her nature with an irresistible charm had vanished.

When the tablatures were at last laid aside, and the invitation to sing
in the Golden Cross did not yet arrive, her features and her whole manner
became so sullen that even some of the choir boys noticed it.

Since the day before a profound anxiety had filled her whole soul, and
she herself wondered that it had been possible for her to conquer it just
now during the singing.

How totally different an effect she had expected her voice--which even
the greatest connoisseurs deemed worthy of admiration--to produce upon
the music-loving Emperor!

What did she care if the evening of the day before yesterday the Queen of
Hungary had paid her fine compliments and assured her of the high
approval of her imperial brother, since Appenzelder had informed her
yesterday that it was necessary to conceal from his Majesty the fact that
a woman was occupying the place of the lad from Cologne, Johannes. The
awkward giant had been unfriendly to women ever since, many years before,
his young wife had abandoned him for a Neapolitan officer, and his bad
opinion of the fairer sex had been by no means lessened when Barbara, at
this communication, showed with pitiless frankness the anger and
mortification which it aroused in her mind. A foul fiend, he assured
Gombert, was hidden in that golden-haired delight of the eyes with the
siren voice; but the leader of the orchestra had interceded for her, and
thought that her complaint was just. So great an artist was too good to
fill the place of substitute for a sick boy who sang for low wages. She
had obliged him merely to win the applause of the Emperor and his
illustrious sister, and to have the regent turn her back upon Ratisbon