. It _may_ be, some day! I sincerely hope so. Je leur veux du
bien.

Poor little Marianina stood on her six music-books and played with
immense care and earnestness, just like a frightened but
well-trained poodle walking on its hind-legs--one eye on her music
and the tail of the other on her father, who accompanied her with
his guitar. She got an encore, to Barty's great relief; and to hers
too, no doubt--if she hadn't, fillips on the nose for supper that
night! Then there were more solos and duets, with obbligatos for the
violin.

Next day Veronese and his wife were in high feather at the Kursaal,
where they had sung the night before.

A very distinguished military foreigner, in attendance on some
august personage from Spain or Portugal (and later from Ostend),
warmly and publicly complimented the signore on "his admirable
rendering of 'Largo al factotum'--which, as his dear old friend
Rossini had once told him (the General), he (Rossini) had always
modestly looked upon as the one thing he had ever written with which
he was _almost_ pleased!"

Marianina also received warm commendation from this agreeable old
soldier, while quite a fashionable crowd was listening; and Veronese
arranged for another concert that evening, and placarded the town
accordingly.

Barty managed to escape any more meals in the Casa Veronese, but
took Marianina for one or two pleasant walks, and told her stories
and sang to her in the grenier, while she improvised for him clever
little obbligatos on her fiddle.

He found a cheap eating-house and picked up a companion or two to
chat with. He also killed time with his seton-dressing and self
dry-cupping--and hired French novels and read them as much as he
dared with his remaining eye, about which he was morbidly nervous;
he always fancied it would get its retina congested like the other,
in which no improvement manifested itself whatever--and this
depressed him very much. He was a most impatient patient.

To return. The second concert was as conspicuous a failure as the first
had been a success: the attendance was small and less distinguished, and
there was no enthusiasm. The Frau signora slipped a note and lost her
temper in the middle of "Roberto," and sang out of tune and with
careless, open contempt of her audience, and this the audience seemed to
understand and openly resent. Poor Marianina was frightened, and played
very wrong notes under the furious gaze of her papa, and finally bro