On the following day Margaret received a note from Schreiermeyer

informing her in the briefest terms and in doubtful French that he had

concluded the arrangements for her to make her début in the part of

Marguerite, in a Belgian city, in exactly a month, and requiring that

she should attend the next rehearsal of Faust at the Opéra in Paris,

where Faust is almost a perpetual performance and yet seems to need

rehearsing from time to time.

She showed the letter to Mrs. Rushmore, who sighed wearily after

reading it, and said nothing. But there was a little more colour in

Margaret's cheek, and her eyes sparkled at the prospect of making a

beginning at last. Mrs. Rushmore took up her newspaper again with an

air of sorrowful disapproval, but presently she started uncomfortably

and looked at Margaret.

'Oh!' she exclaimed, and sighed once more.

'What is it?' asked the young girl.

'It must be true, for it's in the Herald.' 'What?'

Mrs. Rushmore read the following paragraph:-

We hear on the best authority that a new star is about to dazzle

the operatic stage. Monsieur Schreiermeyer has announced to a

select circle of friends that it will be visible in the theatrical

heaven on the night of June 21, in the character of Marguerite and

in the person of a surprisingly beautiful young Spanish soprano,

the Señorita Margarita da Cordova, whose romantic story as daughter

to a contrabandista of Andalusia and granddaughter to the

celebrated bullfighter Ramon and---'Oh, my dear! This is too shameful! I told you so!' Mrs. Rushmore's elderly cheeks were positively scarlet as she stared at

the print. Margaret observed the unwonted phenomenon with surprise.

'I don't see anything so appallingly improper in that,' she observed.

'You don't see! No, my child, you don't! I trust you never may. Indeed

if I can prevent it, you never shall. Disgusting! Vile!'

And the good lady read the rest of the paragraph to herself, holding up

the paper so as to hide her modest blushes.

'My dear, what a story!' she cried at last. 'It positively makes me

creep!' 'This is very tantalising,' said Margaret. 'I suppose it has to do with

my imaginary ancestry in Andalusia.'

'I should think it had! Where do they get such things, I wonder? A

bishop, my dear--oh no, really! it would make a pirate blush! Can you

tell me what good this kind of thing can do?' 'Advertisement,' Margaret answered coolly. 'It's intended to excite

interest in me before I appear, you know. Don't they do it in America?' 'Never!' cried Mrs. Rushmore with solemn emphasis. 'Apart from its

being all a perfectly gratuitous falsehood.' 'Gratuitous? Perhaps Schreiermeyer paid to have it put in.' 'Then I never wish to see him, Margaret, never! Do you understand! I

think I shall bring an action against him. At all events I shall take

legal advice. This cannot be allowed to go uncontradicted. If I were

you, I would sit down and write to the paper this very minute, and tell

the editor that you are a respectable English girl. You are, I'm sure!' 'I hope so! But what has respectability to do with art?' 'A great deal, my dear,' answered Mrs. Rushmore wisely. 'You may say

what you like, there is a vast difference between being respectable and

disreputable--perfectly vast! It's of no use to deny it, because you

can't.' 'Nobody can.' 'There now, I told you so! I must say, child, you are getting some very

strange ideas from your new acquaintances. If these are the principles

you mean to adopt, I am sorry for you, very sorry!' Margaret did not seem very sorry for herself, however, for she went off

at this point, singing the 'jewel song' in Faust at the top of her

voice, and wishing with all her heart that she were already behind the

footlights with the orchestra at her feet.




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