FOURTH PERIOD
RETIREMENT
(1895-1906)
CHAPTER XIX.
A NONAGENARIAN TEACHER.
(1895-1905).
IN commencing this chapter I must apologise for the personal tone, which is almost unavoidable, since I am giving purely personal reminiscences of the years of study that I spent under Manuel Garcia.
It was early in the May of 1895 that my mother (Antoinette Sterling) took me up to see her old master, in order that he might give his decision as to the advisability of my entering the musical profession.
When we had driven out to his house on Shoot-up-hill, we rang the bell, and a maid came to the door. "Is Señor Garcia well enough to see us? If he is sleeping, do not disturb him. We can wait till he is rested." The servant raised her eyebrows in slight wonderment. "Mr Garcia is out gardening, Madame. I will tell him of your arrival."
This astonishing information was uttered in the most ordinary tone, as though such a thing were a mere episode of everyday life. We were ushered into the drawing-room, but were not kept waiting long, for in a few minutes the door opened and Manuel Garcia entered. With a genial smile and an exclamation of pleasure he came rapidly across the room, taking short, quick steps, and was shaking hands with his old pupil almost before she had time to rise from her seat. The next quarter of an hour passed swiftly enough. A stream of questions fell from the lips of the wonderful nonagenarian as to what she had been doing, where she had been, what were her latest songs, what she thought of the pianist who had recently come out, what of the political situation, when could she come to lunch,—and so on.