the dull stupidity of the others that
tears came to my eyes. How could that young woman, in the midst of a
sublime chorus, deliberately pause, arrange the knot of her neck-tie,
and then, after a smile and a side glance at the conductor, go on again
with a more self-satisfied simper than ever upon her lips? What might
not the thing be with a whole chorus of sympathetic singers? The very
dullness which in face prevailed revealed to me great regions of
possible splendor, almost too vast to think of.

At last it was over. I turned to the direktor, who was still near the
piano, and asked timidly:

"Do you think I may join? Will my voice do?"

An odd expression crossed his face; he answered, dryly:

"You may join the verein, _mein Fraeulein_--yes. Please come this way
with me. Pardon, Fraeulein Stockhausen--another time. I am sorry to say I
have business at present."

A black look from a pretty brunette, who had advanced with an engaging
smile and an open score to ask him some question, greeted this very
composed rebuff of her advance. The black look was directed at
me--guiltless.

Without taking any notice of the other, he led Anna and me to a small
inner room, where there was a desk and writing materials.

"Your name, if you will be good enough?"

"Wedderburn."

"Your _Vorname_, though--your first name."

"My Christian name--oh, May."

"M--a--_na_! Perhaps you will be so good as to write it yourself, and
the street and number of the house in which you live."

I complied.

"Have you been here long?"

"Not quite a week."

"Do you intend to make any stay?"

"Some months, probably."

"Humph! If you wish to make any progress in music, you must stay much
longer."

"It--I--it depends upon other people how long I remain."

He smiled slightly, and his smile was not unpleasant; it lighted up the
darkness of his face in an agreeable manner.

"So I should suppose. I will call upon you to-morrow at four in the
afternoon. I should like to have a little conversation with you about
your voice. Adieu, _meine Damen_."

With a slight bow which sufficiently dismissed us, he turned to the desk
again, and we went away.

Our homeward walk was a somewhat silent one. Anna certainly asked me
suddenly where I had learned to sing.

"I have not learned properly. I can't help singing."

"I did not know you had a voice like that," said she again.

"Like what?"

"Herr von Francius will tell you all about it to-morrow,"