t Theatre, hoping
that this powerful man might be so impressed with the child's voice that
he would do something to push her forward quickly into public notice.
One can picture the interview between Count Puecke, businesslike and
abrupt, and little Jenny, then plainly dressed and awkward, far from
pretty, and too bashful even to lift her eyes to meet the keen glance of
the Count. Looking coldly from her to Croelius, the Count asked:

"How old is she?"

"Nine years old," answered Croelius.

"Nine!" echoed the Count. "Why, this is not a nursery. It is the king's
theatre."

Then with another glance at Jenny he asked coldly, "What should we do
with such an ugly creature? See what feet she has, and then her face!
She will never be presentable. Certainly we can't take such a
scarecrow."

Croelius, indignant at such brutality, put a protecting arm around the
girl and said proudly, "If you will not take her, I, poor as I am, will
myself have her educated for the stage," and turning, was about to leave
the room when the Count commanded him to remain and let him hear what
the child could do.

Trembling with fear of the result, Jenny sang the simplest song she
knew, and when she finished the Count was silent, for the lovely quality
of the voice he had just heard, had deeply moved him. Rising, he shook
hands with both teacher and pupil, and as quick in his generosity as in
his brusqueness, he at once announced that she was to be admitted into
the theatrical school connected with the Royal Theatre, and to be placed
under the special instruction of the operatic director, Herr Berg, and
his assistant, the Swedish composer, Lindblad.

Small wonder that Jenny left the building in a flutter of excitement, or
that Croelius was as beaming now as he had been depressed before, and he
lost no time in seeing that his little pupil was placed according to
the instructions of the great Count Puecke.

It was the custom of the Royal Theatre to board its pupils out, and as
Jenny's mother was no longer a governess and had returned to Stockholm,
the girl lived at home, together with several other pupils of the Royal
Theatre, and for two years worked so hard and accomplished such wonders
in the development of her voice that she became known as a musical
prodigy.

During the year she entered the Royal Theatre she acted in a play called
"The Polish Mine," and the next year in another, and the press spoke of
her acting as showing fire and feel