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[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
During the singing in the chapel on the fast day Barbara had waitedvainly for a word of appreciation from the Emperor. The Queen of Hungaryhad gone to the chase, and the monarch had remained in his apartments,while she had done her best below. A few lords and ladies of the court,several priests, knights, and pages had been the only listeners.
This had sorely irritated her easily wounded sensitiveness, but she hadappeared at the rehearsal in the New Scales on the following morning.Again she reaped lavish praise, but several times she met Appenzelder'swell-founded criticisms with opposition.
The radiant cheerfulness which, the day before yesterday, had investedher nature with an irresistible charm had vanished.
When the tablatures were at last laid aside, and the invitation to singin the Golden Cross did not yet arrive, her features and her whole mannerbecame so sullen that even some of the choir boys noticed it.
Since the day before a profound anxiety had filled her whole soul, andshe herself wondered that it had been possible for her to conquer it justnow during the singing.
How totally different an effect she had expected her voice—which eventhe greatest connoisseurs deemed worthy of admiration—to produce uponthe music-loving Emperor!
What did she care if the evening of the day before yesterday the Queen ofHungary had paid her fine compliments and assured her of the highapproval of her imperial brother, since Appenzelder had informed heryesterday that it was necessary to conceal from his Majesty the fact thata woman was occupying the place of the lad from Cologne, Johannes. Theawkward giant had been unfriendly to women ever since, many years before,his young wife had abandoned him for a Neapolitan officer, and his badopinion of the fairer sex had been by no means lessened when Barbara, atthis communication, showed with pitiless frankness the anger andmortification which it aroused in her mind. A foul fiend, he assuredGombert, was hidden in that golden-haired delight of the eyes with thesiren voice; but the leader of the orchestra had interceded for her, andthought that her complaint was just. So great an artist was too good tofill the place of substitute for a sick boy who sang for low wages. Shehad obliged him merely to win the applause of the Emperor and hisillustrious sister, and to have the regent turn her back upon Ratisbonjust at this time, and without having informed his Majesty whose voicehad with reason aroused his delight, would be felt even by a gentlerwoman as an injury.
Appenzelder could not help admitting this, and then dejectedly promisedBarbara to make amends as soon as possible for the wrong which theregent, much against his will, had committed.
He was compelled to use all the power of persuasion at his command tokeep her in the boy choir, at least until the poisoned members could beemployed again, for she threatened seriously to withdraw her aid infuture.
Wolf, too, had a difficult position with the girl whom his persuasion hadinduced to enter the choir. What Appenzelder ascribed to the devilhimself, he attributed merely to the fervour of her fiery artisttemperament. Yet her vehement outburst of w