“Yes, and you sing songs in English, with such good diction, that we can all understand you—­almost every word.”

Madame beamed.

“I promise you I will learn English better next year; for I shall come back to my friends in America next autumn.  I shall be in Italy in the summer.  I have two homes over there, one in Italy and one in Switzerland.

“Do I prefer to sing in opera or concert, you ask?  I believe I like concert much better, for many reasons.  I get nearer to the audience; I am freer—­much freer, and can be myself and not some other person.  There is no change of costume, either; I wear one gown, so it is easier; yes, I like it much more.

“In traveling over your big country—­you see I have just been out to California and back—­I find your people have advanced so very much in appreciation of music; you know so much more than when I was here before; that was indeed a long time ago—­about twelve years,—­” and Madame made a pretty little gesture.

“But in one way your great big country has scarcely advanced any if at all; you have not advanced in providing opera for your music lovers.  You need permanent opera companies in all the larger cities.  The opera companies of New York and Chicago are fine, oh yes,—­but they cannot give opera to the whole country.  There are a few traveling companies too, which are good.  But what are they in your big country?  You should have opera stock companies all over, which would give opera for the people.  Then your fine American girls would have the chance to gain operatic experience in their own country, which they cannot get now.  That is why the foreign singer has such a chance here, and that is why the native singer can hardly get a chance.  All the American girls’ eyes turn with longing to the Metropolitan Opera House; and with the best intentions in the world the Director can only engage a small number of those he would like to have, because he has no room for them.  He can not help it.  So I say, that while your people have grown so much in the liking and in the understanding of music, you do not grow on this side, because your young singers are obliged to travel to a foreign land to get the practice in opera they are unable to get at home.  You need to do more for the permanent establishing of opera in the large and small cities of your country.”

Madame did not express her thoughts quite as consecutively as I have set them down, but I am sure she will approve, as these are her ideas of the musical situation in this country.

As I listened to the words of this “second Patti,” as she is called, and learned of her kindly deeds, I was as much impressed by her kindness of heart as I had been by her beautiful art of song.  She does much to relieve poverty and suffering wherever she finds it.  As a result of her “vocal mastery,” she has been able to found a hospital in Italy for victims of tuberculosis, which accommodates between