 taken by
surprise, had a calm pleasure in her face. She liked the look of Klesmer,
feeling sure that he would scold her, like a great musician and a kind man.
    »You will not object to beginning our acquaintance by singing to me,« he
added, aware that they would all be relieved by getting rid of preliminaries.
    »I shall be very glad. It is good of you to be willing to listen to me,«
said Mirah, moving to the piano. »Shall I accompany myself?«
    »By all means,« said Klesmer, seating himself, at Mrs. Meyrick's invitation,
where he could have a good view of the singer. The acute little mother would not
have acknowledged the weakness, but she really said to herself, »He will like
her singing better if he sees her.«
    All the feminine hearts except Mirah's were beating fast with anxiety,
thinking Klesmer terrific as he sat with his listening frown on, and only daring
to look at him furtively. If he did say anything severe it would be so hard for
them all. They could only comfort themselves with thinking that Prince
Camaralzaman, who had heard the finest things, preferred Mirah's singing to any
other: - also she appeared to be doing her very best, as if she were more
instead of less at ease that usual.
    The song she had chosen was a fine setting of some words selected from
Leopardi's grand Ode to Italy: -
 
»O patria mia, vedo le mura e gli archi
E le colonne e i simulacri e l'erme
Torri degli avi nostri« -
 
This was recitative: then followed -
 
»Ma la gloria non vedo« -
 
a mournful melody, a rhythmic plaint. After this came a climax of devout triumph
- passing from the subdued adoration of a happy Andante in the words -
 
»Beatissimi voi,
Che offriste il petto alle nemiche lance
Per amor di costei che al sol vi diede« -
 
to the joyous outburst of an exultant Allegro in -
 
»Oh viva, oh viva:
Beatissimi voi
Mentre nel mondo si favelli o scriva.«
 
When she had ended, Klesmer said after a moment -
    »That is Joseph Leo's music.«
    »Yes, he was my lost master - at Vienna: so fierce and so good,« said Mirah,
with a melancholy smile. »He prophesied that my voice would not do for the
stage. And he was right.«
    »Continue, if you please,« said Klesmer, putting out his lips and shaking
his long fingers, while
