He arose and put his album under his arm.

“And my portrait?” exclaimed the young girl, whose cheek was still burning from the kiss she had just received.

The painter drew near her, smiling, and said in a mysterious tone: 

“When I make a portrait of a pretty person like you, I never finish it the first day.  If you will give me another sitting in the morning before your mother arises I promise to finish this sketch in a way that will not be displeasing to you.”

Mademoiselle Reine saw that her mother was watching her, and walked away with no reply save a glance which was not discouraging.

“Now, then!  You droll little fellow!” exclaimed the artist, as he whirled on one foot; “triple time; one, two, begin.”

The child burst into an Alsatian song in a high, ringing voice.

“Wait a moment!  What devilish key are you singing that in?  La, la, la, la; mi, in E major, key of four sharps.  By Jove, my little man! here is a fellow who sings B’s and C’s away up in the clouds; an E sharp, too!” he continued, with astonishment, while the singer made a hold upon the keynote an octave higher in a voice as clear as a crystal.

The artist threw into the fire the cigar which he had just lighted, and began pacing the kitchen floor, paying no more attention to Mademoiselle Reine, who felt a little piqued at seeing herself neglected for a kitchen drudge.

“A rare voice,” said he, as he took a great stride; “per Bacco, a very rare voice.  Added to that, he sings very deep; two octaves and a half, a clear, ringing tone, the two registers are well united.  He would make an admirable ‘primo musico’.  And the little fellow has a pretty face, too.  After supper I will make him wash his face, and I will sketch it.  I am sure that in less than a year’s study, he could make his debut with the greatest success.  By Jove!  I have an idea!  Why does not that Gerfaut return?  Now, then, he would do very well for ‘Pippo’ in La Gazza, or for Gemma in Wilhelm Tell.  But we must have a role for him to make his debut in.  What subject could we take properly to introduce a child’s part?  Why does not that Gerfaut come?  A child, girl or boy; a boy part would be better.  ‘Daniel,’ of course; viva ‘Daniel!’ ‘The Chaste Suzannah,’ opera in three acts.  Madame Begrand would be fine as Suzannah.  By Jove! if Meyerbeer would only take charge of the score!  That falls to him by right as a compatriot.  Then, that would give him an opportunity to break lances with Mehul and Rossini.  If that fool of a Gerfaut would only come!  Let us see what would be the three characters:  Soprano, Suzannah; contralto, David; the old men, two basses; as for the tenor, he would be, of course, Suzannah’s husband.  There would be a superb entrance for him upon his return from the army, ‘cavatina guerriera con cori’.  Oh! that terrible Gerfaut! the wolves must have devoured him.  If he were here, we would knock off the thing between our fruit and cheese.”