In the afternoon there was a rehearsal of The Snow Maiden including 17A's * debut with orchestra. She was in a complete panic and sang a few wrong notes, and some of her top notes were out of tune. This was partly a result of the stupid configuration of the new hall, whereby on the stage it is practically impossible to hear the orchestra, especially in piano passages. Generally Umnenkaya** has a good voice that projects admirably from the stage, and as her appearance is radiantly graceful and really stands out from the crowd, she is well able to command the stage. When she had finished singing I thought I would not seek her out immediately, because our relationship has already been observed by many people who will seize on the slightest opportunity for malicious gossip. By the time Snow Maiden was over there was no longer any sign of Umnova.