Olga Lermontof looked at her speculatively.
"I suppose you can't understand it at present," she said, after a
pause. "You will, though, when you've given a few concerts and seen
its effect upon the audience. Now, come along; it's time we started."
They found Adrienne's rooms fairly full, but not in the least
overcrowded. The big double doors between the two drawing-rooms had
been thrown open, and the tide of people flowed back and forth from one
room to the other. A small platform had been erected at one end, and
as Diana and Miss Lermontof entered, a French _diseuse_ was just
ascending it preparatory to reciting in her native tongue.
The recitation--vivid, accompanied by the direct, expressive gesture
for which Mademoiselle de Bonvouloir was so famous--was followed at
appropriate intervals by one or two items of instrumental music, and
then Diana found herself mounting the little platform, and a hush
descended anew upon the throng of people, the last eager chatterers
twittering into silence as Olga Lermontof struck the first note of the
song's prelude.
Diana was conscious of a small sea of faces all turned towards her,
most of them unfamiliar. She could just see Adrienne smiling at her
from the back of the room, and near the double doors Jerry was standing
next a tall man whose back was towards the platform as he bent to move
aside a chair that was in the way.
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