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Philiberta: A Novel

Chapter XXXV. The Key of Many Flats

Chapter XXXV. The Key of Many Flats

Considering his deliberate intention with regard to his company, it was really very good of Mr. Smith to take so much interest in it as to compel every member to daily rehearsal throughout the voyage. He was a fair instrumentalist, this man; he could vamp accompaniments very creditably on the Piano, and torture his hearers unmercifully with shrill pipings on the flute; he could even, at a pinch, 'rustle with a fiddle.' With the ship's piano and a borrowed flute at his command, he page 235made that particular passage of the good steamer to Auckland a mighty lively affair. Philiberta kept her word as to non-interference; and kept her berth pretty faithfully too, for there was a rough sea most of the way. As she lay there, the principal airs of the most popular Operas came wafting to her ears in hoarse, shrill, gurgling melody; and above all the rest sounded the loud masterful voice of the agent, as he urged his victims up, in spite of sea-sickness and all other disadvantages, to their perpetual practice.

One of the troupe, however, a German violinist, driven to insanity by either the music or mal de mer, nearly put an abrupt termination to our clever swindler's career. The two occupied adjoining cabins, and early one grey morning the German crept stealthily in at Smith's open door, and springing with awful Suddenness upon the agent as he lay in slumber, jobbed furiously at his throat with a large pocket-knife. But his aim was unsteady, and Smith awakened, and the end of it was that the poor little German was pounded to a perfect pulp of sober penitence.

This was the only notable incident of the trip, and it rather made a hero of the agent, who keenly enjoyed and appreciated any access of popularity or notoriety, however gained. It was surprising how much ordinary vanity was mingled with the man's native rascality.

It was at dusk of evening that the Hero entered Rangitoto Channel, and nothing more was visible of the beautiful Auckland scenery than the dim outline of the tri-coned island on the left, and of North Head on the right side of the passage. Rounding North Head brought the passengers in full view of the pretty picturesque town, with its rows of lighted lamps marking the thoroughfares.

Owing to the lateness of arrival, it was made optional to the passengers to land that night or next morning. Our operatic company, having no friends not home in Auckland, chose to wait. Early next day they disembarked and suffered the usual examination at the hands of the officers of the customs. All went well until it came to the leading tenor's turn. That page 236gentleman's wife, who was second soprano in the troupe, had been seriously indisposed throughout the whole voyage, and was entirely unaware that her husband, in a moment of amiability, had permitted the first soprano to pack some of her wardrobe in one of his portmanteaux. His reluctance to have that particular portmanteau overhauled struck the customs officers as suspicious; his final entreaty that they would let it alone decided them to relentless action. In a few moments that section of the wharf was strewed with interesting heterogeneous litter. Odds and ends of stage finery, Irish diamonds, paste and brass combinations of jewellery, scraps of tinsel and bright ribbon, chalk, powder, rouge, and eyepencils; finally sundry feminine garments, of very definite shape but indifferent cleanliness, which the leading tenor's wife knew well were not her property. A high wind blowing everything into utter confusion, and a crowd of humorously commenting observers, did not tend to improve matters. The second soprano fell upon her husband and beat him sorely, while the leading soprano fled retreating to the ship's cabin and there fainted. The end of it was that the second soprano kicked the leading soprano's raiment into the sea, and then had hysterics, after which there was a temporary calm, and the entire troupe were marshalled into lodgings by Mr. Smith.

Philiberta felt herself rather de trop in the bustle of preparation that filled the ensuing few days. And her opinion of Mr. Smith's skill and energy as a manager waxed higher with every day. On the fifth day Mr. Smith was absent from rehearsal, nor did any member of that operatic company ever behold him again. But it was a full week before it was definitely and beyond a doubt ascertained that the clever agent had sailed for San Francisco by the outgoing mail, leaving nought behind but one empty trunk and a pile of unpaid bills.

At first the victims were for wreaking vengeance upon Philiberta as a partner in the swindle. It took not a little eloquence and proof to convince them that she was by far the greatest sufferer of them all.

'What are we to do?' said some of the company in desperation,

page 237

'There is but one plan likely to avail us,' answered Philiberta, 'and that is to make it a joint-stock affair, do the best we can, and share the results. The printers probably will not press for payment of advertising expenses if the matter be explained to them and they see that their only chance of money is in our success.'

So they carried oat the original programme with merely a change of management, and met with success sufficient to enable them to pay all debts. They might have gone on to yet further prosperity but for general incompatibility of temperament, which led to a breach of the peace, which again led to a police court and fines, and finally to total disorganization of the troupe. Philiberta, after some rough and novel experience of the world at Wellington and Nelson, found herself in the city of Christchurch, where she managed to keep afloat and out of debt for a few months by violin-teaching and an occasional concert or dance engagement, and then she joined an itinerant show, the woes and adventures of which will be set forth in the few ensuing chapters of this history. As Philiberta's position in that show was not a prominent one, and as her experiences may be best described in arelation of the united experience of the show, the author opines it wise to give, almost verbatim, the graphic narration, by a masculine member of that show, of the many vicissitudes that befell unto it, using the first personal pronoun throughout the recital as that same masculine member did unto this same author.