Wednesday, October 7:
Early in the morning I walk to the mayor’s house to ask him not to call the conference before he himself can attend it. Nevertheless, Herr Hoffmann gets there earlier, to R.’s annoyance. The embarrassing meeting goes on until after seven o’clock; in the course of it Herr Hoffmann is confronted by R. and Herr Brandt with all his sins of presumptuousness, obstinacy, and financial greed, and the whole pitiful character of the man comes to light.
Although neither Herr Brandt nor the Bruckner brothers are prepared to have anything more to do with him, he cannot be persuaded to terminate his contract, and he insists on being paid for a supervisory function which cannot be implemented, though he is the only person who has so far earned substantial rewards from the undertaking (5,000 thalers and the copyright in the sketches). As R. says, “He is a quibbler, both mentally and emotionally.”
In the evening Herr Rubinstein plays us several things.