Freysinger. Mamma, however, took none, but drank two bottles of
Tyrolese wine. At three o'clock she went home again to make
preparations for our journey. I, however, went with the two
ladies to Herr von Hamm's, whose three young ladies each played a
concerto, and I one of Aichner's prima vista, and then went on
extemporizing. The teacher of these little simpletons, the
Demoiselles Hamm, is a certain clerical gentleman of the name of
Schreier. He is a good organ-player, but no pianist. He kept
staring at me with an eye-glass. He is a reserved kind of man who
does not talk much; he patted me on the shoulder, sighed, and
said, "Yes--you are--you understand--yes--it is true--you are an
out-and-outer!" By the by, can you recall the name of Freysingen
--the papa of the two pretty girls I mentioned? He says he knows
you well, and that he studied with you. He particularly remembers
Messenbrunn, where papa (this was quite new to me) played most
incomparably on the organ. He said, "It was quite startling to
see the pace at which both hands and feet went, but quite
inimitable; a thorough master indeed; my father thought a great
deal of him; and how he humbugged the priests about entering the
Church! You are just what he was then, as like as possible; only
he was a degree shorter when I knew him." A propos, a certain
Hofrath Effeln sends you his kind regards; he is one of the best
Hofraths here, and would long ago have been made chancellor but
for one defect--TIPPLING. When we saw him for the first time at
Albert's, both mamma and I thought, "What an odd-looking fish!"
Just imagine a very tall man, stout and corpulent, and a
ridiculous face. When he crosses the room to another table, he
folds both hands on his stomach, stoops very low, and then draws
himself up again, and makes little nods; and when this is over he
draws back his right foot, and does this to each individual