BEARDING THE LION IN HIS DEN.

Western Star, Issue 1355, 18 May 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

BEARDING THE LION IN HIS DEN.

A Vienna pianist who has of late acquired a world wide reputation, had just finished playing a concerto of the great masters, and was resting in his armchair, with shaggy mane and his arms drooping languidly at his side. At that moment a younger colleague entered the room and ap proached the great virtuoso with becoming reverence. The latter darted a fiery glauce at his visitor, and said in a faint voice: " How did I play that toccata ?" " You did that well,' quickly responded the other, as he feared that the slightest hesitation might prove fatal. " How well did I play it ? ' and an angry gleam fhshed from the speaker's eyes. " You played it very well, was the prompt but anxiousreply. ' Better than D'Albert?' This was spoken in a tone of menace. " You played it better than D'Alberr, " was the immediate answer. " Better than Bulow,? ' " Bitter than Bulow !' " B alter than E jbinstein ?" Here the

reply stuck in the young mail* throat. " Well you see one cannot..." but the movement of a hand in the direction of a stout umbrella had the effect of loosening his tongue, and with some exertion he managed to say: " You played it better than Rubinstein." The great man ought now to have been satisfied, but he wasn't. Again he sternly inquired : " How much better than .Rubinstein ? " The young pianist was dumbfounded, for he had not come prepared for this sort of mathematical cross-examination. But the virtuoso looked so fierce that-he began to utter :"Tw. . . " A second grab at the umbrella was a sufficient hint that " twice " would be inadequate to the occasion, and he quickly suppressed his scruples and exclaimed \ "Three times! " The musician now Set go of his umbrella, but he bent higf massive head forward towards the : fase of his visitorJand. said with Btrongemphasis: "Let |us say se-ven times!" The climax of his ambition being at length attained, he sank back in his armchair with an air of triumph.— Pesti Hirlap.