I learned, about the middle of my stay in Berlin, from the conductor Taubert, that he had heard on very good authority that I was trying for a director’s post at the court theatre, and had good expectations of securing the appointment in addition to special privileges.  In order to remain on good terms with Taubert, as it was very necessary for me to do, I had to give him the most solemn assurances that such an idea had never even entered my head, and that I would not accept such a position if it were offered to me.  On the other hand, all my endeavours to get access to the King continued to be fruitless.  My chief mediator, to whom I always turned, was still Count Redern, and although my attention had been called to his staunch adherence to Meyerbeer, his extraordinary open and friendly manner always strengthened my belief in his honesty.  At last the only medium that remained open to me was the fact that the King could not possibly stay away from the performance of Rienzi, given at his express command, and on this conviction I based all further hope of approaching him.  Whereupon Count Redern informed me, with an expression of deep despair, that on the very day of the first performance the monarch would be away on a hunting party.  Once more I begged him to make very effort in his power to secure the King’s presence, at least at the second performance, and at length my inexhaustible patron told me that he could not make head or tail of it, but his Majesty seemed to have conceived an utter disinclination to accede to my wish; he himself had heard these hard words fall from the royal lips:  ’Oh bother! have you come to me again with your Rienzi?’

At this second performance I had a pleasant experience.  After the impressive second act the public showed signs of wishing to call me, and as I went from the orchestra to the vestibule, in order to be ready if necessary, my foot slipped on the smooth parquet, and I might have had perhaps a serious fall had I not felt my arm grasped by a strong hand.  I turned, and recognised the Crown Prince of Prussia [footnote:  This Prince subsequently became the Emperor William the First.  He was given the title of Crown Prince in 1840 on the death of his father, Frederick William iii., as he was then heir-presumptive to his brother, Frederick William iv., whose marriage was without issue.—­Editor.], who had come out of his box, and who at once seized the opportunity of inviting me to follow him to his wife, who wished to make my acquaintance.  She had only just arrived in Berlin, and told me that she had heard my opera for the first time that evening, and expressed her appreciation of it.  She had, however, long ago received very favourable reports of me and my artistic aims from a common friend, Alwine Frommann.  The whole tenor of this interview, at which the Prince was present, was unusually friendly and pleasant.