"Prima donna!" exclaimed Belocca, with a laugh. "There are but two prime donne: _moi et_ Patti." "You will not have these rooms all the same," continued the soprano. "We will see about that," returned the contralto. I was in despair, for it was now a matter of personal dignity. Neither lady would give way to the other. Leaving them for a time together I went downstairs to the hotel-keeper, Mr. Maple, and said to him-- "Have you not another suite of rooms as good, or nearly so, as the one for which these ladies are disputing?" "I have a very good suite of rooms on the second floor," said Maple; "quite as good, I think, as those on the first floor." These rooms had already been pointed out to Mdlle. de Belocca through the window. But nothing, she said, would induce her to go upstairs, were it only a step. "Come with me, then," I said to Maple. "Mind you don't contradict me; and to begin with, it must be understood that these rooms on the second floor have been specially retained by Lady Spencer"--Lord Spencer was at that time Viceroy of Ireland--"and cannot on any account, or under any circumstances, be assigned even for a brief time to anyone else." Maple seized my idea, and followed me upstairs. "What is the meaning of this?" I said to him, when we were together, in the presence of the two excited vocalists. "Are these the only rooms you have to offer us? They will do for one of these ladies; but whichever accepts them the other must be provided with a set of apartments at least as good." "I simply have not got them," replied Maple. "There is a charming set of apartments on the floor above, but they are specially retained for the Countess Spencer, and it would be more than my business is worth to let anyone else take possession of them." At these words Belocca opened her beautiful eyes, and seemed to be struck with an idea. "At least we could see them?" I suggested. "You could see them," returned Maple, "but that is all." "Let us go and have a look at them," I said. Maple and myself walked upstairs. Belocca silently followed us. We pretended not to see her, but as soon as the door of the apartments reserved for the Countess Spencer was thrown open the passionate young Muscovite rushed into them, shut the door, and locked it, declaring that Lady Spencer must be provided for elsewhere. On the conclusion of my London season of 1879 I immediately started for the Continent in search of talent for my next New York and London seasons, which both commenced on the 18th October. On the issue of my New York prospectus, every box, together with three-fourths of the _parquet_, likewise the first two rows of balcony, were sold out for the season; so good an impression had my performances left the previous spring.