Tears coursed down Esperance's pretty cheeks. The abandon of her
graceful arms, her renouncement of a struggle against the gods, her
longing for death, her shame after the tale of "_Oenone_," her
radiant vision of the son of "_Theseus_," all was fully appreciated
by the public, and by a distinguished company of connoisseurs,
often strongly critical, but never insensible to real talent as it
developed.
In the competition for comedy the young girl achieved the same
triumph. When the jury proclaimed her first in tragedy, all being
unanimously agreed on the verdict, a storm of applause and admiration
greeted the announcement. Mlle. Frahender wept with pleasure,
Genevieve Hardouin, enfolding her little friend in her lovely bare
arms, kissed her on the hair. Esperance felt more touched by the
affectionate admiration of her comrades, than she had been even by the
applause the day of the first presentation of Victorien Sardou's play
at the Vaudeville. In the afternoon she received the same kind of
ovation for her competition for the first prize in comedy. When she
came out of the Conservatoire they would have unharnessed her
carriage, but Mlle. Frahender and Jean Perliez absolutely opposed this
manifestation. Genevieve Hardouin had obtained a second prize in
tragedy and an honourable mention in comedy. Jean, who had only
entered the competition for tragedy, had a first, shared with two
other comrades. The three young people were radiant, each neglecting
his own fortune to magnify the triumph of the others.
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