The Man with a Secret
nkind is a
eet to see
ake the worl
be slave un
the best of terms with one another. Either the doctor had succumbed to the wonderful personal fascination
er, while Beaumont remained in the background lost in admiration at the wo
y eagerly; "my friend and I heard the singing and came in to li
distrust, Una could not but admire the handsome, tired-looking face she beheld and was still further impressed by the peculiar timbre of his voice when he began to talk. Beaumont certain
g, I think," observed Basil id
ased smile. "I have never hear
een in Germany,
ars--I staye
reat opportunities for studying
asked Nestley, who seemed rather annoy
unich, but I'm afraid my learning was rather desultory
estley desirous of paying a compli
e said coldly, "I d
ice and the obvious rebuke, on seeing which Una
estley," she observed, bending forwa
mont, who, however, kept his opinion to
liked it, and would doubtless in all sincerity have committed himself again only that Blake commenced t
ating notes of the singer flowed smoothly onward and, as the organist played softly, the full purity of the voice could be heard with marvellous effect. Owing to want
ayed the pleasure he felt, and Una, who w
the three walked up the aisle, "but of cou
eager to curry favour with Una by praising
ated ear Blake's voice sounds well because he has a wonderfully fine organ, but to a musician there is a crudeness of style, a want o
id Nestley, nettled at the supe
ge of the technicality of the art. Shakespeare never committed a murder, yet he wrote Macbeth and Hamlet. Balzac did not fall in love till somewhere about t
nald came forward to meet them, blushing a little with
more," said Beaumont looking at him, "my a
lake disbelievingl
e or she must study there, but I assure you it's a mistake--London and Paris have as good teachers as M
l," said Un
alloner, but the age of gold--there is a vast diff
erved Blake gaily, "perhaps I've got
tist gravely, "they pay ni
how rude I am, I must introduce you two gentlemen to th
merely bowed, but Nestley took the fragil
so much," he said hearti
nd a painfully eager look crossed her features, as if she were t
red softly, and Nestley had to repe
h reply gave Nestley a painful shock as he realized her misfortune. With delic
," he said easily, "it seems such a c
out on to the common and feel the fresh wind and smell the perfume of the gorse, I come back
h enabled her in some measure to understand and appreciate what she had never beheld. Doctors, as a rule, are not very soft-hearted, but Nestley could hardly hel
don, and when I was appointed organist here, you can have no idea of the pleasure I felt. I have the common and the organ, while everyone is kind to me
ss by Pergolesi. Reginald went outside with Nestley as he wished to speak to him about the Squire, and Una was left standing with Beaumont in the grey old church. They listened in silence to the deep thunder of the bass
quoted Basil dreamily. "Do you remember how perfe
t way, being a healthy English girl and not moved by the subtle meaning of t
church. The Messiah was first heard in England in Westminster Abbey, and it was there, following the example set by the king, that the whole audience arose at the Hallelujah Chorus, but it was not the music alone, grand as it is, that produced this sudden burst of emotion, it was the august fane gr
s and nothing to the musician," said Una quickly; "a true compos
in the Albert Hall, but even Handel's genius would never have created such an effect as I have described anywhere but in a
n Una's feelings, so she made no reply but walked ou
far as the lichgate an
m in a meditative mood and will take a look round this
uestioned, looking
the Squire about paintin
ied quickly. "I remem
in a startled tone, "
look, just as if you had seen a ghost--I dare say it's the effect of t
y and stood staring at the gr
ow voice. "After all these years--