From the novel "Mildred Pierce" by James M. Cain
Mildred heard Veda playing for the first time in months and was delighted with the result. She wasn’t so sure about the musical part, but the sound was pleasant and loud. However, it was impossible not to notice how Veda raised her right hand high into the air with authority and how she crossed her left hand over her right.
The music grew in intensity, reaching an exciting, noisy climax, and then suddenly faded away. Veda took a chord irritably.
«This is exactly how I always want to play».
«I’ll tell Mr. Rachmaninoff when I see him».
Mr. Hannen took this slightly ironically, but his eyebrows drew together and he stared intently at Veda. Veda, a bit embarrassed, finished playing. He said nothing, but got up, found a sheet of music, and placed it in front of her.
«Let’s try playing from the sheet».
Veda played the piece like a living barrel organ, while Mr. Hannen winced as if in great pain and then stared at her intently. When silence finally descended on the room, he walked back to the shelves, took out the violin case, placed it next to Mildred, opened it, and began to varnish the bow with rosin.
«Let’s try the accompaniment. What’s your name again?»
«Miss Pierce».
«Ah?»
«Veda».
«Have you ever been accompanied, Veda?»
«Just a little bit».
«Just a little bit, is it?»
«I beg your pardon?»
«I must warn you, Veda, that with young students I combine general lessons with musical ones. So if you don’t want a slap on the back of the head, call me „sir“».
«Yes, sir».
Mildred felt like stamping her foot and laughing at Veda, who had suddenly become so meek and submissive. However, she pretended not to hear and began to finger the silk upholstery of Mr. Hannen’s violin as if it were the most interesting piece of sewing she had ever seen.
He picked up the violin and turned to Veda.
«This isn’t my instrument, but you need something for accompaniment, so it’ll do. Play an A».
Veda took the note, he tuned the violin, and placed the sheet music on the piano.
«Good, just a bit faster. Don’t drag».
Veda looked at the notes in bewilderment.
«Why… did you give me the violin part?»
«—?»
«Sir».
«Ah, so you know that».
He paused, glancing at the shelves for a moment, then shook his head.
«Well, the piano part is somewhere here, but I can’t see it right now. Okay, hold the violin part in front of you and play along with me a bit. Let’s see — you have four bars before my entrance. Count the last one out loud».
«Sir, I don’t even know how…»
«Begin».
With a desperate look at the notes, Veda played a long, uncertain melody that ended on some ringing notes. Then, hitting the bass, she began to count: «One, two, three, four, and…»
Even Mildred could tell that the violin was definitely not Mr. Hannen’s instrument. But Veda kept playing the bass, and when he stopped, she repeated the long figure, tapped the bass, counted, and he started up again. This went on for some time, but gradually, as it seemed to Mildred, the playing became smoother.
Once, when Mr. Hannen stopped, Veda skipped the long figure. Instead, she repeated the last part of the melody he had played, so that when he started up again, they played together.
When they finished, Mr. Hannen put the violin away and stared at Veda again. Then he asked:
«Where did you study harmony?»
«I’ve never studied harmony, sir».
«Hmm».