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Page 31
"I don't know exactly what I said,--some rubbish about how much I
cared for it; but I stammered mostly, and got all kinds of
colours. I guess you can tell pretty much how I behaved, though I
really am getting to be not quite so much of a muff. Anyhow, he
seemed to understand, and nodded, and said, 'Give me now the
violin, for there are things you understand not yet in the piece.'
"Oh, Hilda! he took my violin in his own hands, and played for me.
Think of it! the greatest master in the world, all alone with me
there, and playing like--like--well, I don't know how to say what
I mean, so you'll have to imagine it for yourself. He went all
through it, stopping once in a while to explain to me, and to
describe this or that shade of expression or turn of the wrist. It
was the most splendid lesson any one ever had, I believe. But that
is not the best, and I hardly like to tell even you the rest. You
may think I am just bluffing, and anyhow,--but it is the truth,
so--well, after about half an hour my master came in, and of
course he was delighted, and highly honoured, and bowing and
scraping and all. But the maestro came and put his hand on my
shoulder, and said, 'Friend, will you give me up this pupil,
hein?'
"I don't mind if you don't believe it; I didn't myself, but
thought I was asleep and dreaming it all. 'I will give you in
exchange two others,' he said. 'The fat English lady has shortness
of breath, and cannot keep my hours of work, and the young Russian
makes eyes at me, which is not to be endured. Will you take them,
both very rich, and give me in exchange this child?'
"Of course there is only one answer, you know; it is like when a
king asks for anything. And besides, Herr Geiger is so good and
kind, he was really perfectly delighted at my having the great
chance,--the chance of a lifetime. So I am going this afternoon to
take my first regular lesson from the great master of the world,
and I don't deserve it, Hilda, and I wonder why everything is done
so for me, and such happiness given to a fellow like me, when
there are hundreds of other fellows who deserve it a great deal
more. I know what you and your mother would say, and I do feel it,
and I am thankful, I truly think, with all my heart, and I hope I
shall be a better fellow in every way, and try to make some
return. I couldn't go without telling you. Of course I wrote a
line to the governor first. He will be so happy! And of course if
it hadn't been for him, I never should have had any music, or any
violin, or anything; and without you and your mother, Hilda, I
never should have come here, that is certain. So I don't see very
clear, sometimes, when I think about you and him.
"Time for the lesson now. Good-bye! I am the happiest fellow in
the world! Best love to your mother, and uncle--no! shall write to
him by this mail.
"Always your affectionate
"JACK.
"P.S. Lesson glorious! he is really the greatest man in the world,
I don't care who the next is. I didn't thank you for your last
letter. Of course I felt for a minute as if my gas-balloon had
bust, when you told me that the lovely Rose was going to marry Dr.
Flower; but I guess it is all right. You see, she must be very
sweet and all that; but after all, I never saw her, and you say
she has no ear for music, and I am afraid that would have been a
pretty bad thing, don't you think so yourself? So I guess it is
all right, and I am as jolly as a coot. Awfully jolly about the
new neighbours turning out such bricks. Do any of them play or
sing? JACK.
"P.P.S. I fought my first duel yesterday, with a chap who slanged
the U. S. I got a cut on my left arm, but then, I cut a little
slice off his ear, so I was all right. J."
"Dear me!" exclaimed Mrs. Grahame; "a duel! The naughty, naughty
boy! Those student duels are not apt to be serious affairs
nowadays, I believe, but still it seems a dreadful thing. What
will the Colonel say when he hears it?"
"He will very likely be pleased as Punch, as Jack says," rejoined
Hildegarde. "To have his milksop fight a duel would probably seem
to him a very encouraging thing. And of course, mammina, it isn't
like a real, dreadful duel, is it? I mean, it is more a kind of
horrid bear-play? But oh, to think of our Jack cutting off a piece
of a man's ear! It almost spoils the beautiful other part of it.
No, nothing can spoil that. Dear, delightful, stupid, glorious old
Jack! I always knew he had genius. When shall we see the Colonel?"
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