who dares, also a Wagoner; and 'Fuhrwerk'
means a carriage.--Editor.] from Fuhrwerk. I was to pay my rent,
twelve hundred francs, in quarterly instalments; for the
furniture and fittings, he recommended me, through his landlady,
to a carpenter who provided everything that was necessary for
what seemed to be a reasonable sum, also to be paid by
instalments, all of which appeared very simple. Lehrs maintained
that I should do no good in Paris unless I showed the world that
I had confidence in myself. My trial audience was impending; I
felt sure of the Theatre de la Renaissance, and Dumersan was
keenly anxious to make a complete translation of my Liebesverbot
into French. So we decided to run the risk. On 15th April, to the
astonishment of the concierge of the house in the Rue du Helder,
we moved with an exceedingly small amount of luggage into our
comfortable new apartments.

The very first visit I received in the rooms I had taken with
such high hopes was from Anders, who came with the tidings that
the Theatre de la Renaissance had just gone bankrupt, and was
closed. This news, which came on me like a thunder-clap, seemed
to portend more than an ordinary stroke of bad luck; it revealed
to me like a flash of lightning the absolute emptiness of my
prospects. My friends openly expressed the opinion that
Meyerbeer, in sending me from the Grand Opera to this theatre,
probably knew the whole of the circumstances. I did not pursue
the line of thought to which this supposition might lead, as I
felt cause enough for bitterness when I wondered what I should do
with the rooms in which I was so nicely installed.