Chapter 1

responsibilities of her position. Watch her, for example, when her Mistress is about to confide to her ear the dawn of her passion for _Manrico_. She walks _Leonora_ gently down to the footlights, launches her into her solo, like a boat, and stands aside on the left, a little behind, with an air of apprehension, lest she should come to grief over the next high note, and a hand in readiness to support her elbow in case she should suddenly collapse. Then, feeling partially reassured, she goes round to inspect her from the right, where she remains until her superior has completed her confidences, and it is time to lead her away. Operatic confidant sympathetic--but a more modern heroine might find one "get on her nerves," perhaps. _Manrico_ a very robust type of Troubadour--but oughtn't a Troubadour to carry about a guitar, or a lute, or something? If _Manrico_ has one, he invariably leaves it outside. Probably doesn't see why, with so many competent musicians in the orchestra, he should take the trouble of playing his own accompaniments. And why does the Curtain invariably come down as soon as swords are drawn? Tantalising to have all the duels and fighting done during the _entr'actes._