A child was running across a street in front of a car. Elizabeth saw her, raced out and snatched the child from the jaws of death. Unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen, Elizabeth Roffe’s toes were crushed by the wheels of the automobile, and she will not be able to dance at the recital this evening.
A careless maid left a bar of soap at the top of the stairs. Elizabeth slipped and fell down the long flight, breaking her hip. Nothing to worry about, the doctor said. It will heal in three weeks.
No such luck. On the day of the performance, Elizabeth was in perfect health, and in a state of hysteria. Again, it was old Samuel who helped her. She remembered how frightened he had been, but he had gone back to face Dr. Wal. She would not do anything to disgrace Samuel. She would face up to her ordeal.
Elizabeth had not even mentioned the recital to her father. In the past she had often asked him to school meetings and parties which parents were requested to attend, but he had always been to busy.
On this evening, as Elizabeth was getting ready to leave for the dance recital, her father returned home. He had been out of town for ten days.
He passed her bedroom, saw her and said, “Good evening, Elizabeth.” Then, “You’ve put on some weight.”
She flushed and tried to pull in her stomach. “Yes, Father.”
He started to say something, then changed his mind. “How’s school coming along?”
“Fine, thank you.”
“Any problems?”
“No, Father.”
“Good.”
It was a dialogue they had had a hundred times over the years, a meaningless litany that seemed to be their only form of communication. How’s-school-coming-along-fine-thank-you-any-problems-no-Father-good. Two strangers discussing the weather, neither listening nor caring about the other’s opinion. Well, one of us cares, Elizabeth thought.
But this time Sam Roffe stood there, watching his daughter, a thoughtful expression on his face. He was used to dealing with concrete problems and although he sensed that there was a problem here, he had no idea what it was, and if anyone had told him, Sam Roffe’s answer would have been, “Don’t be a fool. I’ve given Elizabeth everything.”
As her father started to leave, Elizabeth heard herself say, “My—my—ballet class is giving a recital. I’m in it. You don’t want to come, do you?”
And even as she said the words, she was filled with a sense of horror. She did not want him there to see her clumsiness. Why had she asked him? But she knew why. Because she was the only girl in the class whose parents would not be in that auditorium. It doesn’t matter, anyway, she told herself, because he’s going to say no. She shook her head, furious with herself, and turned away. And behind her, incredibly, she heard her father’s voice saying, “I’d like that.”
The auditorium was crowded with parents, relatives and friends, watching the students dance to the accompaniment of two grand pianos on either side of the stage. Mme. Netturova stood off to one side, counting the beat aloud as the children danced, calling the attention of the parents to herself.
A few of the children were remarkably graceful, and showed signs of real talent. The others went through their performances determined to substitute enthusiasm for ability. The mimeographed program announced three musical excerpts from Coppélia, Cinderella and, inevitably, Swan Lake. The pièce de résistance was to be the solos, when each child would have her moment of glory, alone.
Backstage, Elizabeth was in an agony of apprehension. She kept peering through the side curtain, and each time she saw her father sitting in the second row center, she thought what a fool she had been to ask him. So far during the show, Elizabeth had been able to lose herself in the background, hidden behind the other dancers. But now her solo was coming up. She felt gross in her tutu, like something in a circus. She was certain they would all laugh at her when she came out on the stage—and she had invited her father to watch her humiliation! Elizabeth’s only consolation was that her solo lasted for only sixty seconds. Mme. Netturova was no fool. It would all be over so quickly that no one would even notice her. All Elizabeth’s father had to do was to glance away for a minute, and her number would be finished.