登陆注册
5167700000047

第47章

``I'm a little nervous,'' said Mildred with a shy laugh.``If you don't mind, I'd like to wait till I've got used to my surroundings.''

Jennings looked at her.The long sharp nose seemed to be rapping her on the forehead like a wood-pecker's beak on the bark of the tree.``Begin,'' he said, pointing to the book.

Mildred flushed angrily.``I shall not begin until I CAN begin,'' said she.The time to show this man that he could not treat her brutally was at the outset.

Jennings opened the door into the hall.``Good day, Miss Stevens,'' he said with his abrupt bow.

Mildred looked at him; he looked at her.Her lip trembled, the hot tears flooded and blinded her eyes.

She went unsteadily to the music-stand and tried to see the notes of the exercises.Jennings closed the door and seated himself at the far end of the room.She began--a ridiculous attempt.She stopped, gritted her teeth, began again.Once more the result was absurd; but this time she was able to keep on, not improving, but maintaining her initial off-key quavering.

She stopped.

``You see,'' said she.``Shall I go on?''

``Don't stop again until I tell you to, please,'' said he.

She staggered and stumbled and somersaulted through two pages of DO-RE-ME-FA-SOL-LA-SI.Then he held up his finger.

``Enough,'' said he.

Silence, an awful silence.She recalled what Mrs.

Belloc had told her about him, what Mrs.Brindley had implied.But she got no consolation.She said timidly:

``Really, Mr.Jennings, I can do better than that.

Won't you let me try a song?''

``God forbid!'' said he.``You can't stand.You can't breathe.You can't open your mouth.Naturally, you can't sing.''

She dropped to a chair.

``Take the book, and go over the same thing, sitting,'' said he.

She began to remove her wraps.

``Just as you are,'' he commanded.``Try to forget yourself.Try to forget me.Try to forget what a brute I am, and what a wonderful singer you are.Just open your mouth and throw the notes out.''

She was rosy with rage.She was reckless.She sang.At the end of three pages he stopped her with an enthusiastic hand-clapping.``Good! Good!'' he cried.``I'll take you.I'll make a singer of you.

Yes, yes, there's something to work on.''

The door opened.A tall, thin woman with many jewels and a superb fur wrap came gliding in.Jennings looked at the clock.The hands pointed to eleven.

Said he to Mildred:

``Take that book with you.Practice what you've done to-day.Learn to keep your mouth open.We'll go into that further next time.'' He was holding the door open for her.As she passed out, she heard him say:

``Ah, Mrs.Roswell.We'll go at that third song first.''

The door closed.Reviewing all that had occurred, Mildred decided that she must revise her opinion of Jennings.A money-maker he no doubt was.And why not? Did he not have to live? But a teacher also, and a great teacher.Had he not destroyed her vanity at one blow, demolished it?--yet without discouraging her.And he went straight to the bottom of things--very different from any of the teachers she used to have when she was posing in drawing-rooms as a person with a voice equal to the most difficult opera, if only she weren't a lady and therefore not forced to be a professional singing person.Yes, a great teacher--and in deadly earnest.He would permit no trifling! How she would have to work!

And she went to work with an energy she would not have believed she possessed.He instructed her minutely in how to stand, in how to breathe, in how to open her mouth and keep it open, in how to relax her throat and leave it relaxed.He filled every second of her half-hour; she had never before realized how much time half an hour was, how use could be made of every one of its eighteen hundred seconds.She went to hear other teachers give lessons, and she understood why Jennings could get such prices, could treat his pupils as he saw fit.She became an extravagant admirer of him as a teacher, thought him a genius, felt confident that he would make a great singer of her.With the second lesson she began to progress rapidly.In a few weeks she amazed herself.At last she was really singing.

Not in a great way, but in the beginnings of a great way.Her voice had many times the power of her drawing-room days.Her notes were full and round, and came without an effort.Her former ideas of what constituted facial and vocal expression now seemed ridiculous to her.She was now singing without making those dreadful faces which she had once thought charming and necessary.Her lower register, always her best, was almost perfect.Her middle register--the test part of a voice--was showing signs of strength and steadiness and evenness.And she was fast getting a real upper register, as distinguished from the forced and shrieky high notes that pass as an upper register with most singers, even opera singers.After a month of this marvelous forward march, she sang for Mrs.Brindley--sang the same song she had essayed at their first meeting.When she finished, Mrs.Brindley said:

``Yes, you've done wonders.I've been noticing your improvement as you practiced.You certainly have a very different voice and method from those you had a month ago,'' and so on through about five minutes of critical and discriminating praise.

Mildred listened, wondering why her dissatisfaction, her irritation, increased as Mrs.Brindley praised on and on.Beyond question Cyrilla was sincere, and was saying even more than Mildred had hoped she would say.Yet-- Mildred sat moodily measuring off octaves on the keyboard of the piano.If she had been looking at her friend's face she would have flared out in anger; for Cyrilla Brindley was taking advantage of her abstraction to observe her with friendly sympathy and sadness.Presently she concealed this candid expression and said:

``You are satisfied with your progress, aren't you, Miss Stevens?''

Mildred flared up angrily.``Certainly!'' replied she.``How could I fail to be?''

同类推荐
  • 范村梅谱

    范村梅谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 答长安崔少府叔封游

    答长安崔少府叔封游

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 念佛超脱轮回捷径经

    念佛超脱轮回捷径经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 海壑吟稿

    海壑吟稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 裨海记游

    裨海记游

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 奇异怪象的故事

    奇异怪象的故事

    童话是世界儿童文学中永不凋谢的花冠,是与我们少年儿童捉迷藏的小朋友。童话奠定了我们的人生基础,影响着我们的一生。因此应该把那些名篇珍品传给后代,陶冶后代。
  • 神魔大唐

    神魔大唐

    这是一个不一样的大唐世界,这里有飞天之能的人类强者,又有阴谋诡计的皇位战争,一切尽在神魔大唐。
  • 世界经典童话故事全集:生灵怪象的故事

    世界经典童话故事全集:生灵怪象的故事

    本套丛书包括《国王皇后的故事》、《王子少年的故事》、《公主千金的故事》、《官员商人的故事》、《庶民百姓的故事》、《能工巧匠的故事》、《女人儿童的故事》、《魔鬼妖怪的故事》、《动物植物的故事》和《生灵怪象的故事》等10册童话故事,其中包括安徒生、格林、豪夫和王尔德的作品,也包括了世界各国许多民间童话故事, 很具有代表性和普遍性。相信这套《世界经典童话故事全集》丛书,能够启迪儿童的心灵、陶冶儿童的情操、培养儿童的情趣、丰富儿童的知识、发展儿童的智力,成为广大父母和少年儿童们的良好读物和收藏品。
  • 大洪奇侠传

    大洪奇侠传

    大洪王朝,江湖发生一个大案、震惊朝廷、白衣少侠洪一天被官府聘请查案由此发生一系列的故事,本故事及人物纯属虚构,如有雷同纯属巧合切勿模仿。
  • 贯通一生的心理手册:心理哲学与艺术

    贯通一生的心理手册:心理哲学与艺术

    本书包含了:感知与适应——骚动中走好第一步、命运——立起不倒的人格、好心情——痛并快乐着、心与性——困惑的“玫瑰之战”等章节内容。
  • 战神,快抓住那妖!

    战神,快抓住那妖!

    寻寻觅觅,暮暮朝朝,千丝情结难系。恩怨惊得雨幕,满是涟漪。轻诉三言两语,怎奈何,风烟鄹起?千回转,万象异,还是旧时临訾……一场浩劫,改天换地,唯有那首哀怨凄凉的词流传于世,那株万古长青的千叶素华依旧葱绿,而守护仙灵纷纷散去,生死不知——而这一切的背后,究竟孰是孰非?今世的缘又该如何续,仇恨又将如何化解?
  • 无盐丑女

    无盐丑女

    长孙容看到周围飘荡的一缕缕游魂,惊讶的睁大了双眼。天哪,这是哪里?怎么会出现这种鬼东东?抓来一个看着顺眼的,丢过去一记媚眼,娇滴滴的问道“请问,这里是哪里吖?”“阎王殿…”鬼被她吓的口吐白沫,就怕又升天一次。OMG,想她活了二十三年,做的好事可以按千计算,那她这么会出现在这里?难道,是老天嫉妒她太美了吗?还好,她有个小聪明,懂得魅惑这里的老大——阎王。然后,她重生了!只是,就不能让她正常一点的重生吗?怎么到了这个陌生的地方就是盖着大红的盖头?这也就算了,竟然还让她遇到了劫亲的。而那个打劫的人说什么?丑女?原来自己竟然变成了一个丑女,那她就更加的好奇,到底是谁有胆量娶自己这个丑女了。不过,丑女多作怪,看她如何玩转这个不存在的历史朝代!“皇上,您为什么和月妃都不穿衣服?”某女色迷迷的看着男人和女人光滑的身体。(当然是偷偷的看)某男和某女恨的牙痒。“漂亮姐姐,你用的是什么胭脂,为什么你的皮肤这样的光滑细嫩,我的就不可以?”某女一脸天真的看着她口中的那个漂亮姐姐!某男脸部肌肉抽搐不停,该死,这个丑女眼睛有问题吗?他是男人!“你跟着我干什么?”某女终于出了皇宫,没有想到,就被一个和尚跟上了。“阿弥陀佛,别人笑我忒疯癫,我笑他人看不穿,如今,贫僧也看不穿了!”和尚说了一句莫名其妙的话,但是,那句诗词,却让某女浑身一震!“虽然我长的很丑,但是,配你刚刚好,而且,我会很温柔的,一定不会让你感觉到痛苦!”一张很耐看的脸(呃,其实就是很丑,咱不好明说)的主人对着在他不远处的一个丑女开口。“我丑吗?”某女巧笑倩兮的上前,然后,出其不意的,一拳落在了丑男的鼻子上,顿时,鲜血喷洒当场!“看来你是真的喜欢我,看到我都流鼻血了!”丑男脸部在抽搐,然后,口吐白沫,直接晕倒!本文女主强大,腹黑,在皇宫中扮猪吃老虎,出了皇宫就恢复了自己的本色!文文前半部分是纯小白,中间有点偏正,后面也是小白,喜欢的亲们跳坑了~~文文没有华丽的词藻,有的是精彩搞笑的故事情节,可以让看的亲们都笑口常开,喜欢的亲们请收藏,很喜欢请推荐,非常喜欢请留言!月在这里谢谢大家了,群么么!强烈推荐好友NP文夜子翎《收了祸世相公们》友情链接月的好友的文,请喜欢的亲们捧场哦!《前妻魅惑》作者:沫筱然天使的《帅哥,我来自武侠时代》,古代女主VS妖孽男主,帅哥美男层出不穷
  • 美美娇娘恶魔夫2

    美美娇娘恶魔夫2

    倔强坚强女大学生林琳,在游泳池中被一支古玉簪刺到,被带到千年之前的大唐。机缘巧合的结识了李世民之胞弟李元吉,两人性格冲突,误会不断。然而两人在分分合合冲突间,产生了感情,彼此认为对方是今生的知己。然而唐太宗李世民,也对林琳有些感情,千方百计为二人制造障碍。而后事的发展,谁也没有预料到……婉转曲折的爱情故事,阴险狠毒的阴谋伎俩,错综复杂的人物关系,请看《美美娇娘恶魔夫2》
  • 何为天道

    何为天道

    何为命运?何为天道?龙岳的机遇是福是祸?为何一切都不是自己想要的?
  • 玉色长歌

    玉色长歌

    此处是简介:据说穿越剧定律不是车祸、撞头就是植物人,醒来时不是富家千金正待入宫选秀,就是底层穷苦女娃天上掉馅饼得到武功秘籍翻身农奴把歌唱。而她,一没有出车祸,二没有撞着脑袋,三也没有得什么要死要活的病症变成植物人,不过就是拎着个箱子出门溜一圈(离家出走?),怎么就突然成了大齐第一淑女?还和当朝将军之子有婚约!这身份,这地位,啊呸,娘啊,这是自个儿把头伸到断头台下,就怕那铡刀什么时候掉下来啊!他说,你很有趣,有趣得让我停不住脚步,移不开眼睛,也舍不下命。得不到这爱意缠绵,便翻了这天下搅了这红尘翻覆你心绪换抵死纠葛难断。他说,女人?爷一抓一大把。你?你不是女人,你是尤物。低调?这不是爷的行事风格。哪儿乱爷去哪儿,哪儿还乱得过你这疯女人的心?爷就委屈委屈住下好了。他说,王权是我的,皇位也本就是我的,何来争夺之说?阻我前路者,杀!什么?小的杀不了?那就杀老的好了,留下一个窝囊废和一个女人,教军营里那一群大老爷们儿怎么逛妓院吗!哈哈哈......不过这只是普通版简介。正常的在这里。深仇血海滔天,是谁?将尖利的爪牙伸向襁褓中的婴儿!是谁?在皇权更迭之路上踏着亲手堆起的白骨,步步向上!又是谁?看似漫不经心的动一动手指,让那堆白骨刹那倾塌!有人归来,归来的是千锤百炼开锋后的利剑。迎上她,忽颠覆了世界,乱了红尘,没了章法。开始便错了,错过了错的人,错一场风花雪月,错一回动魄惊心。平等?人分三六九等,平等又是哪一“等”?一场血雨腥风中的无声倾轧,一场翻覆生死里的逐鹿之战,到最后,竟成了一场争夺一颗七窍玲珑心的赌赛。到头来天下谁主,她戏唱罢,她属几等?深雪里碎了一地软红,她和他们赤脚踏来,醉了几许人呀。