d grief and consternation throughout the city. The dread of
infection caused the nobility to flee the place, and Leopold hastened
to remove the children to Olmuetz. Their efforts to escape, however,
were vain, for both children developed the disease, and for nine days
Wolfgang was quite blind. A good Samaritan, in the person of Count von
Podstatzky, Dean of Olmuetz, received the family into his house, with a
noble indifference to the risk which he incurred, and treated them
with every kindness and consideration, so that with good nursing
Wolfgang and Marianne soon recovered.

It was with renewed hopes that Leopold and his children once more bent
their steps to Vienna, only, however, to meet with fresh
disappointments. The Imperial family received them very kindly, but
the public evinced little desire to attend their performances. The
Empress lived in retirement, and the Emperor was practising a rigid
economy in regard to matters of entertainment and display--an example
which was followed as a matter of course by the nobility. Moreover,
the public taste for art was at a very low ebb, the preference being
for music of the lightest description. As if these were not
sufficiently serious obstacles to contend with, the twelve-year-old
musician was subjected to marked hostility on the part of the chief
performers of the city, who not only held aloof from his performances,
but did not scruple to vent their envy by speaking disparagingly of
his powers. That his son should be thus slighted without being heard
seemed to fill Leopold's cup of bitterness to overflowing. To oppose
such a phalanx of jealous rivals was impossible, and he had made up
his mind to shake the dust of Vienna from his feet and return home,
when the arrival of a messenger from the palace turned his sorrow into
joy.

'See here, Wolfgang,' cried the delighted father, as he sought the
boy's side after the departure of the royal messenger, 'is not this a
recompense for our trials and waiting? Here are the Emperor's commands
to you to compose an opera--an opera, mark you!--for performance at
the Royal Theatre!' and Leopold gave the astonished Wolfgang a hearty
embrace, as he thrust the important missive into the boy's hand.

Wolfgang read the letter through with the seriousness which always
characterised his manner when his beloved art was mentioned, and then,
lifting his face to his father's, he threw his arms around Leopold's
neck, exclaiming as he did so, 'It