“Do you think the song in your cloak—it dropped on the ground and Nico picked it up—beautiful or ugly?”
“This one or the other?”
“I mean the Beggar-song.”
“It is fierce, but no more ugly than the roaring of the storm.”
“It is repulsive, barbarous, revolting.”
“I call it strong, overmastering in its power.”
“And this other melody?”
“Spare me an answer; I composed it myself. Can you read notes, Fraulein?”
“A little.”
“And did my attempt displease you?”