FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  
iently. "I only hope that his notice will not discourage you for Tristan to-morrow night. But Mr. Calcraft is really a kind man, even if he seems severe in print. I tell him that he always hangs his fiddle outside the door, as the Irish say, which means, my dear Herr Viznina, that he is kinder abroad than at home." Seeing the slightly bewildered look of her companion she added, "And so you didn't mind his being cross this morning, did you?" The tenor hesitated. "But he was not cross at all, Madame; I thought him very kind; for my throat was rough--you know what I mean! sick, sore; yes, it was a real sore throat that I had last night." It was her turn to look puzzled. "Not cross? Mr. Calcraft not severe? Dear me, what do you call it, then?" "He said I was a great artist," rejoined the other. Tekla burst into laughter and apologized. "You have read the wrong paper, Herr Viznina, and I am glad you have. And now you must promise to stay and dine with us to-night. No, you sha'n't refuse! We are quite alone and you must know that, as old married folks, we are always delighted to have some one with us. I told Mr. Calcraft only this morning that we should go out to dinner if he came home alone. Don't ask for which paper he writes until you meet him. Nothing in the world could make me tell you." She was all frankness and animation, and her guest told himself that she was of a great charm. They fell into professional talk. She spoke of her husband's talents; how he had played the viola in quartet parties; of his successful lecture, "The Inutility of Wagner," and his preferences in music. "But if he does not care for Wagner he must be a Brahmsianer." The last word came out with true Viennese unction. "He now despises Brahms, and thinks that he had nothing to say. Wagner is, for him, a decadent, like Liszt and the rest." "But the classics, Madame, what does M. Calcraft write of the classics?" demanded the singer. "That they are all used-up romantics; that every musical dog has his day, and the latest composer is always the best; he voices his generation. We liked Brahms yesterday; to-day we are all for Richard Strauss and the symphonic poem." "_We?_" A quizzical inflection was in the young man's voice. She stared at him. "I get into the habit of using the editorial 'we.' I do it for fun; I by no means always agree with my husband. Besides, I often write criticism for Mr. Calcraft when he is away--or lecturing.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Calcraft
 

Wagner

 

morning

 

Madame

 

throat

 
husband
 
classics
 

Brahms

 
severe
 

Viznina


thinks

 

preferences

 
criticism
 

iently

 
unction
 

despises

 
Viennese
 
Brahmsianer
 

parties

 

professional


lecturing

 

talents

 

successful

 

lecture

 

quartet

 

played

 

Inutility

 

generation

 

yesterday

 

voices


editorial

 
latest
 

composer

 

Richard

 

quizzical

 
inflection
 

stared

 
Strauss
 

symphonic

 
demanded

singer
 

Besides

 
animation
 
musical
 

romantics

 

decadent

 
hesitated
 

thought

 
artist
 

rejoined