Does "musical London" ever turn an introspective eye to watch the manufacture of musical opinion? The spectator who wanders from box to box on the first night of a new opera, may see the gentle herd-hypnotism at work. _The Honest Ignoramus, who goes to Covent Garden to see his friends between the acts._ "Well, what d'you think of it?" _The Languid Woman who will not give herself away._ "I heard it in Monte Carlo, you know, this winter." _A Voice._ It's a pure crib from _The Barber_. _Another._ Rossini and water. _Another._ It's quite too deliciously old-fashioned. _The Honest Ignoramus strays into the next box, shedding some of his honesty by the way._ "Rather Rossini and water, don't you think? I don't know anything about it, of course, but it seemed to _me_ a mere up-to-date _Barber_." _A Voice._ It's very modern certainly. I confess I'm rather old-fashioned.... He moves on. "D'you like all this modern stuff? If we _are_ to have Rossini----" _A Voice (impressively)._ He gets no value from his orchestra ... Rossini? Who's talking about Rossini?... _He beats a retreat and recuperates in the corridor._ _A Voice._ I was lunching with George to-day. He'd been to one of the rehearsals and he said that no one since Wagner had understood the wood-wind like this man. A pure genius. I'm giving you his actual words. Whether it'll _pay_ I can't tell. It's rather modern for Covent Garden.... _The Honest Ignoramus returns to the first box._ "Only one more act? I'm rather enjoying this. I suppose some people would call it a bit modern, but it's rather a relief to find a man who's not afraid to use his orchestra. The, er, wood-wind...." _All (gratefully)._ "Too wonderful!... Were you here on Thursday?..." The press-notices next day will add a few more technical terms, but regular attendants at the opera can say whether this is a caricature of the manner in which contemporary musical opinion is formed.[55] None will wait to think; few will shew the courage to express their own unsupported feelings; every one will pass a criticism of some kind. And, when the aggregate judgement has been launched, all will be half converted to it. Perhaps only financial good or harm is done to a contemporary work, but "musical London" will not so circumscribe its criticism: there must be an opinion on everything, a label for every one; and against the verdict of the hour there is, in all eternity, no appeal.