Your Imperial Highness!
I begged you to excuse me today, because I have to make the arrangements about my opera, which cannot be postponed. But I will certainly come to Your Imperial Highness tomorrow; and in any case I will double the time with you before my departure for Teplitz, so that my illustrious pupil may miss me as little as possible ––
Your Imperial Highness’s
Faithful and most devoted servant
Ludwig van Beethoven