He was the typical leader of an orchestra condemned to
entertain a noisy restaurant. His school of music was the school of
Maxim's. To his skill with the violin he had added the arts of the
head waiter, and he and the cook ran a race for popularity, he
pampering to one taste, and the cook, with his sauces, pampering to
another. When so commanded, his pride as an artist did not prevent
him from breaking off in the middle of Schubert's Serenade to play
Daisy Bell, nor was he above breaking it off on his own accord to
salute the American patron, as he entered with the Belle of New York,
or any one of the Gaiety Girls, hurrying in late for supper, with the
Soldiers in the Park. When he walked slowly through the restaurant,
pausing at each table, his eyes, even while they ogled the women to
whom he played, followed the brother Tzigane--who was passing the
plate--and noted which of the patrons gave silver and which gave
gold.
Edouard, the second violin, was all that Bardini was not,
consequently he was entirely unsuited to lead an orchestra in a
restaurant. Indeed, so little did he understand of what was required
of him that on the only occasion when Bardini sent him to pass the
plate he was so unsophisticated as not to hide the sixpences and
shillings under the napkin, and so leave only the half-crowns and
gold pieces exposed.
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