ciferous on seeing him, and this enthusiasm was continued throughout
the evening. At the close of the performance the demonstrations became,
if possible, more forcible than before, owing, perhaps, to the fact that
Beethoven maintained his former position, facing the orchestra and with
his back to the audience, as if unaware of the applause. At last
Fraeulein Unger turned him about so that he could see the demonstrations
of the audience. The picture is presented of excited masses of people
carried away by the emotions of the moment, rending the air with
boisterous applause, and in the midst this great one, unresponsive to
the homage showered on him, unconscious, seeing visions, perhaps
planning a Tenth Symphony.

Beethoven's deafness was not total. He was no doubt able to hear some of
this extraordinary applause, and, in any event, must have known that it
would be forthcoming. He had probably become wearied with it all, and
let his thoughts go far afield. The utter vanity of this kind of thing
must often occur to great minds at such a time. These frenzied people by
their very actions showed their inability to comprehend his work, and
could not confer honor in this manner.

But the enthusiasm of the audience had the practical effect of leading
the manager to make an offer to Beethoven for another concert,
guaranteeing him five hundred florins ($250). It was held on May 23, at
noon. On this occasion all of the Mass but the Kyrie was omitted, some
Italian music being substituted. The house was only half filled at the
second concert and the management lost money. Beethoven's apprehensions
as to the profits from the first concert were well founded. He made less
than two hundred dollars from the undertaking, and was so disappointed
with this pitiful result after all the work of preparation, that he
refused to eat any supper, and would not go to bed, but remained on a
couch with his clothes on for the night. When he learned that the
management lost eight hundred florins on the occasion of the second
concert, it was with difficulty that he could be prevailed on to accept
the amount guaranteed him. It is not likely that this reluctance was
owing to any consideration for the manager, but rather to umbrage at the
course of things in general. His temper was not improved by these
disappointments, and he even charged Schindler with having conspired
with the manager to cheat him. This led to a rupture between the two of
several months