She telegraphed, "Absolutely impossible--HEATH."
In the late evening a second telegram came from Jernington: "Very well suppose I must come--JERNINGTON."
Charmian laughed as she read it over Claude"s shoulder.
"The pathos of it," she said. "Poor old Jernington! He is horror-stricken. Bury St. Edmunds has been his farthest beat till now except for his year in Germany. Claudie, he loves the opera or he would never have consented to come. I felt it was a test. The opera, the child, has stood it triumphantly. I love old Jernington. And he is a first-rate critic, isn"t he?"
"Of orchestration, certainly."
"That"s half the battle in an opera. I feel so happy. Let us have an audition to-night!"
"All right," he said.
"And play us an act right through; the first act. Alston has only heard it in bits."
"I don"t really care for anyone to hear it yet," Claude said, with obvious reluctance.
Yet he desired a verdict--of praise. He longed for encouragement. In old days, when he had composed for himself, he had felt indifferent to that.
But now he was working on something which was planned, which was being executed, with the intention to strike upon the imagination of a big public. He was no longer indifferent. He was secretly anxious. He longed to be told that what he was doing was good.
That evening he was genuinely warmed by the enthusiasm of his wife and of Alston.
"And surely," he said to himself, "they would be inclined to be more critical than others, to be hypercritical."
He forgot that in some natures desire creates conviction.
On the last day of Alston"s visit Charmian and he understood why Claude"s mathematical powers had been brought to bear on the question of its exact duration. Claude himself explained with rather a rueful face.
"I hoped--I thought if you were going to stay for the extra days I might possibly have the finale of the opera finished. Even when you told me your month meant four weeks I thought I would have a tremendous try to complete it. Well, I have had a tremendous try. But I"ve failed. I must have two more weeks, I believe, before I conquer the monster."
He was looking very pale, had dark rings under his eyes, and moved his hands nervously while he was speaking.
"That was it!" exclaimed Alston.
"Yes, that was it."
Charmian and Alston exchanged a quick glance.
"When you"ve done the finale," Alston said, with the firmness of one who spoke with permission, even perhaps by special request, "will the opera be practically finished?"
"Finished? Good Heavens, no!"
"Well, but if it"s the finale of the whole opera?" said Charmian.
"I"ve got bits here and there to do, and a lot to re-do."
Again Charmian and the American exchanged glances.
"I say, old chap," said Alston. "You read Balzac, don"t you?"
"Of course. But what has that to do with the opera?"
"Did you ever read that story of his about a painter who was always striving to attain perfection, could never let a picture alone, was for ever adding new touches, painting details out and other details in? One day he called in his friends to see his masterpiece. When they came they found a mere mess of paint representing nothing."
"Well?" said Claude, rather stiffly.
"You"ve got a splendid talent. I hope you"re going to trust it."
Claude said nothing, and Alston, in his easy, almost boyish way, glanced off to some other topic. But before he started for England he said to Charmian:
"Do watch him a bit if you can, Mrs. Charmian, for over-elaboration.
Don"t let him work it to death, I mean, till all the spontaneity is gone. I believe that"s a danger with him. Somehow I think he lacks complete confidence in himself."
"You see it"s the first time he has ever tried to do an opera."
"I know. It"s natural enough. But do watch out for over-elaboration."
"I"ll try to. But I have to be very careful with Claude."
"How d"you mean exactly?"
"He can be very reserved."
"Yes, but you know how to take him. And--well--we can"t let the opera be anything but a big success, can we?"
If Claude had heard that "we!"
"I say, shall we walk around the garden?" Alston added, after a pause.
"It isn"t quite time to go, and I want to talk over things before Claude comes down to see the last of me."
"Yes, yes."
They went out, and descended the steps from the terrace.
"I wanted to tell you, Mrs. Charmian, that I"m going to bring Crayford over whatever happens, whether the opera"s done or not. There"s heaps ready for him to judge by. And you must read him the libretto."
"I?" exclaimed Charmian, startled.
"Yes, you. Study it up! Recite it to yourself. Learn to give it all and more than its value. That libretto is going to catch hold of Crayford right away, if you read it, and read it well."
When she had recovered from her first shock of surprise Charmian felt radiantly happy. She had something to do. Alston, with his shrewd outlook, was bringing her a step farther into this enterprise. He was right. She remembered Crayford. A woman should read him the libretto, and in a _decor_--swiftly her imagination began to work. The _decor_ should be perfection; and her gown!
"How clever of you to think of that, Alston!" she exclaimed. "I"ll study as if I were going to be an actress."
"That"s the proposition! By Jove, you and I understand each other over this. I know Crayford by heart. We"ve got to what the French call "_eblouir_" him when we get him here. We must play upon him with the scenery proposition; what he can do in the way of wonderful new stage effects. When we"ve got him thoroughly worked up over the libretto and the scenery prop., we"ll begin to let him hear the music, but not a moment before. We can"t be too careful, Mrs. Charmian. Crayford"s a man who doesn"t start going in a hurry on newly laid rails. He wants to test every sleeper pretty nearly. But once get him going, and the evening express from New York City to Chicago isn"t in it with him. Now you and I have got to get him started before ever he comes to old Claude. In fact--"
He paused, put one finger to his firm round chin.