HER CHOICE.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1123, 10 December 1883, Page 4

HER CHOICE.

I -T -E

i (Continued) The one regretr her'.prond heart |had ever experienced siacapslm had become Haiold'Garew’s promised wife was that r .fibe... was a^penniless-,-orphan. r | Now, while bo’shonhl be toiling for lu-r in his far South' American home, she, too, could win.huifols and wealth. 9 r. : "nctor 1 . bw*.ri : further /from her country " than to.,the- neighbouring country audits pleasures; and miseries, as her little-.baby. cousin sleeping peacefully, in its mother’s arms in the next room. ; ■ghehad listened to M-ijbr Burnett’s glowing' of Vlmt lier rqcep_lion,would he by .the .world she had. seen -herself; in the ~crowded, concert room, had heard the applause-of'a: culti r vated.audience felt the rapt, silence as her voice touched : tn'en’s hearts 1 . , - ■' '‘And' then Harold !.. First to glory in h‘er trihtnph’, 'first tb:sharo in, her, fame ! • How, d_elixhied, .lie would;, bo when the World should'render to .her,its homage ! Thte-’tt&iSHhc’, afvecrcst pa* t, after ;all s'communion with her own thoughts in the stillness of her pleasant’rocirn. -Whatever , coipe''hereafter, she * lift'd 'won Her laurels'," ~ ; When Majm—Burnott ca'led upon her / i n-1»h e« Vh orbing, he fm ad ckhc iw ii in ore •'"fn'llj ins 'piaps. As |ie To'ohed ;tipon her lo'refy face bind heard again her superb’ voice, he was ’aroused to an enthusiasm: , would- have --thought foreign fid a * ' ntan of" fits* apparently fihh > gniailc'temperament. -x, , t , ■ [i. hqd.-ggroQd to bill his wishes. . She would receive the in slrnction: of ; lb&master die would procure for her ; she. would 'study carefully tlimparl of Emilia;. one grand,- concert • before a vhosen audience of the great inevery branch of art ; then, and then only, would she consent to sign a cqnt|aot;fpr a regular engagement. ■ after all,’ she said,’ gaily, ‘ vou-may find hie ‘‘condemned 1 by the , voice of- public' opinion, ,a,nd then what would yon do V [ ’ ■ ~ I had expressed my opinion as to the merits "of your voice, my dear yp.nng lady ?’ ho said superbly. ‘ You wii 1 pardon] me,, batAyon show great modesty’—he haled to say ignorance of ‘' his ; reputation 'as a critic and art: - r modesty.', I fonr you will not rotain that humblipppipion . of yourself a year from how.} von will be - h‘ke-the rest of the world then,: fully . conscious of y.onr merits. We all are, *5 ,ho added, quickly, as he saw the swift flush rise to- her fair young brow. ‘ Now ■once more, if.yon will so honour file,’ •’■■Tind be led her to,-the piano, with, the . cpnrtly grace 'lie ; had found so . taking .with -women. , !

‘.She is a.wonder, a rriarrel/ Hal he ‘v':pnul',' enthusiastically, " : 16. His friend^iliat night. ‘ She.will be a revelatiorito all London next‘season. ,If only I had , that contract signed by that fairy hand,-I • ' Would snap iny fingers at Fate—a happy ,mnn !’ - , ■ ■ . -s-». 1 !!u V" » ■ » ' ■ * » It was the eventful night of Ethel -LFcrrier’s; debut, the night which would s tho; seal of public opinion upon Major Burucl.l’s dictum —the, night *-which would tnake or mar her prospects. The great'hall was filled with the select audience .cotuc to sit in judgment •'--upon the young singer. :: London had contributed its rank and fashion, ‘ i's learning anil wealth 1 . Ceitainly, Ethel could feel that nothing had.hecu omitted which could give elegance mid tone to her first appearance ,in public as a candidate for public favour. ,First pLaII there was an orchestral to which every one listened with well-bred attention, bin with silent enthusiasm then followed a; dashing and brilliant pianiste, who, played one of her Own clever compositions ; but every one‘ had heard Madame Ardita before, and waited, therefore, with somewhat' unflattering listlessness for the appearance of tlio-ybnng debutante. At last she came, a slight,'* beautiful JgirT; withi, a marvellous ease and grace tof manner. L

' Blase opera-goers roused themselves - to interest ; languid fine ladies allowed 1 themselves to' look! eagerly' at the lovely

creature in her floating white draperies, . with great clusters of pale-pink roses at her throjit, .looping, her-dress and laying against the chestnut waves of her bai*-. . J ‘;Far: xtoo-' beautiful,’ -Whispered one passe maiden lady to her neighbour, ‘ to • have a good voice or any other talent.’

'; ; /You think so,’ returned the other smilingly, a young countess, noted'alike for her wit and beauty; ‘ There are ,few,: of us. gifted. with your penetration, dear Lady Flora.* Yon really alarm me <»t .times, yon detect so quickly the slightest flaw in one’s armour.’ ‘Her manner is the perfection of art iS.inco it adrhirably. conceals what an has taught,’ said another, a long-haired young a'rtia.t A ' exaniinihg critically thijpuglj. Ufa. lorgnette the fi-osh innocent f&ce. a,pd. graceful form* fI ‘-AYpitj we,'bear her/ said the fjair countess, gaily ; 1 better, to keep our wit and criticism until then. Her S 1 cess or her. failure may inspire n$ * 0 say something'brilliant.’ ■;

jilt was ‘ the realisation n f Ethel’s dream. All those faces merely visions, such - as she ha( j secn in uer qe iet room . s he knew they were aronn'. her, but their presence embarrassetVF.pr less than uhen ‘she had felt th'eny Vith her in the; stillness of that nl night. heard the opening, chords of the

accompaniment, she saw the major’s anxious face jest below her, and could Vot, for the life of' her,'repress a queer filing of amusement at what his discomfiture would be should sjie fail. Then s'e sang—as never woman sang before. . ? *■ It was a EOiig which Ihe young Italian had written for her, a song which breached';! he soul of Italy in its rapturous

sweetness. Eyes that had not wept fo’ saw the white-robed singer thrpugh a mist | women .dropped their . faces

b®hind their fan s eyes the tears which-fillcd their own. Fuller, clearer, sweeter, the marvellous voice rose and soared through the vast hall with the fresh, .estatic melody of a lark’s notes,, then, it died down do, silehce'which Ccan he feltand Ethel’knew. what is meant by swaying and stirring the hearts of men. The encore which followed 1 ’-she did not respond top but after a while she.; again came forward to receive a perfebt ovation. Again she sang-yUhe same scene was enacted ; W She finished-her song, those nearest to. her detected a rich rose flush rise to her exquisite;-face, and noticed that a glance of recognition seemed to. flash from her.eycs to the eyes of some, one in the audience. . Behind';‘the.'scene the ovation-con-tinued. With sweet, shy lips, she answered the words qf her great, and talented the rose still pulsing in her check, v - > ■ ■'Bht' she cared for it all so little, fdr a few minutes before she had seen across the scab of faces- the"face of Harold Carew. Madame' .Ardiasv >bfiflant playing emptied the room of all saved Ethel and "Major Burnett. ‘ You' are satisfied that -I, was not . mistaken V He said, exultingly. [ l lt lias : been two -wonderful,’ ebe answered softly, straining Her ears ifbf the sound of 'tliat well-knowii step.; (To. he continued.) ;