wish that you could hear her sing my new aria which I lately mentioned to you,—­I say, hear her sing it, because it seems made expressly for her; a man like you who really understands what portamento in singing means, would certainly feel the most intense pleasure in hearing her.  When I am happily settled in Paris, and our circumstances, please God, improved, and we are all more cheerful and in better humor, I will write you my thoughts more fully, and ask you to do me a great kindness.  I must now tell you I was so shocked that tears came to my eyes, on reading in your last letter that you are obliged to go about so shabbily dressed.  My very dearest papa, this is certainly not my fault; you know it is not.  We economize in every possible way here; food and lodging, wood and light, cost us nothing, which is all we could hope for.  As for dress, you are well aware that, in places where you are not known, it is out of the question to be badly dressed, for appearances must be kept up.

My whole hopes are now centred in Paris, for German princes are all niggards.  I mean to work with all my strength, that I may soon have the happiness of extricating you from your present distressing circumstances.

99.

Mannheim, March. 11, 1778.

I have duly received your letter of the 26th February, and learn from it with great joy that our best and kindest of all friends, Baron Grimm [the well-known Encyclopedist, with whom Mozart had become acquainted during his last visit to France], is now in Paris.  The vetturino has offered to convey us to Paris by Metz (which, as you probably know, is the shortest route) for eleven louis-d’or.  If to-morrow he agrees to do it for ten, I shall certainly engage him, and perhaps at eleven, for even then it will be the cheapest way for us, which is the main point, and more convenient too, for he will take our carriage—­that is, he will place the body on wheels of his own.  The convenience is great, as we have so many small packages that we can stow away quite comfortably in our own carriage, which we cannot do in the diligence, and besides we shall be alone and able to talk as we like.  But I do assure you that if, after all, we go in the diligence, my sole annoyance is the bore of not being able to say what we choose and wish, though, as it is very necessary that we should take the cheapest conveyance, I am still rather disposed to do so.

Third part
Paris. 
March 1778 to January 1779.

PART III.

100.

Paris, March 24, 1778.