II The New Margarita

           Onthefirstlanding,SorelliranagainsttheComtedeChagny,whowascomingup-stairs.Thecount,whowasgenerallysocalm,seemedgreatlyexcited.

           "Iwasjustgoingtoyou,"hesaid,takingoffhishat."Oh,Sorelli,whatanevening!AndChristineDaae:whatatriumph!"

           "Impossible!"saidMegGiry."Sixmonthsago,sheusedtosinglikeaCROCK!Butdoletusgetby,mydearcount,"continuesthebrat,withasaucycurtsey."Wearegoingtoinquireafterapoormanwhowasfoundhangingbytheneck."

           Justthentheacting-managercamefussingpastandstoppedwhenheheardthisremark.

           "What!"heexclaimedroughly."Haveyougirlsheardalready?Well,pleaseforgetaboutitfortonight—andabovealldon’tletM.DebienneandM.Polignyhear;itwouldupsetthemtoomuchontheirlastday."

           Theyallwentontothefoyeroftheballet,whichwasalreadyfullofpeople.TheComtedeChagnywasright;nogalaperformanceeverequalledthisone.Allthegreatcomposersofthedayhadconductedtheirownworksinturns.FaureandKrausshadsung;and,onthatevening,ChristineDaaehadrevealedhertrueself,forthefirsttime,totheastonishedandenthusiasticaudience.GounodhadconductedtheFuneralMarchofaMarionnette;Reyer,hisbeautifuloverturetoSiguar;SaintSaens,theDanseMacabreandaReverieOrientale;Massenet,anunpublishedHungarianmarch;Guiraud,hisCarnaval;Delibes,theValseLentefromSylviaandthePizzicatifromCoppelia.Mlle.KrausshadsungthebolerointheVespriSiciliani;andMlle.DeniseBlochthedrinkingsonginLucreziaBorgia.