The Economics of Chocolate

"You

say that 400 florins a year as an assured salary are not to be despised,

and it would be true if in addition I could work myself into a good position

and could treat these 400 florins simply as extra money. But unfortunately,

that is not the case. I would have to consider the 400 florins as my chief

income and everything else I could earn as windfall, the amount of which

would be very uncertain and consequently in all probability very meager.

You can easily understand that one cannot act as independently towards

a pupil who is a princess as towards other ladies. If a princess does not

feel inclined to take a lesson, why, you have the honor of waiting until

she does. She is living out with the Salesians, so that if you do not care

to walk, you have the honor of paying at least 20 kreuzer to drive there

and back. Thus of my pay only 304 florins would remain–that is, if I only

gave three lessons a week. And if I were obliged to wait, I would in the

meantime be neglecting my other pupils or other work (by which I could

easily make more than 400 florins). If I wanted to come into Vienna I would

have to pay double, since I would be obliged to drive out again. If I stayed

out there and were giving my lesson in the morning, as I no doubt would

be doing, I would have to go at lunchtime to some inn, take a wretched

meal and pay extravagantly for it. Moreover, by neglecting my other pupils

I might lose them altogether–for everyone considers his money as good

as that of a princess. At the same time, I would lose the time and inclination

to earn more money by composition. To serve a great lord (in whatever office)

a man should be paid a sufficient income to enable him to to serve his

patron alone, without being obliged to seek additional earnings to

avoid penury. A man must provide against want."