[A NEW ACQUAINTANCE?]
The lesson at an end, the members of della Seggiola's class have no more acquaintance with one another than have people who have travelled together by railway after they have left the train. The soprano with her slovenly duenna in a long French cachemire shawl, the Italian with his two sisters, one on each arm, all fly apart like bits of lead from an exploding shell.
A saucy smile about his mouth, Capito walks beside the two girls; he softly hums to himself 'La ci darem la mano!'
"You sang well, Zino," Natalie remarks, after a while. "Della Seggiola was absolutely enthusiastic."
"What good did it do me?" says Zino, shrugging his shoulders. "It gave him a reason for politely turning me away."
"He was afraid you might agitate Miss Frazer: she suffers already from her heart," Stella says, with her usual audacity in alluding to uncomfortable topics.
"On the whole, della Seggiola was right," Natalie declares: "it would not have been becoming for you to join the class."
"'Tis odd how often the pleasantest things in this world are unbecoming," Zino murmurs.
"Do you really think it would have been so very pleasant to hear us practising away at the same things twice a week?" Stella asks, gaily.
"Without giving him time to reply, Natalie begins to cross-examine him upon his impressions of della Seggiola's method of instruction.