“This is a hint for the younger part of the company to pounce upon the Misses Rodelein.  A great tumult ensues; in the midst of which you can distinguish these words,—­

“’Schones Fraulein! do not refuse us the gratification of your heavenly talent!  O, sing something! that’s a good dear!—­impossible,—­bad cold,—­the last ball! have not practised anything,—­oh, do, do, we beg of you,’ etc.

“Meanwhile Gottlieb has opened the piano-forte, and placed the well-known music-book on the stand; and from the card-table cries the respectable mamma,—­

" ‘Chantez donc, mes enfans!’

“That is the cue of my part.  I place myself at the piano-forte, and the Rodeleins are led up to the instrument in triumph.

“And now another difficulty arises.  Neither wishes to sing first.

“‘You know, dear Nanette, how dreadful hoarse I am.’

“‘Why, my dear Marie, I am as hoarse as you are.’

“‘I sing so badly!—­’

“‘O, my dear child; do begin!’

“My suggestion, (I always make the same!) that they should both begin together with a duet, is loudly applauded;—­the music-book is thumbed over, and the leaf, carefully folded down, is at length found, and away we go with Dolce dell’ anima, etc.

“To tell the truth, the talent of the Misses Rodelein is not the smallest.  I have been an instructer here only five years, and little short of two years in the Rodelein family.  In this short time, Fraulein Nanette has made such progress, that a tune, which she has heard at the theatre only ten times, and has played on the piano-forte, at farthest, ten times more, she will sing right off, so that you know in a moment what it is.  Fraulein Marie catches it at the eighth time; and if she is sometimes a quarter of a note lower than the piano-forte, after all it is very tolerable, considering her pretty little doll-face, and very passable rosy-lips.

“After the duet, a universal chorus of applause!  And now arriettas and duettinos succeed each other, and right merrily I hammer away at the thousand-times-repeated accompaniment.  During the singing, the Finanzrathin Eberstein, by coughing and humming, has given to understand that she also sings.  Fraulein Nanette says;

“’But, my dear Finanzrathin, now you must let us hear your exquisite voice.’

“A new tumult arises.  She has a bad cold in her head,—­she does not know anything by heart!  Gottlieb brings straightway two armfuls of music-books; and the leaves are turned over again and again.  First she thinks she will sing Der Holle Rache, etc., then Hebe sich, etc., then Ach, Ich liebte, etc.  In this embarrassment, I propose, Ein Veilchen auf der Wiese, etc.  But she is for the heroic style; she wants to make a display, and finally selects the aria in Constantia.