appen. If that part were sung
well, as well as it ought to be, it would be one of the most beautiful
things in the world. That's why it never is sung right, and never will
be." She clenched her hands and opened them despairingly, looking out of
the open window. "It's inaccessibly beautiful!" she brought out sharply.

Fred and Dr. Archie watched her. In a moment she turned back to them.
"It's impossible to sing a part like that well for the first time,
except for the sort who will never sing it any better. Everything hangs
on that first night, and that's bound to be bad. There you are," she
shrugged impatiently. "For one thing, they change the cast at the
eleventh hour and then rehearse the life out of me."

Ottenburg put down his cup with exaggerated care. "Still, you really
want to do it, you know."

"Want to?" she repeated indignantly; "of course I want to! If this were
only next Thursday night--But between now and Friday I'll do nothing but
fret away my strength. Oh, I'm not saying I don't need the rehearsals!
But I don't need them strung out through a week. That system's well
enough for phlegmatic singers; it only drains me. Every single feature
of operatic routine is detrimental to me. I usually go on like a horse
that's been fixed to lose a race. I have to work hard to do my worst,
let alone my best. I wish you could hear me sing well, once," she turned
to Fred defiantly; "I have, a few times in my life, when there was
nothing to gain by it."

Fred approached her again and held out his hand. "I recall my
instructions, and now I'll leave you to fight it out with Archie. He
can't possibly represent managerial stupidity to you as I seem to have a
gift for doing."

As he smiled down at her, his good humor, his good wishes, his
understanding, embarrassed her and recalled her to herself. She kept her
seat, still holding his hand. "All the same, Fred, isn't it too bad,
that there are so many things--" She broke off with a shake of the head.

"My dear girl, if I could bridge over the agony between now and Friday
for you--But you know the rules of the game; why torment yourself? You
saw the other night that you had the part under your thumb. Now walk,
sleep, play with Archie, keep your tiger hungry, and she'll spring all
right on Friday. I'll be there to see her, and there'll be more than I,
I suspect. Harsanyi's on the Wilhelm der Grosse; gets in on Thursday."

"Harsanyi?" Thea's eye lighted. "I haven't seen him fo