She sat down at the piano and the rest of the band stood up and grouped themselves round her. Jason could just see her tiny hands on the keyboard.
The trombone player turned his head and called to the young man: “Miss Gellert would like a drink first.”
The young man got rather unsteadily out of his chair and brought over a glass of champagne. “Do get on with it,” he begged; “people will think you’re showing off.”
The glass of champagne disappeared behind the group of musicians, and a moment later reappeared on top of the piano, empty.
Then, with her two tiny hands, she hit four chords all in the bass. Jason sat up in his chair, and people stopped talking.
She played for exactly five minutes, then she got up and went back to her table. People clapped very loudly and shouted, but she wouldn’t play again. Jason was so impressed that he said to the young man: “That was simply terrific. Pass on my congratulations.”
The girl turned and looked at him. Jason thought how like Hepburn she was. She said, “Thank you, very much.”
The young man scowled at Jason and broke in: “Will you get your things? We ought to be moving.”
She got up and went away to the ladies’ cloakroom.
Jason said to the young man, “Do you know her very well?”