Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1884 — Why He Did Not Sing. [ARTICLE]

Why He Did Not Sing.

A good story is told of the great tenor, Gayarre, who maintains his popularity in Pau's, and has just refused an offer of an engagement at $6,000 a month at the Grand Opera. He was recently invited out to dinner by a Parisian baroness, who, during the repast, asked him sweetly if he would not be so kind as to sing something for the amusement of her guests after dinner. “Most willingly, madame,” made answer Gayaire. But dinner once ended and the guests returned to the draw-ing-room, he sauntered up to the piano in a careless fashion, and, while apparently investigating some works of art near it, he contrived to lock it and abstract the key. Later in the evening the hostess claimed the fulfilment of his promise. Gayarre rose with the greatest of alacrity and hastened to to the piano. Alas! it was locked. Search was made for the key in every direction, but naturally in vain. One of the guests proposed that the lock should be broken, but to this the hostess objected strongly, as the case was a very handsome one, and she did not wish to have it spoiled. So the evening passed off without any music, and when Gayarre took his departure he contrived to drop the key in the ante-chamber. There it was found the next morning by the servants, to the great amazement of the baroness, who could not imagine how it had got there. —Lucy Hooper’s Letter.