The First Violin

s der Fremde

isenbahnen. We were at Cologne, where we had to change and wait half an hour before we could go on to Elberthal.

ion to her mistress. I followed close in their wake, until, as we had almost come to the train, I cast my eyes downward and perceived that there was missing from my ar

hrough the passages into the open hall of the station, and so on to the platform again. More easily said than done. Always, from my earliest youth up, I have had a peculiar fancy for losing myself. On this eventful day I lost myself. I ran through the passages, came into the great open place surrounded on every side by doors leading to the platforms, offices, or booking offices. Glancing hastily round, I selected the door which appeared to

in," which might or might not be understood-probably not, when the universal stupidity of the German railway official is taken into consideration, together with his chronic state of gratuitous suspicion that a bad motive lurks under every question which is put to him. I heard a subdued bustle coming from the right hand in the distance, and I ran hastily to the other end of the great empty place, seeing, as I thought, an opening. Vain delusion! Deceptive dream of the fancy! There was a glas

uttural bass; "Wollt ihr na

nd I reiterated "Elberthal," growing very red, and cursing all foreign speeches by my gods-a process

ulein," he conti

e-what-El

mer drew nearer, and the porter, taking the opportunity of quitting a scene which began to bore him, slipped away. I was left alone on the platform, nervously snatching short glances at the person slowly, very slowly approaching me. He did not look up as if he beheld me or in any way remarked my presence. His eyes were bent toward the ground: his fingers drummed a tune upon his chest. As he approached, I heard that he was humming something. I even heard the air; it has

is very day the blood comes to my face as I think of my agony of blushes in that immemorial moment.) I saw a handsome-a very handsome face, quite different from any I had ever seen before: the startling eyes before spoken of, and which surveyed me with a look so keen, so cool, and so bright, which seemed to penetrate through and through me; while a slight smile curled t

, in what can

efore. Convinced that I had met a genuine, thorough fine ge

my efforts to steady it. "In a crowd I lost my friends, an

at his watch, raised his eyebrows and shrugged his

an a tremulous search for my pock

-will 'mal nachsehen. Will you come with me,

id I. "Perhaps some of them may still b

said he. "Then you can look out

hoice but

and the whole thing seemed so extremely simple now, that my astonishment as to how I could have lost myself increased every minute. He went befo

had expected, yet my face fell when I saw how

hem not?"

not very effectually. Turning my damp and sorrowful eyes to my companion, I found

ime the trains go to Elberth

on over in my mind, in which kind of agreeable ment

ee, and there is a train

ev

e to travel, nicht wahr? Th

, and bit my lips and hung my head. Then I said, "I am su

mein F

e the train starts from, and-could

nswered, twisting his mustache, as I c

ever, for I don't know a word of German, not one," I sat more firmly d

d us, and sitting down beside me. He leaned his chin upon his hand and looked at me, ever, as it

use. I am so frightened of those men in blue coats and big m

metimes not u

ng to me, except

icket,'" said

hope. "Perhaps I could remember tha

e amended;

Bill-yet,"

in one word, 'Elberthal.' 'Ein B

pon his half-good-natured half-mocking instructions: "Ein Bill-yet, firste-erste-it is of no use. I can't say it. But"-here a brilliant

a, but a viva voce inte

akes to walk to Elberth

k. You might do it in four

ps, trying

her arrangement," he remarked.

irst remark. Then as a doubt

nded to teach me German phrases, and so on. The words would not come out. Meanwhile he,

ask, I held my peace and bowed assentingly). He went on, "And I was delayed a little. I had intended to g

are ver

u are no

t very much. I mean I am s

yet in a very undeveloped condition, I

iends will not

, with a pious conviction th

at Elberthal abou

o Merrick to keep; and she, as pioneer of the party, naturally had all our tickets under her charge. My heart almost stopped beating. It was unheard of, horrible, this possibility of f

and a half in the station. I want some dinner. A four hours' probe is ap

him as a species of inspiration

I knew it now that the idea "dinner" had m

" he said. "Come with me, Fr?ulein. You have put y

wn, I was parading about the streets of K?ln with a man of whose very existence I had half an hour ago been ignorant; I was dependent, too, upon him, and him alone, for my safe arrival at Elberthal. And I followed him unquestioningly, now and then telling myself, by way of feeble conso

parties of people. I followed with stony resignation. It was the severest trial of all, this coming to a hotel alone with a gentleman in broad daylight. I caught sight of a reflection in a mirror of a ta

a table in a comparatively secluded windo

nd considerate o

r have wine or c

really keen hunger by the recollection

ank you-real

said he, smiling. "I will order s

," said I, my cheeks burning

Elberthal before eight," said he. "Is it perhaps disagreeable to

rprised, I blurted out the truth. "I have no money. I gave my pu

nfectious though it was,

l? Kellner!

etly and meaningly at us, received some

beside me at the l

mething at once,"

uld not feel all the unhappiness which I c

him each moment. As he leaned upon the table, one slight, long, brown hand propping his head, and half lost in the thick, fine brown hair which waved in large, ample waves over his head, there was an indescribable

ike hair-undressing. This hair fell in a heavy wave over his forehead, and he had the habit, common to people whose hair does so, of lifting his head suddenly and shaking back the offending lock. His forehead was broad, open, pleasant, yet grave. Eyes, as I had seen, very dark, and with lashes and brows which enhanced the contrast to a complexion at once fair and pale. A light mustache, curving almost straight across the face, gave a smiling expression to lips which

parer; there were certain hollows in the cheeks, two lines between the eyebrows, a sharpness, or rather somewhat worn appearance of the features, which told of a mental life, keen and consuming. Altogether, an older, more intellectual, more imposing face than I had at first thought; less that of a young and han

little gray Studentenmutzen with which Elberthal soon made me familiar, but which struck me then as odd and outlandish. I grew every moment more interested in my scrutiny of this, to me, fascinating and remarkable fac

morous look in his eyes, which he was too po

beg you

nswered, in imperfect idio

ded w

I am to b

ortably, when to my relief the appearance of the wait

ed to bring the repast to the table. "It is too late for the Mitt

be just the time f

afternoon tea is very

been in

ladies all meet together to talk scan-O, behüte! What am I saying?-to consult seriously upon important topics, you know. There are some low-minded persons who call the whole c

s, if y

lass. Endeavoring to conduct myself with the dignity of a grown-up perso

ot Rheinwein at all-he-no, it, you

cto

And a very good fellow too-so say all his

t conjure up any real feeling of discomfort or uneasiness, and that the prospective scolding from Miss Hallam had no terrors in it for me. Never had I felt so serene in mind, never more at ease

e. Perhaps you had some business whi

s already gone, as you know. I shall not be able to fulfill my engagements

ved as a perfect gentleman-one who is a gentleman throughout, in thought as well as in deed. He did not even ask me how it was that my friends had not waited a little for me, though he must have wondered why two people left a young girl, moneyless and ignorant

side, mein Fr?ulein. I suppose from that

same moment that I had for my own peace of mind never seen him-and that I might never lose sight of him again: to fly from that look, to remain and encounter it. The tell-tale mirror in the corner caught my eye. At home they used sometimes to call me, partly in mockery, partly in earnest, "Bonny May." The sobriquet had hitherto been a mere shadow, a meaningless thing, to me. I liked to hear it, but had never paused to consider whether it were appropriate or not. In my brief intercourse with my venera

he said; but it seemed somehow to

-what is

r Dom; the

time to see it?" I exclaim

close at hand. S

roperly and correctly as might have been desired, but-yes, certainly more pleasantly than

had seen him; had seen how he said something to a companion, and how the companion shook his head dissentingly. The fi

ier! Also hatte

seemed as if much pleased with some discovery, and entertained at the same time, addressed some questions to Courvoisier, who answered him tranquilly but in a tone of voice which was ver

evotion to which we shall never again attain; of pure, noble hearts, and patient, skillful hands, toiling, but in a spirit that made the toil a holy prayer-carrying out the builder's thought-great thought greatly executed-all was too much for me, the more so in that while I felt it all I could not analyze it. It was a dim, indefinite wonder. I tried stealthily and in shame to conceal my tears, looking surreptitiously at him in fear lest he should be laughing at me again. But he was not.

one could stay here forev

led a

d it bea

ave seen. It is much

een? Ah, well, I migh

ide bench, and place himself beside me. I asked in all good faith. About him there seemed such a co

ied-what

never seen anything but their own little v

meaning of 'countrified' to be able to say if you are so, but it is eas

ng," said I, comfortably. "I

ut I saw that he listened, a

with them exactly, but had a

cau

-I mean, an old ge

rry him, and you would not," said

w can yo

told me. But I will

true. Perhaps I ought

He looked

llam, who is Sir Peter's deadly enemy-he is the old gentleman, you know-was very kind to me

ng les

I shall go back again and give lessons. I shall support myself, and

ulated, half to himself. "A

I. "Only I want s

ck all alone and tr

try, I shall do it

u like the

shall like it very much. It will be bette

begin your career," said he, looking at me wi

u could tell

at waving hair, and make it into unobjectionable smooth bands of no particular color. Get a m

eyes seemed to strike him, for he sudden

ür dummes Zeug! Excu

at do you mean? Do you think my appe

s if I were openly and impudently fishing for compliments. How grateful I felt when he answered, with a gr

rather older than you, and very beautiful, who had such a pursuit

me," I

foresight, and that tells me that you will not become what you

nice to be a great operat

aimed, starting up and moving restlessl

ised, my lips parted. It was the organ, and presently, after a wonderful melody, which set my heart beating-a melody full of the most witchingly sweet high notes, and a breadth and grandeur of low ones such as only two compos

ur, lieb

Kind das

iner Brus

Pfleger z

zur Schlan

sked below my bre

but turned to me as I spoke, a certain

"and that it was grand old Johann Sebastian Bach whom you heard. T

"Matthaus Passion," so in the pauses my companion told me by snatches what it was about. There was not much of it. After a few solos and recitatives, they tried one or two of the choruses. I sat in silence, feeling a new world breaking in glory around me, till that tremendous chorus came; the organ

very person but the one at my side. It was he who

he station, Fr?ulein, if w

he withering east winds of the "merry month" have come to devastate the land and sweep sickly people off the face of the earth. We went slowly through the moving crowds to the station, i

n "Eugen Courvoisier" came in again, I did not see his features so distinctly as lately in the cathedral. Again he sat down beside me, sil

tly, after a long pause. "I think t

rning, no mistake. Courvoisier put me into an empty compartment, and followed me, said something to a guard who went past, of which I could

lf for some time, I screwe

our name is Courvo

es

e how much money you ha

asked, looking at me

n open window, and I looked through it at the gray, Dutch-like landscape,

to know how muc

et my purse," said I. "And if you will kindly tell me

about to laugh off the

ten groschen, but I am not at all sure

ear!"

it was," he went on, with a gravi

," I agreed. "But I hope you wi

nd where shall I

at him, but could find nothing but the most perfect gravity in his expression. I repeated my address and nam

I, "to give me your address when

you owe me," he replied, putting t

speculated, my mind more at ease in consequenc

an ambiguous half smile, w

nd. Her maid had to look after her, and I suppo

y strong reason, at any

ment, a storm of people all gabbling away in a foreign tongue. I looked

," said he, leading the way to wh

hirty-nine," he

g slowly toward the gates. She almost paused as she saw us. She was looking at my companion; I di

I continued. "You have be

en and where you did," said he, smiling. "Adieu, mein Fr?ule

east danger of forgetting it-"Eugen Courvoisier." Now that I had parted from him I was quite clear as

r on the other, and trees on both, down a cross-way, then into another s

ouse door, and I read, by the light