r it. The second contralto also had a court lady to
do, and the good creature offered to lend me a gorgeous Elizabethan
dress of white satin and silver (which, she told me, she also intended
to wear as _Amneris_!) and she would "go in black." I was touched, but I
could not deprive her of her splendour, so we arranged something out of
the pointed pink bodice of one of my other gowns, and the long white
skirt of a summer dress, with a ladder arrangement of pink velvet bands
sewn on up the front.

I remember as I made my entrance, looking up suddenly and seeing the
sinister eyes of Carlhof the stage manager, fixed on me from the wings.
He proceeded to mock my walk, which was no doubt very American, and not
that of a court lady at all. I never forgot the mental jolt it gave me
and the sudden realization that every role should have a different walk.

The range of parts that one is called upon to perform is astonishing.
Formerly the limits of a _Fach_ (line of parts) were more rigidly
observed than at present, when the personality of a singer in relation
to a role is more often taken into consideration. Still, if a role
definitely belongs to the _Fach_ of a certain singer, he is supposed to
have first right to it. Difficulties arise in apportioning the parts in
very modern operas, whose composers seem no longer disposed to write
definitely for a coloratura soprano or a serious bass, but mix up the
voice range and styles of singing indiscriminately in one part. My
second real part was _Fricka_ in "Walkuere," in which I had a great
success vocally, but unfortunately looked a great deal younger than the
portly _Bruennhilde_ and far more like her daughter than her stepmother.
Then came the _Third Lady_ in "Magic Flute," the _Third Grace_ in
"Tannhaeuser," _Martha_ in "Faust," _Orlofsky_ in "Fledermaus," _Frau
Reich_ in the "Merry Wives of Windsor," the _Graefin_ in "Trompeter von
Saekkingen," _Pamela_ in "Fra Diavolo," _Witch_ in "Haensel und Gretel";
and finally "Carmen." All these before Christmas of my first year. I did
not have one of them on my repertoire when I arrived in Metz, except
_Fricka_ and _Carmen_, and the latter in French.

The three graces in "Tannhaeuser" were done by the beauties of the
theatre, two premieres danseuses and myself! We were to dress in white
Greek draperies with jewels, and of course, as we were to be seductive,
pink roses. I wore my beautiful _Bergcrystal_ necklace, made for me in
Paris. The l