Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Morgiana knew that every professor says as much, and submitted to
undergo the study requisite for Sir George's system with perfect good
grace. Au fond, as I was given to understand, the methods of the two
artists were pretty similar; but as there was rivalry between them, and
continual desertion of scholars from one school to another, it was
fair for each to take all the credit he could get in the success of
any pupil. If a pupil failed, for instance, Thrum would say Baroski had
spoiled her irretrievably; while the German would regret “Dat dat yong
voman, who had a good organ, should have trown away her dime wid dat old
Drum.” When one of these deserters succeeded, “Yes, yes,” would either
professor cry, “I formed her; she owes her fortune to me.” Both of them
thus, in future days, claimed the education of the famous Ravenswing;
and even Sir George Thrum, though he wished to ecraser the Ligonier,
pretended that her present success was his work because once she had
been brought by her mother, Mrs. Larkins, to sing for Sir George's
approval.
When the two professors met it was with the most delighted cordiality
on the part of both. “Mein lieber Herr,” Thrum would say (with some
malice), “your sonata in x flat is divine.” “Chevalier,” Baroski would
reply, “dat andante movement in w is worthy of Beethoven. I gif you
my sacred honour,” and so forth. In fact, they loved each other as
gentlemen in their profession always do.
The two famous professors conduct their academies on very opposite
principles. Baroski writes ballet music; Thrum, on the contrary, says
“he cannot but deplore the dangerous fascinations of the dance,” and
writes more for Exeter Hall and Birmingham. While Baroski drives a cab
in the Park with a very suspicious Mademoiselle Leocadie, or Amenaide,
by his side, you may see Thrum walking to evening church with his lady,
and hymns are sung there of his own composition. He belongs to the
“Athenaeum Club,” he goes to the Levee once a year, he does
everything that a respectable man should; and if, by the means of this
respectability, he manages to make his little trade far more profitable
than it otherwise would be, are we to quarrel with him for it?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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