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XII Apollo's Lyre
Fromthattimeonward,thevoiceandIbecamegreatfriends.Itaskedleavetogivemelessonseveryday.Iagreedandneverfailedtokeeptheappointmentwhichitgavemeinmydressing-room.Youhavenoidea,thoughyouhaveheardthevoice,ofwhatthoselessonswerelike."
"No,Ihavenoidea,"saidRaoul."Whatwasyouraccompaniment?"
"WewereaccompaniedbyamusicwhichIdonotknow:itwasbehindthewallandwonderfullyaccurate.Thevoiceseemedtounderstandmineexactly,toknowpreciselywheremyfatherhadleftoffteachingme.Inafewweeks’time,IhardlyknewmyselfwhenIsang.Iwasevenfrightened.Iseemedtodreadasortofwitchcraftbehindit;butMammaValeriusreassuredme.ShesaidthatsheknewIwasmuchtoosimpleagirltogivethedevilaholdonme...Myprogress,bythevoice’sownorder,waskeptasecretbetweenthevoice,MammaValeriusandmyself.Itwasacuriousthing,but,outsidethedressing-room,Isangwithmyordinary,every-dayvoiceandnobodynoticedanything.Ididallthatthevoiceasked.Itsaid,’Waitandsee:weshallastonishParis!’AndIwaitedandlivedoninasortofecstaticdream.ItwasthenthatIsawyouforthefirsttimeoneevening,inthehouse.IwassogladthatIneverthoughtofconcealingmydelightwhenIreachedmydressing-room.Unfortunately,thevoicewastherebeforemeandsoonnoticed,bymyair,thatsomethinghadhappened.ItaskedwhatwasthematterandIsawnoreasonforkeepingourstorysecretorconcealingtheplacewhichyoufilledinmyheart.Thenthevoicewassilent.
