“I never heard such rubbish in my life! A married woman taking lessons! What do you think you’re going to do? Give concerts?”
Claudine was not skilled in quarreling. She had always been quite free to follow her inclinations, and her inclinations had never been harmful or ridiculous. She was accustomed to dignified independence, no one in her household had the least desire to interfere with any of the others, and she could not understand such interference. She felt herself growing very angry with this meddlesome and tyrannical old person, but she made a gallant effort to answer nicely.
“It’s only that I’m very fond of music,” she began.
“You’d better be fond of your husband, that’s my advice! Piano lessons!... Very well, young woman! There’ll be no practising on my piano! It’s there to be played on and not fiddled on and banged on.”
Claudine actually turned pale.
“But you surely can’t mind my practising ...?” she cried.
“I do. All the neighbours’ll hear you. A married woman strumming and jigging away like a school girl.... Piece of nonsense!”
Anger got the better of Claudine.
“I never heard of anything so unreasonable and so ridiculous!” she said. “I don’t intend to give it up.”
“Women that can’t give up their childish nonsense have no business to get married. Now then!”