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     She got quickly into bed and moved about freely be…



tween the sheets。  Yes; she was warm all over。  A cold;



dry breeze was coming in from the river; thank goodness!



She tried to think about her little rock house and the Ari…



zona sun and the blue sky。  But that led to memories which



were still too disturbing。  She turned on her side; closed



her eyes; and tried an old device。







     She entered her father's front door; hung her hat and



coat on the rack; and stopped in the parlor to warm her



hands at the stove。  Then she went out through the dining…



room; where the boys were getting their lessons at the long



table; through the sitting…room; where Thor was asleep in















his cot bed; his dress and stocking hanging on a chair。  In



the kitchen she stopped for her lantern and her hot brick。



She hurried up the back stairs and through the windy loft



to her own glacial room。  The illusion was marred only by



the consciousness that she ought to brush her teeth before



she went to bed; and that she never used to do it。  Why?



The water was frozen solid in the pitcher; so she got over



that。  Once between the red blankets there was a short;



fierce battle with the cold; then; warmerwarmer。  She



could hear her father shaking down the hard…coal burner



for the night; and the wind rushing and banging down the



village street。  The boughs of the cottonwood; hard as



bone; rattled against her gable。  The bed grew softer and



warmer。  Everybody was warm and well downstairs。  The



sprawling old house had gathered them all in; like a hen;



and had settled down over its brood。  They were all warm



in her father's house。  Softer and softer。  She was asleep。



She slept ten hours without turning over。  From sleep like



that; one awakes in shining armor。











     On Friday afternoon there was an inspiring audience;



there was not an empty chair in the house。  Ottenburg



and Dr。 Archie had seats in the orchestra circle; got from



a ticket broker。  Landry had not been able to get a seat;



so he roamed about in the back of the house; where he



usually stood when he dropped in after his own turn in



vaudeville was over。  He was there so often and at such



irregular hours that the ushers thought he was a singer's



husband; or had something to do with the electrical



plant。







     Harsanyi and his wife were in a box; near the stage;



in the second circle。  Mrs。 Harsanyi's hair was noticeably



gray; but her face was fuller and handsomer than in those



early years of struggle; and she was beautifully dressed。



Harsanyi himself had changed very little。  He had put on



his best afternoon coat in honor of his pupil; and wore a















pearl in his black ascot。  His hair was longer and more



bushy than he used to wear it; and there was now one



gray lock on the right side。  He had always been an elegant



figure; even when he went about in shabby clothes and



was crushed with work。  Before the curtain rose he was



restless and nervous; and kept looking at his watch and



wishing he had got a few more letters off before he left his



hotel。  He had not been in New York since the advent of



the taxicab; and had allowed himself too much time。  His



wife knew that he was afraid of being disappointed this



afternoon。  He did not often go to the opera because the



stupid things that singers did vexed him so; and it always



put him in a rage if the conductor held the tempo or in



any way accommodated the score to the singer。







     When the lights went out and the violins began to



quaver their long D against the rude figure of the basses;



Mrs。 Harsanyi saw her husband's fingers fluttering on his



knee in a rapid tattoo。  At the moment when SIEGLINDE



entered from the side door; she leaned toward him and



whispered in his ear; 〃Oh; the lovely creature!〃  But he



made no response; either by voice or gesture。  Throughout



the first scene he sat sunk in his chair; his head forward



and his one yellow eye rolling restlessly and shining like a



tiger's in the dark。  His eye followed SIEGLINDE about the



stage like a satellite; and as she sat at the table listening to



SIEGMUND'S long narrative; it never left her。  When she



prepared the sleeping draught and disappeared after



HUNDING; Harsanyi bowed his head still lower and put



his hand over his eye to rest it。  The tenor;a young



man who sang with great vigor; went on:











          〃WALSE!  WALSE!



              WO IST DEIN SCHWERT?〃







Harsanyi smiled; but he did not look forth again until



SIEGLINDE reappeared。  She went through the story of her



shameful bridal feast and into the Walhall' music; which















she always sang so nobly; and the entrance of the one…



eyed stranger:











          〃MIR ALLEIN



              WECKTE DAS AUGE。〃







Mrs。 Harsanyi glanced at her husband; wondering whether



the singer on the stage could not feel his commanding



glance。  On came the CRESCENDO:











          〃WAS JE ICH VERLOR;



              WAS JE ICH BEWEINT



              WAR' MIR GEWONNEN。〃











          (All that I have lost;



           All that I have mourned;



           Would I then have won。)







Harsanyi touched his wife's arm softly。







     Seated in the moonlight; the VOLSUNG pair began their



loving inspection of each other's beauties; and the music



born of murmuring sound passed into her face; as the old



poet said;and into her body as well。  Into one lovely



attitude after another the music swept her; love impelled



her。  And the voice gave out all that was best in it。  Like



the spring; indeed; it blossomed into memories and prophe…



cies; it recounted and it foretold; as she sang the story of



her friendless life; and of how the thing which was truly



herself; 〃bright as the day; rose to the surface〃 when in



the hostile world she for the first time beheld her Friend。



Fervently she rose into the hardier feeling of action and



daring; the pride in hero…strength and hero…blood; until in



a splendid burst; tall and shining like a Victory; she chris…



tened him:











          〃SIEGMUND







              SO NENN ICH DICH!〃











     Her impatience for the sword swelled with her antici…



pation of his act; and throwing her arms above her head;



she fairly tore a sword out of the empty air for him; before



NOTHUNG had left the tree。  IN HOCHSTER TRUNKENHEIT; in…















deed; she burst out with the flaming cry of their kinship:



〃If you are SIEGMUND; I am SIEGLINDE!〃  Laughing; sing…



ing; bounding; exulting;with their passion and their



sword;the VOLSUNGS ran out into the spring night。







     As the curtain fell; Harsanyi turned to his wife。  〃At



last;〃 he sighed; 〃somebody with ENOUGH!  Enough voice



and talent and beauty; enough physical power。  And such



a noble; noble style!〃







     〃I can scarcely believe it; Andor。  I can see her now; that



clumsy girl; hunched up over your piano。  I can see her shoul…



ders。  She always seemed to labor so with her back。  And I



shall never forget that night when you found her voice。〃







     The audience kept up its clamor until; after many re…



appearances with the tenor; Kronborg came before the cur…



tain alone。  The house met her with a roar; a greeting that



was almost savage in its fierceness。  The singer's eyes;



sweeping the house; rested for a moment on Harsanyi; and



she waved her long sleeve toward his box。







     〃She OUGHT to be pleased that you are here;〃 said Mrs。



Harsanyi。  〃I wonder if she knows how much she owes to



you。〃







     〃She owes me nothing;〃 replied her husband quickly。



〃She paid her way。  She always gave something back;



even then。〃







     〃I remember you said once that she would do nothing



common;〃 said Mrs。 Harsanyi thoughtfully。







     〃Just so。  She might fail; die; get lost in the pack。  But



if she achieved; it would be nothing common。  There are



people whom one can trust for that。  There is one way in



which they will never fail。〃  Harsanyi retired into his own



reflections。







     After the second act Fred Ottenburg brought Archie



to the Harsanyis' box and introduced him as an old friend



of Miss Kronborg。  The head of a musical publishing house




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