owing to the countless
mistakes the boys had made in copying the score, he rewrote the whole
composition. Fearing another fiasco from amateur copyists, the young
composer wrote out all the parts himself. This took three months. With
the help of a friend who advanced funds, the mass was performed at
Saint Roch, and was well spoken of by the press.

The hostility of Hector's family to music as a profession, died down
a bit, owing to the success of the mass, but started up with
renewed vigor when the son and brother failed to pass the entrance
examinations at the Conservatoire. His father wrote that if he
persisted in staying on in Paris his allowance would be stopped.
Lesueur, his teacher, promised to intercede and wrote an appealing
letter, which really made matters worse instead of better. Then
Hector went home himself, to plead his cause in person. He was coldly
received by his family; his father at last consented to his return
to Paris for a time, but his mother forbade it absolutely. In case he
disobeyed her will, she would disown him and never again wished to see
his face. So Hector at last set out again for Paris with no kind look
or word from his mother, but reconciled for the time being with the
rest of the family.

The young enthusiast began life anew in Paris, by being very
economical, as he must pay back the loan made for his mass. He found
a tiny fifth floor room, gave up restaurant dinners and contented
himself with plain bread, with the addition of raisins, prunes
or dates. He also secured some pupils, which helped out in this
emergency, and even got a chance to sing in vaudeville, at the
enormous sum of 50 francs per month!

These were strenuous days for the eager ardent musician. Teaching from
necessity, in order to live, spending every spare moment on composing;
attending opera whenever he got a free ticket; yet, in spite of many
privations there was happiness too. With score under arm, he always
made it a point to follow the performance of any opera he heard. And
so in time, he came to know the sound--the voice as it were, of
each instrument in the orchestra. The study of Beethoven, Weber and
Spontini--watching for rare and unusual combinations of sounds, being
with artists who were kind enough to explain the compass and powers of
their instruments, were the ways and means he used to perfect his art.

When the Conservatoire examinations of 1827, came on, Hector tried
again, and this time passed th