V
MRS. RANTZAU'S STORY
She was a teacher of singing, and had only recently settled in the town. Holm had never seen her, but now that her daughter was working in his office, and Marie had begun taking lessons with Mrs. Rantzau herself, he felt it his duty to call.
Moreover, he had some secret hope that it might be possible here to find an ally in his plan for combating Marie's artistic craze. In addition to which, she was Betty's mother....
The place was four storeys up, and Holm, tired after his climb, sat down at the top of the stairs for a moment before ringing the bell.
Tra-la-la-la-la-la—he could hear a woman's voice singing scales inside, the same thing over and over again. A little after came another voice, which he took to be Mrs. Rantzau's.
"Mouth wide open, please; that's it—now breathe!"
Holm rang the bell and Mrs. Rantzau opened the door.
He stood dumbfounded for a moment, staring at her.
"Heavens alive—it can't be—Bianca, is it really you?"