, then the rehearsal will come off
splendidly."

Janina glanced at her in amazement.

"Ha! ha!" laughed the other quietly. "Ha! ha! she is a real
moon-calf!"

After a moment she whispered, "Let us go to the dressing-room. I
will enlighten you a little . . ."

She pulled Janina after her, and afterwards, busying herself with
pinning a dress on a mannikin, she remarked, "We must get
acquainted."

"Tell me, madam, how about that musical director?" asked Janina.

"It's necessary to buy him some cognac. Yes!" she added after
a moment, "Cognac, beer, and sandwiches will, perhaps, be
sufficient."

"How much would that cost?"

"I think that for three rubles you can give him a decent treat. Let
me have the money and I will order everything for you. I had better
go right away."

Janina gave her the money.

Sowinska left and in about a quarter of an hour returned,
breathless.

"Well, everything is settled! Come along, miss, the director is
waiting."

Behind the restaurant hall there was a room with a piano. "Halt,"
flushed and sleepy, was already waiting there.

"Cabinski spoke to me about you, miss!" he began. "What can you
sing? . . . Whew! how warm I feel! . . . Perhaps you will raise the
window?" he said, turning to Sowinska.

Janina felt disturbed by his hoarse voice and his inflamed, drunken
face, but she sat down to the piano, wondering what she should
select to sing.

"Ah! you also play, miss? . . ." he queried in great surprise.

"Yes," she answered, and began playing the introduction to some
song, without seeing the signs that Sowinska was making to her.

"Please sing something for me," he said, "I want to hear only your
voice. . . . Or perhaps you could sing some solo part?"

"Mr. Director . . . I feel that I have a calling for the drama, or
even for the comedy, but never for the opera."

"But we are not talking about the opera . . ."

"About what, then?"

"About this . . . the operetta!" he cried, striking his knee. "Sing,
Miss! . . . I have only a little time and I am burning up with this
heat."

She began to sing a song of Tosti's. The director listened, but at
the same time gazed at Sowinska and pointed to his parched lips.

When Janina had ended, he cried, "Very well . . . we will accept
you . . . I must hurry out, for I'm roasting."

"Perhaps you will have a drink of something with us, Mr.
Director? . . ." she queried timidly, understanding the signs that
Sowinska gave her.

H