Section 1 Summary

The story begins by introducing pianist Oceola Jones and Mrs. Dora Ellsworth, who pays for Oceola's small apartment on the Left Bank in Paris and for a grand piano. Mrs. Ellsworth lives in New York City but spends her time visiting the disciples who study their art under her patronage. She is a widow with no children. In addition, she is quite rich, but has lost interest in her own life. Instead, she enjoys sharing her money with artists who create beauty. The line between the art and the artist is very unclear for Mrs. Ellsworth, and she relies on her intuition to guide her selection of protegees. This intuition is not blind to aesthetics, as she had taken no interest in a soprano who, despite her talent, reeked of garlic and had a sallow complexion. Her discrimination was not without regret when...