egular scale. It began with an inconceivably fine
tone, which gradually swelled both in volume and power, till it made the
ears vibrate and the heart thrill. It particularly resembled the highest
note of the nightingale, that is reiterated each time more intensely,
and which with a sort of ventriloquism seems scarcely to proceed from
the same bird that a moment before poured his delicate warblings at an
interval so disjointed."

There are many racy anecdotes related of Catalani's London career,
to which the stupid, avaricious, but good-natured character of M.
Vallebregue lent much of their flavor. Speaking of Mrs. Salmon's
singing, he said with vehemence, "Mrs. Salmon, sare, she is as that,"
extending the little finger of his left hand and placing his thumb at
the root of it; "but ma femme! Voila! she is that"--stretching out his
whole arm at full length and touching the shoulder-joint with the other.
His stupidity extended to an utter ignorance of music, which he only
prized as the means of gaining the large sums which his extravagance
craved. His wife once complained of the piano, saying, "I can not
possibly sing to that piano; I shall crack my voice: the piano is
absurdly high." "Do not fret, my dear," interposed the husband,
soothingly; "it shall be lowered before evening: I will attend to
it myself." Evening came, and the house was crowded; but, to the
consternation of the cantatrice, the pianoforte was as high as ever. She
sang, but the strain was excessive and painful; and she went behind the
scenes in a very bad humor. "Really, my dear," said her lord, "I can not
conceive of the piano being too high; I had the carpenter in with his
saw, and made him take six inches off each leg in my presence!"

When she made her engagement for the second season, M. Vallebrogue
demanded such exorbitant terms that the manager tore his hair with
vexation, saying that such a salary to one singer would actually disable
him from employing any other artists of talent. "Talent!" repeated the
husband; "have you not Mme. Cata-lani? What would you have? If you
want an opera company, my wife with four or five puppets is quite
sufficient." So, during the season of 1808, Catalani actually was
the whole company, the other performers being literally puppets. She
appeared chiefly in operas composed expressly for her, in which the part
for the prima donna was carefully adapted to the display of her
various powers. In "Semiramide" particularly s