He began talking about music, about Lisa, then of music again.

He seemed to enunciate his words more slowly when he spoke of Lisa.

Lavretsky turned the conversation on his compositions, and half in jest, offered to write him a libretto.
"H'm, a libretto!" replied Lemm; "no, that is not in my line; I have not now the liveliness, the play of the imagination, which is needed for an opera; I have lost too much of my power...

But if I were still able to do something,--I should be content with a song; of course, I should like to have beautiful words..." He ceased speaking, and sat a long while motionless, his eyes lifted to the heavens.
"For instance," he said at last, "something in this way: 'Ye stars, ye pure stars!'" Lavretsky turned his face slightly towards him and began to look at him.
"'Ye stars, pure stars,'" repeated Lemm...

"'You look down upon the righteous and guilty alike..