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George Du Maurier: Gecko

One night they attended a concert in a large hall on the Rue St.-Honore. The first violin had scarcely taken his seat before they recognized their old friend Gecko. Just as the clock struck, Svengali appeared--the conductor. Then a moment of silence, and two little page-boys each drew a silken rope, the curtains parted, and a tall figure walked slowly down to the front of the stage. The house rose to meet her as she advanced, bowing to right and left--"It was Trilby."

Her eyes on Svengali, at a signal from him she sang without accompaniment, in a voice so immense in its softness, richness, and freshness that it seemed to be pouring itself from all around; and then her dove-like eyes looked past Svengali, straight at Billie, and all his long-lost power of loving came back with a rush.

At last--the final performance of the evening. Trilby vocalized, without words, Chopin's Impromptu in A flat; astounding, no piano had ever given out such notes as these! Amid the wild applause and enthusiasm of an immense audience, Trilby had made her debut in Paris.

Her debut in London was a different matter; Svengali, ill, and unable to conduct, had taken his place in a box exactly opposite Trilby, but his presence had no effect upon her. When it came time for her to sing she started "Ben Bolt," but sang only a few bars, when the house was in an uproar of laughter, hoots, and hisses. Trilby had lost the power of "singing true." She seemed to be awakening from sleep, not knowing where she was. Her old-time friends rescued her and took her home to Billie's mother. Svengali collapsed from shock and died very suddenly.

The friends learned from Gecko that "there were two Trilbys," Svengali had but to say "Dor" and she suddenly became an unconscious Trilby of marble, to do his bidding. So they traveled, giving concerts, Svengali, Gecko, Trilby, attended by Marta, an old servant of Svengali.

The long strain had its effect upon poor Trilby, and she drooped and died, surrounded by the old-time friends and Billie's mother. Not long after, Little Billie, broken-hearted, followed her.