Nino could not resist any longer, whether he had any voice or not.

He blushed red and turned away, but he opened his mouth and made a sound.
"Do-o-o-o!" He sang like the master, but much weaker.
"Not so bad; now the next, Re-e-e!" Nino followed him.

And so on, up the scale.
After a few more notes, De Pretis ceased to smile, and cried, "Go on, go on!" after every note, authoritatively, and in quite a different manner from his first kindly encouragement.

Nino, who had not sung for months, took courage and a long breath, and went on as he was bid, his voice gaining volume and clearness as he sang higher.

Then De Pretis stopped and looked at him earnestly.
"You are mad," he said.