noon
Monia , upset over the morning 's excitement , was irritable and unreasonable . The gold-tissue costume had come back from Le Grande with a complaint . Below in the courtyard all day curious groups stood gaping up the staircase , where the morning had seen such occurrences . At the noon hour , while the girls heated soup and carried in pails of salad from the corner restaurant , Harmony had fallen into the way of playing for them . To the music-loving Viennese girls this was the hour of the day . To sit back , soup bowl on knee , the machines silent , Monia quarreling in the kitchen with the Hungarian servant , and while the pigeons ate crusts on the window-sills , to hear this American girl play such music as was played at the opera , her slim figure swaying , her whole beautiful face and body glowing with the melody she made , the girls found the situation piquant , altogether delightful . Although she did not suspect it , many rumors were rife about Harmony in the workroom .