Page:Selected letters of Mendelssohn 1894.djvu/23

Rh has invited guests, which is very rare with him now, so that it is long since most of the people have seen him. Then I have to play a good deal, and he makes me compliments before the company, “stupendous” being his favourite expression. To-day he invited a bevy of Weimar beauties for my delight, for “I ought to live with young people.” If I meet him in such company he says to me, “Dear heart, you must go to the ladies and behave prettily.” I displayed my savoir vivre by asking yesterday if, perhaps, I did not come there too often? Then he growled rather to Ottilie, who put the question, and said, on the contrary, he wanted more talk with me, for I quite understood my business, and he had a great deal to learn from me. I felt twice my height when Ottilie repeated that to me, and when he said it again himself, and told me there was much in his spirit that I must light up for him. I said just, “Oh, yes,” and thought to myself: “this is an honour never to be forgotten.” More often it is the other way about! .