"I beg you not miscomprehend," Nina said, somewhat earnestly, to the
little landlady (for was she not a friend of Leo's?). "The price is,
perhaps, not too large--it is to me that it is large--"
"Oh, that's all right, Nina," Lionel broke in; "that's all settled. You
see, Mrs. Grey, Miss Rossi has come over here to get an engagement in
comedy opera, or perhaps to sing at concerts; and if a manager calls to
see her on business, why, of course, she must be in decent rooms. You
can't go and live in a slum. Mrs. Grey knows what managers are, Nina;
you must take up a good position and hold your own; and--and, in fact,
Nina, when you are in London you can't afford to go and climb those
frightful Neapolitan stairs and hide yourself in a garret. So it's
settled; and I'm going out directly to hire a piano for you."
"For how much expense, Leo?" she said, anxiously.
"Oh, we'll see about that by and by," said he.
He then explained to Mrs. Grey that Miss Nina was that very evening
going along to the New Theatre to be heard by the manager and the
conductor; that thereafter she wished to see the performance of "The
Squire's Daughter," in which she hoped ere long to take a part herself;
and that, if Mrs.
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