II
Herr Radmaager did not come to see Jane Harding for nearly a fortnight. He arrived without warning of any kind at half-past ten in the morning. He stumped into the flat without a word of apology and looked round the walls of the sitting-room.
тАЬIt is you who have furnished and papered this? Yes?тАЭ
тАЬYes.тАЭ
тАЬYou live here alone?тАЭ
тАЬYes.тАЭ
тАЬBut you have not always lived alone?тАЭ
тАЬNo.тАЭ
Radmaager said unexpectedly: тАЬThat is good.тАЭ Then he said commandingly: тАЬCome here.тАЭ
He took her by both arms, and drew her towards the window. There he looked her over from head to foot. He pinched the flesh of her arm between finger and thumb, opened her mouth and looked down her throat, and finally put a large hand on each side of her waist.
тАЬBreathe inтБатАФgood! Now outтБатАФsharply.тАЭ
He took a tape measure out of his pocket, made her repeat the two movements, passing the tape measure round her each time. Finally he pocketed it and put it away. Neither he nor Jane seemed to see anything curious in the proceedings.
тАЬIt is well,тАЭ said Radmaager. тАЬYour chest is excellent, your throat is strong. You are intelligentтБатАФsince you have not interrupted me. I can find many singers with a better voice than yoursтБатАФyour voice is very true, very beautiful, but it is not clear, a silver thread. If you force it, it will goтБатАФand where will you be then, I ask you? The music you sing now is absurdтБатАФif you were not pigheaded as the devil you would not sing those roles. Yet I respect you because you are an artist.тАЭ
He paused, then went on:
тАЬNow listen to me. My music is beautiful and it will not hurt your voice. When Ibsen created Solveig, he created the most wonderful woman character that has ever been created. My opera will stand and fall by its SolveigтБатАФand it is not sufficient to have a singer. There are Cavarossi, Mary Montner, Jeanne DortaтБатАФall hope to sing Solveig. But I will not have it. What are they? Unintelligent animals with marvellous vocal cords. For my Solveig I must have a perfect instrument, an instrument with intelligence. You are a young singerтБатАФas yet unknown. You shall sing at Covent Garden next year in my Peer Gynt if you satisfy me. Now listenтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ
He sat down at JaneтАЩs piano and began to playтБатАФqueer rhythmic monotonous notes.
тАЬIt is the snow, you comprehendтБатАФthe Northern snow. That is what your voice must be likeтБатАФthe snow. It is white like damaskтБатАФand the pattern runs through it. But the pattern is in the music, not in your voice.тАЭ
He went on playing. Endless monotony, endless repetition, and yet suddenly the something that was woven through it caught your earтБатАФwhat he had called the pattern.
He stopped.
тАЬWell?тАЭ
тАЬIt will be very difficult to sing.тАЭ
тАЬQuite right. But you have an excellent ear. You wish to sing SolveigтБатАФyes?тАЭ
тАЬNaturally. ItтАЩs the chance of a lifetime. If I can satisfy you.тАЭ
тАЬI think you can.тАЭ He got up again, laid his hands on her shoulders. тАЬHow old are you?тАЭ
тАЬThirty-three.тАЭ
тАЬAnd you have been very unhappyтБатАФthat is so?тАЭ
тАЬYes.тАЭ
тАЬHow many men have you lived with?тАЭ
тАЬOne.тАЭ
тАЬAnd he was not a good man?тАЭ
Jane answered evenly: тАЬHe was a very bad one.тАЭ
тАЬI see. Yes, it is that which is written in your face. Now listen to me, all that you have suffered, all that you have enjoyed, you will put it into my music not with abandon, not with unrestraint, but with controlled and disciplined force. You have intelligence and you have courage. Without courage nothing can ever be accomplished. Those without courage turn their backs on life. You will never turn your back on life. Whatever comes you will stand there facing it with your chin up and your eyes very steady.тБатАКтБатАж But I hope, my child, that you will not be too much hurt.тАЭ
He turned away.
тАЬI will send on the score,тАЭ he said over his shoulder. тАЬAnd you will study it.тАЭ
He stumped out of the room and the flat door banged.
Jane sat down by the table. She stared at the wall in front of her with unseeing eyes. Her chance had come.
She murmured very softly to herself: тАЬIтАЩm afraid.тАЭ