l it was--so many fresh faces, both in chorus and orchestra.

And as I looked, I saw Courvoisier come in by the little door at the top
of the orchestra steps and descend to his place. His face was
clouded--very clouded; I had never seen him look thus before. He had no
smile for those who greeted him. As he took his place beside Helfen, and
the latter asked him some question, he stared absently at him, then
answered with a look of absence and weariness.

"Herr Courvoisier," said von Francius--and I, being near, heard the
whole dialogue--"you always allow yourself to be waited for."

Courvoisier glanced up. I with a new, sudden interest, watched the
behavior of the two men. In the face of von Francius I thought to
discover dislike, contempt.

"I beg your pardon; I was detained," answered Courvoisier, composedly.

"It is unfortunate that you should be so often detained at the time when
your work should be beginning."

Unmoved and unchanging, Courvoisier heard and submitted to the words,
and to the tone in which they were spoken--sarcastic, sneering, and
unbelieving.

"Now we will begin," pursued von Francius, with a disagreeable smile, as
he rapped with his baton upon the rail. I looked at Courvoisier--looked
at his friend, Friedhelm Helfen. The former was sitting as quietly as
possible, rather pale, and with the same clouded look, but not deeper
than before; the latter was flushed, and eyed von Francius with no
friendly glance.

There seemed a kind of slumbering storm in the air. There was none of
the lively discussion usual at the proben. Courvoisier, first of the
first violins, and from whom all the others seemed to take their tone,
sat silent, grave and still. Von Francius, though quiet, was biting. I
felt afraid of him. Something must have happened to put him into that
evil mood.

My part did not come until late in the second part of the oratorio. I
had almost forgotten that I was to sing at all, and was watching von
Francius and listening to his sharp speeches. I remembered what Anna
Sartorius had said in describing this haupt-probe to me. It was all just
as she had said. He was severe; his speeches roused the phlegmatic
blood, set the professional instrumentalists laughing at their amateur
co-operators, but provoked no reply or resentment. It was extraordinary,
the effect of this man's will upon those he had to do with--upon women
in particular.

There was one haughty-looking blonde--a Swede--tall, majes