Walker-My_Musical_Ex.. - Walter Cosand

HENSELT 259
' With best wishes for a pleasant journey and a safe
return,
'Your
' Ant. Rubinstein.
' I await with impatience a favourable reply.'
Henselt's reply to Rubinstein.
' Highly honoueed Heer Eubinstbin,
'St. Petersburg.
' The first point, namely, the monetary one,
plays no part in the matter, as I offered my services
gratuitously ; and instead of this you agreed with me
for a very high fee, which I, from a very different
point of view, indeed, appreciated very highly. But,
alas ! the second point is quite impossible for me ; it
would be against my nature, and this is too difficult
for a man in his seventy-fifth year. I regret much
that my good intentions have not led to a better
result.
'Wishing you and your dear colleagues
summer and good health,
a happy
' I remain your thankful and obliged
'Hbnselt.'
I meant to spend the whole of that winter in
St. Petersburg, but it was otherwise decreed. I was
obliged to leave in February, to fulfil a duty which I
could delegate to no one else ;
and though I hoped to
have returned— ^in fact, I left all my heavy luggage