elight and anxiety to join in the chorus_. _Brilliant
performance of prelude to the Judge's song in_ "_Trial by Jury_" _by
nervous Pianist_. _Moment arrives for Harris to join in_. _Harris takes
no notice of it_. _Nervous pianist commences prelude over again, and
Harris_, _commencing singing at the same time_, _dashes off the first two
lines of the First Lord's song out of_ "_Pinafore_." _Nervous pianist
tries to push on with prelude_, _gives it up_, _and tries to follow
Harris with accompaniment to Judge's song out_ "_Trial by Jury_," _finds
that doesn't answer_, _and tries to recollect what he is doing_, _and
where he is_, _feels his mind giving way_, _and stops short_.]

HARRIS (_with kindly encouragement_): "It's all right. You're doing it
very well, indeed--go on."

NERVOUS PIANIST: "I'm afraid there's a mistake somewhere. What are you
singing?"

HARRIS (_promptly_): "Why the Judge's song out of Trial by Jury. Don't
you know it?"

SOME FRIEND OF HARRIS'S (_from the back of the room_): "No, you're not,
you chuckle-head, you're singing the Admiral's song from _Pinafore_."

[_Long argument between Harris and Harris's friend as to what Harris is
really singing_. _Friend finally suggests that it doesn't matter what
Harris is singing so long as Harris gets on and sings it_, _and Harris_,
_with an evident sense of injustice rankling inside him_, _requests
pianist to begin again_. _Pianist_, _thereupon_, _starts prelude to the
Admiral's song_, _and Harris_, _seizing what he considers to be a
favourable opening in the music_, _begins_.]

HARRIS:

"'When I was young and called to the Bar.'"

[_General roar of laughter_, _taken by Harris as a compliment_.
_Pianist_, _thinking of his wife and family_, _gives up the unequal
contest and retires_; _his place being taken by a stronger-nerved man_.

THE NEW PIANIST (_cheerily_): "Now then, old man, you start off, and I'll
follow. We won't bother about any prelude."

HARRIS (_upon whom the explanation of matters has slowly
dawned--laughing_): "By Jove! I beg your pardon. Of course--I've been
mixing up the two songs. It was Jenkins confused me, you know. Now
then.

[_Singing_; _his voice appearing to come from the cellar_, _and
suggesting the first low warnings of an approaching earthquake_.

"'When I was young I served a term
As office-boy to an attorney's firm.'

(_Aside to pianist_): "It is too low, old man; we'll have that over
again, i