At the close of my London season I again went to the Continent in quest of talent, and paid a visit to Mdme. Gerster at her elegant villa near Bologna. She received me with every expression of delight, and we concluded forthwith our arrangements for her return to America, she making it a condition that the baby should accompany her. I now made great preparations to ensure a brilliant season. Great improvements were made by the Directors in the auditorium of the Academy of Music in New York, and new carpet was everywhere laid down. At my suggestion, too, a few feet were cut from the front of the stage, which improved the proscenium boxes, and gave me two extra rows of stalls or _parquet_ seats, numbering sixty in all. These were immediately let at high premiums for the whole of my season. Preparations were afterwards made for the production of Boito's _Mefistofele_, which had been such a great success during my past London season. As I found it desirable not to leave myself entirely in the hands of one principal tenor, I concluded arrangements whereby Signor Ravelli was to form part of my Company. Ravelli made his _début_ as "Edgardo" in _Lucia di Lammermoor_ on the opening night, when Mdme. Gerster made her _rentrée_, after an absence of a year, as "Lucia." The house was crowded from floor to ceiling, Mdme. Gerster receiving more than her usual ovations. The following night Campanini made his re-appearance as "Fernando" in _La Favorita_, Miss Annie Louise Cary undertaking her unrivalled impersonation of "Leonora." Wishing to do all in my power to make the production of _Mefistofele_ a representation of the first class in every respect, I caused to be removed from each end of the orchestra some five-and-twenty parquet seats in order that it might be enlarged, and I engaged some twenty-five extra musicians of ability so that the _ensemble_ of my orchestra might be equal to that of London. Arditi was indefatigable with his rehearsals, of which he had several, in order to obtain every possible perfection in the execution of the music, to secure even the minutest _nuances_ in the necessary light and shade. The cast included Signor Campanini as "Faust," Annie Louise Gary as "Martha" and "Pantalis," a new-comer, Signor Novara, as "Mefistofele," whilst Alwina Valleria undertook the _rôle_ of "Margherita"--and right well did the little lady fulfil the task she had undertaken. She had moments at which she showed herself quite equal to Mdme. Nilsson, especially in the prison scene. In the newspapers the following morning no mention whatever was made either of the increase in my orchestra or of its performance; the critics at that time being less discerning than they are now. This greatly mortified Arditi, who had been working like a slave for so long a time before the production.