“At the noise of the coach wheels, the street door opened, and a woman who had once been handsome, but whose interesting countenance now bore the traces of age, attired in gray silk, stood upon the threshold. She bowed and smiled to Monsieur as the diligence drew up; he undid the coach door, jumped out, assisted me to do the same, and then presented her to me as Madame Bonni.
“‘This is my little protegee, Madame, whom I wrote you I should bring on to Naples this year to make her debut; we have had a long, and dusty travel from Vienna.’
“‘I am delighted to see you, my friend, and you also, my child; but pray enter my parlor, and I will order refreshments for you; you must feel very much fatigued after so long a journey.’
“The good lady took my hand and led me into her parlor. Monsieur, after giving some directions to the servants about the luggage, followed also. It was really a fairy little room, hung with fine paintings on the walls, damask curtains at the windows, several marble statues placed on pedestals, while a melodious musical box, and a beautiful canary bird in a cage, seemed to vie with each other in harmony. I took a seat near a window, the lady sat opposite me, and Monsieur threw himself on a sofa, and complained of the hot weather and trouble of travelling.
“‘So this is the young lady who sings so splendidly; but I understood that you had three protegees to bring out: where are the other two?’ inquired the lady, after having attentively surveyed me for a moment.
“‘This one is the youngest of the three; they were all educated at the same school together—Madame Deville’s, at Vienna—but Inez and Blanche completed their education first, being the oldest, and have been performing four or five years. Inez is making a fortune for herself at Berlin, and Blanche I left at Munich.’
“‘I should like to hear the young lady sing, if she will oblige me with a song; I have a fine piano here.’ She crossed the room, uncovered an enormous German instrument, and ran her fingers over the keys.
“‘Certainly my pupil will be happy to do so,’ said my teacher, answering for me. ‘She has no need to be afraid of singing: her voice is magnificent; she will make the greatest singer of the day. Come, Genevra, sing something from Norma for my friend.’
“I placed myself at the piano; I was confident of my own abilities, and therefore felt no hesitancy in complying with the request. I chose an air from Norma, and sang it. I recollected many years before how astonished I had been at the power and compass of Blanche’s voice, but now my own tones far excelled hers. I was almost surprised at myself, as I rose from the piano.
“‘Magnificent!’ cried the lady, ‘I never heard such a voice, not even among our best songstresses; so much sweetness and power combined; she will make a great sensation in our city, when she makes her appearance.’