The First Violin

en opened the door, and on seeing me, greeted me as if I had been an

t you are here! How Miss Hal

stairs-up a great many flights of stairs, as it seemed to me, t

ginning to think that if you did not come by this tr

kly. "Miss Hallam-what-do you mea

at six. I can not tell you how uneas

ed, growing hot all ov

, go and see about something to eat for Miss Wedderburn. Now," she a

rything, conce

say. My dear child, no gentleman would have done

will never be such a fool again. I know now-and you may trust me. But do not let any one know how

ber. We will say

gray shaw

ick h

lders. "Just my luck," I murmured, res

oo excited by what had passed, and by what I had just heard, to be hungry. I thought it kind, mercifu

egin to learn German, and then if you do get lost at a

ead with an inexpre

. They call an accident a Unglück; if any one could

erstanding; but go and see that Miss Wedderburn has everything she wants-or rat

earing the organ in the cathedral, and that voice of the invisible singer-seeing the f

g me all the time!"

loth upon it, and rows of the thickest cups and saucers it had ever been my fate to see, with distinct evidences that the chief part of the company had already breakfasted. Baskets full of Br?dchen and pots of butter, a long

ries, until my doubts were relieved by the entrance of a young person with a trim little figure, a coquettishly cut and el

lk to me in broken English, which was very pretty, and while I ate and drank, she industriously scraped little white roots at the same table. She told me she was Clara, the niece of Frau

I? And she had lately danced at a ball with some one who danced so well-aber, quite indescribably well. His name was Karl Linders, and he was, ach! rea

orenoon, to go and find the Eye Hospital, where she was to see the oculi

ted with two double rows of lindens, and on either side this lindenallee was the carriage road, private houses, shops, exhibitions, boarding-houses. In the middle, exactly opposite our dwelling

ill-paved street, the aspect of whose gutters and inhabitants alike excited my liveliest disgust. In this street w

their eyes, others with all kinds of extraordinary spectacles on, which made them look like phant

nothing the matter with his eyes, unless perhaps a slight short-sightedness; he had, I thought, one of the gentlest, most attractive faces I had ever seen; boyishly open and innocent at the first glance; at the second, indued with a certain reticent calm and intellectual radiance which took away from the first youthfulness of his appearance. Soft

-Herr Friedh

hough carried on in a low tone, after which the young man at the desk presented a white card t

filled with spring sunshine and warmth; a contrast something like that between Miss Hallam's life and my own, I have thought sinc

t looked, too. I have seen it since then in mightier flow. Then we came home, and it

ch, in general, was known as the saal. As I entered with Miss Hallam I was conscious that a knot of lads or young

round to the different places. The stout lady turned as she saw us, and greeted us. She was Frau Steinmann, our hostess. She waited until the youths befo

hich looked at me in a way I did not like, a head of curly black hair cropped short, an odd, brusque manner, and a something peculiar, or, as she said, selten in her dress. This young lady sustained the introduction with self-possession and calm. It was otherwise wi

ception of one of our compatriots, who appeared to believe that himself and his manners were formed to charm a

ure, and having received my admission that I did not

't know German persist in thinking that they do. There was an English-woman here who always

t this, but the jo

ontinued; "I didn't catch

blushing so excessively as I saw that all the boys

mbled youths, who testified that they were aware of

nguage what calls itself, 'N

old, and bold where a modest retiringness would better have become them. Giggling inanely at everything and nothing. Noisy and vociferous among themselves or with inferiors; shy, awkward and blushin

n Sartorius, whose big eyes had been surv

int

re very pretty, and we never

ou a p

et; but I paint from models

now. If I have

do to make you

ify her curiosity, and said I d

she asked no mo

e town or c

I have never li

ents-concerts, and

assembled youths, though not looking at me openly, and apparently entirel

n of indifference, and proceeding to draw me out as much as possible. I wished Adelaide

I have never

trange?" she added, appealing to the boys. "Fr?

ing perverted, but the game instinct rose i

t I trust that the gentlemen" (with a bow to the listening

slight grimace, but looked not at all displeased. I was, though, mightily; but, elate with victory, I turned t

pleasant to me, but that's o

hairs back with a great clatter, bowing to the assembled c

they say?" I inquired of Miss Sar

ave to be there at two o'clock, and they say

ice!" I could n

go for a walk this

red that I did not like her, and did not intend to

f past two; then we shall return for coffee at

nd she was quite willing for me to go out wit

ore it. She did her best to entertain me, and I, with a childish prejudice against her abrupt manner, and the free, somewhat challenging look of her black eyes, was reserved, unresponsi

ll kind of a p

t get everywhere. I have been here several years, and as

ind

a home,

cour

rs and

osity and impertinence; though, when I looked at her, I saw what I could not bu

I have always lived in a town, I don't care for the country. It is so lonely. The peopl

er, and was too young, too ignorant and gauche to try to smooth over my dislike. I did n

did not know what a child you were

her so inharmonious was, that she had a woman's form and a man's disposition and love of freedom. As her countrywomen taken in the gross are the most utterly "in bonds" of any women in Europe, this spoiled her life in a manner which can not be understood here, where wom

here?" I inquir

re is a School of Art, which brings many painters h

are a s

en say not. I shall go away for a few months soon, but I am waiting fo

er heard of Rubenstein and the "Verlorenes Paradies." Before

ic here," she continued

I can sing. I have come here

S

acher?" was my next

laug

n. There are so many: violin, Clavier, t

estions about music; but inquired if

ged her s

e me. But I believe some people like Elberthal very well. There is the theater-that makes another element. And t

d ein Musiker? But no. My ideas of musicians were somewhat hazy, not to say utterly chaotic; they embraced only two classes: those who performed or gave lessons, and those who composed. I had never formed to myself the faintest idea of a composer, and my experience of teachers and performers was limited to one specimen-Mr. Smythe, of Darton, whose method and performances would, as I have since learned, have made the hair of a musician stand horrent on end. No-I did not think he was a musician. An actor? Perish the thought, was my inevitable mental answer. How should I be able to make any better one?

ptma

e and a gallant title, and one which became him

s three shilling

d. At that rate then, I owed Herr Courvoisier the sum of te

d when Herr Courvoisier would "mak