"To-morrow I shall not be here." "Well, then, the next morning,
when I shall still be here." "Ho, ho! you surely don't mean to"--
"I mean nothing; you are a set of boors, so good-night," and off
I went.

Next day I told the whole story to Herr Stein, Herr Geniaulx, and
to Herr Director Graf--I don't mean about the cross, but how
highly disgusted I was at their having bragged so much about a
concert, and now it had come to nothing. "I call this making a
fool of a person and leaving him in the lurch. I am very sorry
that I ever came here. I could not possibly have believed that in
Augsburg, my papa's native town, such an insult could have been
offered to his son." You cannot imagine, dear papa, how angry and
indignant these three gentlemen were, saying, "Oh, you must
positively give a concert here; we don't stand in need of the
patricians." I, however, adhered to my resolution and said, "I am
willing to give a small farewell concert at Herr Stein's, for my
few kind friends here who are connoisseurs." The Director was
quite distressed, and exclaimed, "It is abominable--shameful; who
could have believed such a thing of Langenmantl! Par Dieu! if he
really wished it, no doubt it would have been carried through."
We then separated. The Director went down-stairs with me in his
dressing-gown as far as the door, and Herr Stein and Geniaulx
walked home with me. They urged us to make up our mind to stay
here for a time, but we remained firm. I must not forget to say
that, when young Langenmantl lisped out to me, in his usual cool
indifferent way, the pleasant news as to my concert, he added,
that the patricians invited me to their concert next Thursday. I
said, "I will come as one of the audience." "Oh, we hope you will
give us the pleasure of hearing you play also." "Well, perhaps I