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.