" He
asked her why it would end in disaster, and she answered, "It is
impossible to lay bare one's whole heart. When one changes one's
ideas one changes one's friends."
"Because one's friends are only the embodiment of one's ideas. But I
cannot admit that you would be unhappy as my wife."
"Everybody is unhappy when they are not doing what Nature intended
them to do."
"And what did Nature intend you to do? Only to sing operas?"
"I should be sorry to think Nature intended me for nothing else.
Would you have me go on singing operas? I don't want to appear
unreasonable, but how could I go on singing even if I wished to go
on? The taste has changed; you will admit that light opera is the
fashion, and I shouldn't succeed in light opera. Whatever I do you
praise, but you know in the bottom of your heart there are only a few
parts which I play well. You may deceive yourself, you do so because
you wish to do so, but I have no wish to deceive myself and I know
that I was never a great singer; a good singer, an interesting
singer in certain parts if you like, but no more. You will admit
that?"
"No, I don't admit anything of the kind. If you leave the stage what
will you do with your time? Your art, your friends--"
"No one can figure anybody else's life: everybody has interests and
occupations, not things that interest one's neighbour, but things
that interest herself.
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