your forte
was dramatic singing."

"Dramatic! But this is an oratorio."

"It may be called an oratorio, but it is a drama all the same. What more
dramatic, for instance, than what you have just sung, and all that goes
before? Now suppose we go on. I will take Adam."

Having given myself up to the music, I sung my best with earnestness.
When we had finished von Francius closed the book, looked at me, and
said:

"Will you sing the 'Eva' music at the concert?"

"I?"

He bowed silently, and still kept his eyes fixed upon my face, as if to
say, "Refuse if you dare."

"I--I'm afraid I should make such a mess of it," I murmured at last.

"Why any more than to-day?"

"Oh! but all the people!" said I, expostulating; "it is so different."

He gave a little laugh of some amusement.

"How odd! and yet how like you!" said he. "Do you suppose that the
people who will be at the concert will be half as much alive to your
defects as I am? If you can sing before me, surely you can sing before
so many rows of--"

"Cabbages? I wish I could think they were."

"Nonsense! What would be the use, where the pleasure, in singing to
cabbages? I mean simply inhabitants of Elberthal. What can there be so
formidable about them?"

I murmured something.

"Well, will you do it?"

"I am sure I should break down," said I, trying to find some sign of
relenting in his eyes. I discovered none. He was not waiting to hear
whether I said "yes" or "no," he was waiting until I said "yes."

"If you did," he replied, with a friendly smile, "I should never teach
you another note."

"Why not?"

"Because you would be a coward, and not worth teaching."

"But Miss Hallam?"

"Leave her to me."

I still hesitated.

"It is the _premier pas qui coute_," said he, keeping a friendly but
determined gaze upon my undecided face.

"I want to accustom you to appearing in public," he added. "By degrees,
you know. There is nothing unusual in Germany for one in your position
to sing in such a concert."

"I was not thinking of that; but that it is impossible that I can sing
well enough--"

"You sing well enough for my purpose. You will be amazed to find what an
impetus to your studies, and what a filip to your industry will be given
by once singing before a number of other people. And then, on the
stage--"

"But I am not going on the stage."

"I think you are. At least, if you do otherwise you will do wrong. You
have gifts which are in themselv