As Music and Splendour by Kate O'Brien

Author:Kate O'Brien
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141926964
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

The Ninth Chapter

Rose stretched herself along her rickety old sofa, across René's knees. Between lamplight and moonlight her beautiful face took variant lines and distortions, puzzling to the boy as he bent above her.

‘Our last Sunday together, Rose – until when?’

‘Oh dearest! Until soon! Until soon!’

Within three days Rose would be gone from this Roman lodging to Milan, to take her place in the company of La Scala for the opening season. René had secured an engagement for a month at the Valle Theatre in Rome, and afterwards must hope for circuit work in such places as Bologna, Perugia, Parma.

For Rose the honour and the ordeal of La Scala were immense, but were also deserved. That she should face La Scala now was the orthodox thing, in view of the success she had met with so far.

‘La Scala offers,’ stormed little Giacomo, stormed Ferrano. ‘All right, refuse! Accept Costanzi's. And La Scala will forget you. Next year there will be others – we always have plenty of good singers. And next year's ones will be younger than you – and so every year they will be younger than you! And by next year Italy will be well used to your voice and will be hearing its faults – you will be no miracle then, if you do then get to Milan! Yes, we know your argument about more money at Costanzi's. What do you want? You are doing very well for an unknown Irish girl! But – have a good season at Costanzi's, San Carlo and Carlo Felice – however good, you are still not a real prima donna. Not for the world. Sing well, sing truly, truly well one happy night in La Scala, and you are an assoluta – you are in the history of opera – and the consequences are as may be! No – you do not refuse La Scala, Rosa. You go there, and you fail or you succeed. If you faill, there is still always the whole teatro lirico of Italy which you can serve with honour, and with profit. You are a good singer and now well-trained. You will always be able to earn your living. But this is the moment you must take with courage. You must face La Scala now. You must accept the great honour, and abide by its results.’

The argument was true; Rose had signed the contract. But she feared it. She would have feared it in any circumstances, but now she would have to undertake it in especial loneliness, deprived of the presence and habit of a love which, known only for three months, seemed now as if of always and indispensable as bread. Selfishly she loved René and selfishly would cry and hunger for him. But lovingly too, sisterly, wifely, she would fret to leave him to a vagabond life. She knew that he would fare ill without her; even in his work she feared he would lose courage, lose ground and presence without her. And she

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