Page:Willa Cather - The Song of the Lark.djvu/443

 When they rejoined Landry and Dr. Archie, Fred took up his tea again. "I see you 're singing Venus Saturday night. Will they never let you have a chance at Elizabeth?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not here. There are so many singers here, and they try us out in such a stingy way. Think of it, last year I came over in October, and it was the first of December before I went on at all! I 'm often sorry I left Dresden."

"Still," Fred argued, "Dresden is limited."

"Just so, and I 've begun to sigh for those very limitations. In New York everything is impersonal. Your audience never knows its own mind, and its mind is never twice the same. I 'd rather sing where the people are pig-headed and throw carrots at you if you don't do it the way they like it. The house here is splendid, and the night audiences are exciting. I hate the matinées; like singing at a Kaffeklatsch." She rose and turned on the lights.

"Ah!" Fred exclaimed, "why do you do that? That is a signal that tea is over." He got up and drew out his gloves.

"Not at all. Shall you be here Saturday night?" She sat down on the piano bench and leaned her elbow back on the keyboard. "Necker sings Elizabeth. Make Dr. Archie go. Everything she sings is worth hearing."

"But she 's failing so. The last time I heard her she had no voice at all. She is a poor vocalist! "

Thea cut him off. "She 's a great artist, whether she 's in voice or not, and she 's the only one here. If you want a big voice, you can take my Ortrude of last night; that 's big enough, and vulgar enough."

Fred laughed and turned away, this time with decision. "I don't want her!" he protested energetically. "I only wanted to get a rise out of you. I like Necker's Elizabeth well enough. I like your Venus well enough, too."

"It 's a beautiful part, and it 's often dreadfully sung. It 's very hard to sing, of course."