MRS. S. Why, my child, you have heard me say so before.  Herr Dominie is the very strictest—­but (playfully) he will not acknowledge it.

DOMINIE.  There is one thing you must allow, Mrs. Spriggins,—­that my pupils always take pleasure in my lessons; and that must be the case because their progress is evident and gives them delight, and every thing is developed in the most natural way.

MRS. S. (less sharply).  We won’t discuss that; but how are your daughters able to play so many pieces to people, and moreover without notes, if they have not been obliged to practise all day long, and if you have not been very cruel with them, while my Lizzie cannot play a single thing without bungling?

DOMINIE.  Allow me, madam, it must be the fault of Mr. Shep—­

MRS. S. No, no! you must excuse me, but we don’t permit any reflections on our Mr. Shepard:  he is very particular and unwearied.

DOMINIE.  It does not depend entirely upon that, but—­

JOHN S. Upon my honor, it is marvellous to see how talented pupils always seem to flock to you.  It is easy to teach such!  Ha, ha!  You must not forget, however, that my grandfather played on the organ.  Now, Lizzie, sit down and play something.

(She chooses a cavatina from “The Pirates,” with variations.  The introduction begins with e_ flat in unison.  Lizzie strikes e in unison and the same in the bass, and exclaims:  “There, mamma, didn’t I tell you so?  I don’t remember it now.”  Mr. Shepard enters, steps up hastily, and puts her finger on e flat._)

SHEPARD.  Pardon me, Herr Dominie, I will only set her going:  it makes her a little confused to play before such connoisseurs; she loses her eyesight.  Don’t you see, Lizzie, there are three flats in the signature?

JOHN S. Courage now!  Aha!  Lizzie can’t get at the pedal, the bull-dog is lying over it.  John, take him out.

     (After the removal of the bull-dog, Lizzie plays as far as the
     fourth bar, when she strikes c_ sharp instead of c, and stops._)

MRS. S. Never mind, begin again.  Herr Dominie is pleased to hear that:  he has gone through it all with his own children.

     (Lizzie begins again at the beginning, and goes on to the eighth
     bar, where she sticks fast.)

SHEPARD.  Don’t make me ashamed of you, Lizzie.  Now begin once more:  a week ago it went quite tolerably.

     (Lizzie begins once more, and plays or rather scrambles through
     it, as far as the eighteenth bar; but now it is all over with her,
     and she gets up.)

DOMINIE.  Skip the introduction, it is too difficult:  begin at once on the theme.

JOHN S. (to his wife).  We will go away and leave the gentlemen alone.  By and by, gentlemen, we will talk about it further over a cup of tea.