“But when shall I play before the Queen?” said Wolfgang, impatiently. “I am very eager to know.”
“Soon, perhaps, my child,” said Baron Grimm. “It is not possible to say exactly when, but we will do all we can to hasten the time.”
Wolfgang was satisfied with this assurance. He was not kept on the rack long, however, for, a few days after this, Baron Hébert, the Queen’s lord high treasurer, was announced, and invited the family to be present at an appointed hour in her apartments at the palace of Versailles.
The hour came at last, and Wolfgang found himself in the midst of the splendors of the French Court, which eclipsed those of the Court in Vienna. The highest nobility of the land, arrayed in gold-embroidered costumes and blazing with diamonds, were assembled in a grand salon from which opened, right and left, elegant suites of rooms flooded with the brilliancy of hundreds of wax tapers. The family could see this magnificence only from a distance, for the King had not yet appeared, and his signal had to be awaited before they could enter. After a little, a movement in the salon indicated that Louis the Fifteenth had entered, and about half an hour later Baron Hébert accosted the family. “Come,” he said in a pompous manner; “his Majesty orders that you be presented to the Queen.”
They followed him. As they entered the salon, Wolfgang, not in the least embarrassed by the splendor, uttered a cry of joy. He saw the lady with whom he had conversed in the park of Choissy and gazed at her with sparkling eyes. “Oh, it is so nice that you are here,” he said excitedly, at the same time kissing her hand, which was graciously extended to him. “You have kept your word, and I heartily thank you over and over again. But tell me, where is the Queen?”
“Have you not divined, dear child?” replied the lady, with a smile. “I am the Queen.”
“I am overjoyed,” exclaimed Mozart, surprised and delighted. “I shall love you still more, for you have been very good to me.”
“And this,” turning to a gentleman standing near her, “this is his Majesty, the King, who also wishes to hear you play.”
Wolfgang bowed gracefully to his Majesty, who acknowledged the courtesy with a slight inclination of his head. As he did not clearly understand the situation, the Queen explained how she came to be acquainted with the pretty child, and then Wolfgang’s father and sister were presented. The King addressed a few kindly words to each, and then resumed a card game with some of his courtiers. Wolfgang continued his conversation with the Queen, who also presented him to the French princesses, Victoire and Adelaide, both of whom fortunately spoke German. Victoire, the younger, was greatly interested in Wolfgang, for she had heard glowing reports about him from others and was herself a clever musician. While Wolfgang was having a pleasant chat with her, the King suddenly turned round, and, looking up from the card-table, said: “Eh, bien! Are we not soon to hear our little musician?”
There was a deep hush at these words. Wolfgang and Nannie, acting upon the King’s suggestion, instantly went to the piano and began a four-handed sonata, which they performed with great skill and brilliancy. In fact the children played with extraordinary effect. The King, however, did not stop his card game, and as he apparently paid no attention to the children’s playing, the rest of the company followed his example. The performance would have passed entirely unnoticed had not the Queen and Princess Victoire listened with the closest attention. They rewarded it with hearty applause, and sought to allay the feeling of disappointment which the indifference of the rest of the company had caused. The sensitive feelings and artistic pride of the children had been deeply grieved, however. The tears came into Nannie’s eyes, and Wolfgang, indignant at the conduct of his audience, made no effort to conceal his anger. “Come, papa,” he said in a loud tone to his father, at the same time slapping the leaves of his music-book together, “come, let us go. It is easy to see that these people know nothing about music.”