At last they became so excited that Herr Kurzenmantl, the excellent youth, was obliged to go to Herr Stein himself to entreat him, in the name of the patricians, to do all in his power to persuade me to attend the concert, but to say that I must not expect great things.  At last I went with him, though with considerable reluctance.  The principal gentlemen were very polite, particularly Baron Belling, who is a director or some such animal; he opened my music-portfolio himself.  I brought a symphony with me, which they played, and I took a violin part.  The orchestra is enough to throw any one into fits.  That young puppy Langenmantl was all courtesy, but his face looked as impertinent as ever; he said to me, “I was rather afraid you might have escaped us, or been offended by our jokes the other evening.”  “By no means,” said I coolly; “you are still very young; but I advise you to be more cautious in future, for I am not accustomed to such jokes.  The subject on which you were so facetious did you no credit, nor did it answer your purpose, for you see I still wear the order; you had better have chosen some other topic for your wit.”  “I assure you,” said he, “it was only my brother-in-law who”—­“Let us say no more about it,” said I.  “We had nearly been deprived of the pleasure of seeing you altogether,” he rejoined.  “Yes; had it not been for Herr Stein, I certainly should not have come; and, to tell you the truth, I am only here now to prevent you Augsburg gentlemen being the laughing-stock of other countries, which would have been the case if I had told them that I was eight days in the city where my father was born, without any one there taking the trouble to hear me!” I played a concerto, and all went off well except the accompaniment; and as a finale I played a sonata.  At the close, Baron Belling thanked me in the warmest manner in the name of all the company; and, begging me to consider only their good will, presented me with two ducats.

They give me no peace here till I agree to give a public concert next Saturday.  Perhaps—­but I own I am heartily sick of it all.  I shall be indeed glad when I arrive at a place where there is a court.  I may with truth say that, were it not for my kind cousins, my regrets would be as numberless as the hairs on my head for ever having come to Augsburg.  I must write you some account of my fair cousin, but you must excuse my deferring this till to-morrow, for one ought to be quite fresh to praise her as highly as she deserves.

The 17th.—­I now write early in the morning to say that my cousin is pretty, intelligent, lovable, clever, and gay, probably because she has lived so much in society; she was also some time at Munich.  We do, indeed, exactly suit each other, for she too is rather inclined to be satirical, so we banter our friends most merrily together. [The Mozart family were both well known and dreaded for their somewhat sharp tongues.]

67.

Augsburg, Oct. 17, 1777.