in the most friendly manner, and Princess Metternich, with some of her acquaintances, was invited to this rehearsal.  With the orchestra we played through two of the principal selections, namely, the prelude to the first act, and the beginning of the second act, as far as the middle, while the singing part was sustained by Frau Dustmann, the whole being so brilliantly executed that I felt fully justified in believing I had created a most excellent impression.  Herr Ander, too, had appeared on the scene, but without knowing a single note of the music or attempting to sing it.  Both my princely friends, as well as Fraulein Couqui, the premiere danseuse, who singularly enough had attended the rehearsal on the sly, overwhelmed me with enthusiastic marks of admiration.  Hearing of my ardent desire for retirement in order to go on with the composition of a new work, the Metternichs one day suggested that they were in a position to offer me just such a quiet retreat in Paris.  The Prince, who had now completely arranged his spacious embassy, could place at my disposal a pleasant suite of rooms looking on to a quiet garden, just like the one I had found in the Prussian embassy.  My Erard was still in Paris, and if I could arrange to go there at the end of the year, I should find everything ready for me to begin my work.  With unconcealed joy I most gratefully accepted this kind invitation, and my only care now was so to arrange my affairs that I could take my departure from Vienna and effect my removal to Paris in a proper manner.  The arrangement that had been made through Standhartner’s mediation, that the management should pay me a part of the stipulated fee for Tristan, would be a great help in this.  But as I was only to get one thousand marks, and even this was to be subject to so many clauses and conditions as to suggest a desire to renounce the whole transaction, I at once rejected the offer.  This fact, however, did not prevent the press, which was always in touch with the theatrical management, from publishing that I had accepted an indemnity for the non-performance of Tristan.  Fortunately I was able to protest against this calumny by producing proof of what I had actually done in the matter.  Meanwhile, the negotiations with Schott dragged out to some length, because I would not agree at present to his suggestions about the Walkure.  I adhered to my first offer of a new opera, the Meistersinger, and at last received three thousand marks as an instalment on this work.  As soon as I had received the cheque, I packed up my things, when a telegram from Princess Metternich reached me, in which she begged of me to put off my departure until the 1st of January.  I decided not give up my plan, being anxious to get away from Vienna, so I determined to go straight to Mayence to pursue further negotiations with Schott.  My leavetaking at the station was made particularly gay by Cornelius, who whispered to me with mysterious enthusiasm a stanza of ‘Sachs’ which I had communicated to him.  This was the verse: