overruled,
and they made it known to the world at large that no blame attached to
them; nevertheless, this quasi "Freyschutz" met with a certain amount of
success. M. Pillet was rubbing his hands with glee at his own
cleverness, until a Nemesis came in the shape of a visitor from the
Fatherland, who took the conceit out of the director with one fell blow,
and, what was worse still, with a perfectly legal one.

The visitor was no less a personage than Count Tyszkiewicz, one of the
best musical critics of the time and the editor of the foremost musical
publication in the world; namely, _Die Musikalische Zeitung_, of
Leipzig. The count, having been attracted by the announcement of the
opera on the bills, was naturally anxious to hear how French artists
would acquit themselves of a work particularly German, and, having
secured a stall, anticipated an enjoyable evening. But alack and alas!
in a very little while his indignation at the liberties taken with the
text and the score by the singers, musicians, and conductor got the
upper hand, and he rushed off to the commissary of police on duty at the
theatre to claim the execution of Weber's opera in its integrity, as
promised on the bills, or the restitution of his money. Failing to get
satisfaction either way, he required the commissary to draw up a
verbatim report of his objections and his claim, determined to bring an
action. Next morning, he sent a lithographed account of the transaction
to all the papers, requesting its insertion, with which request not a
single one complied. Finding himself baffled at every turn, he engaged
lawyer and counsel and began proceedings.

It was at that stage of the affair that the dinner at Dr. Veron's took
place. As a matter of course, the coming lawsuit gave rise to a great
deal of chaff on the part of the guests, although the victim of this
badinage and defendant in the suit was not there. It was his successor
who took up the cudgels and predicted the plaintiff's discomfiture. "The
counsel," said Roqueplan, "ought to be instructed to invite the
president and assessors to come and hear the work before they deliver
judgment: if they like it personally, they will not decide against
Pillet; if they don't, they'll fall asleep and be ashamed to own it
afterwards. But should they give a verdict for the plaintiff, Pillet
ought to appeal on a question of incompetence; a person with the name
of Tyszkiewicz has no right to plead in the interest of h