“Please don’t look at me that way, Olive. I didn’t mean to laugh; but it is funny. And when you look so hurt and dignified I can’t help it. But we’ve traded parts, anyhow. Don’t say a word. I have reasons,—of state, as they say in romantic drama,—and nothing can alter my determination. It’s either change parts or I won’t go at all. We’ve had that thing pounded into us for a month—it seems years to me—and every word of Max Schmidt’s opera is beaten into the brains of every one of us. I believe I could sing the tenor’s part; and you could, too. There are only two or three of Gretchen’s songs that you need go over at all,—”
“But I won’t! I won’t lend myself to any such thing—”
“Olive, how dare you say won’t to me! I’m saying it; and two people can’t won’t at the same time. My reasons are sound; my decision is final! I haven’t soaked myself with camphor here in the dark for nothing. I mean business. So don’t ask me any questions.”
“But think of the chagrin of the rest of the cast! Don’t you know this whole thing is built around you? The idea of me, little old me, trying to sing a part that people expect to hear you in.”
“Cousin Olive, I’m deeper than I look. I have particular reasons, most particular, for making this change. Please be a good girl and help me. If you knew, if you only knew,—”
“I’m sure there’s fraud in it somewhere. But—”
“But you’ll do exactly what I tell you, like a nice little girl, to please your loving cousin.”
“I’m afraid so,” said Olive, reluctantly. Zelda smoothed back her hair from her forehead and threw the long black braid over her shoulder.
“And now will you kindly—I’m treating you as though you were a maid-of-all-work—will you be kind and forgiving enough to throw me that other bath-wrapper from the closet—it’s a queer-looking pink thing—this one is smothering me—and I’ll be obliged to you. Then we can go to work.”
Zelda brushed her hair at the dressing-table, breaking out occasionally into a fit of laughing. She rose suddenly in the majesty of the bath-wrapper and sang one of Christine’s songs with animation, waving her hairbrush in the air: