He was almost unaware of the laughing tumult that broke out when the other two examined the drawing, and then of the silence that fell when the collector of customs, drawn by the sudden noise, entered the kitchen.
The crowd was cheering wildly when the white curtain at the window of his apartment was parted, and Francis appeared, but fell into rapt silence when he began to speak.
So emotionally drained was the audience at Saturday afternoon's performance at the Metropolitan Opera that silence lingered in the house for several moments after the curtain fell.