She recited a verse.

"Doesn't that sound dead?
Now hark!" She sang the verse, and looked confidently for Tracy's verdict at the close.
"What a girl that is!" He went about the house, raving of her to everybody, with sundry Gallic interjections; until Mrs.Chump said: "'Deed, sir, ye don't seem to have much idea of a woman's feelin's." Tracy produced in a night two sketches of libretti for Emilia to choose from--the Roman Clelia being one, and Camillus the other.

Tracy praised either impartially, and was indifferent between them, he told her.
Clelia offered the better theme for passionate song, but there was a winning political object and rebuff to be given to Radicalism in Camillus.

"Think of Rome!" he said.
Emilia gave the vote for Camillus, beginning forthwith to hum, with visions of a long roll of swarthy cavalry, headed by a clear-eyed young chief, sunlight perching on his helm.
"Yes; but you don't think of the situations in Clelia, and what I can do with her," snapped Tracy.

"I see a song there that would light up all London.