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--