Now, whether or not she allows herself to be led about by her admirers and no matter how often she appears before us in such a piteous manner, we don't let any of this have the least effect on how much we admire her performances, we go on listening to her singing exactly the same as always, with thankful-ness and rapture, and we don't make a big deal out of the length or brevity of her performance.

Since she's not able to go on limping forever she discovers some-thing else: sometimes she claims exhaustion, sometimes she says that she's "not in voice," and sometimes she claims that she's just too weak. Besides her singing we now get to enjoy these theatrics! We take note of how her admiring entourage is encouraging her backstage, they're all pleading with her and practically down on their knees begging her to step forward and sing. She says that she'd really like to do so but she can't. They all do their best to console her, they do everything possible to flatter her, they practically pick her up and carry her forward to the spot where she's known to appear, the spot where she's wont to perform and it's there that the crowd has gathered. Finally, and amidst an inexplicable outbreak of tears, finally she gives in, but then despite her best intentions and just as she's about to start into her song-limp, her arms hanging down at her sides, not splayed out as they typically would be but rather hanging dow n as if they were dead appendages, and upon seeing them one easily gets the impression that somehow they've shrunk-and just then as she's drawing in her first breath... it's obvious that she can't manage, her head jerks to one side and in the last moment she crumbles before us. But then at the very last moment, indeed, she's managed to pull herself together again and she's singing... I don't believe that it sounds any different than the usual, perhaps if one has an ear for distinguishing such subtleties, perhaps one might hear a bit more enthusiasm, a little more excite-ment that blends in quite well. And then, after she's finished she's a good deal less tired than when she began, it's with a firm step that she distances herself from us-that is if you call the way she pitter- patters about as possibly having any firmness-she turns down all the assistance that is being offered her by her contingent; it's with a cold stare that she testily examines the crowd that respectfully draws itself back, making way for her exit.

That's how her last performance ended but the most recent news is that her gala encore has fallen through totally, she didn't even show her face, she's disappeared entirely. Not only are her admirers out searching for her, there's a goodly number of us who are out looking for her too-it's all for naught, she's disappeared entirely, she won't sing any more, she won't even allow us so much as to beg her for a performance, she's left us completely in the lurch.