man."

Mrs. Gay complied with the request. Nello played the beautiful piece
with all his soul. Gay listened, attentively. When it was finished, he
applauded loudly.

"By Jove, you are great! Peron was right. He has not exaggerated. You
have had no chance, eh?"

Nello stammered that he had had no chances. He did not dare confess
to this prosperous person, composer as well as conductor of an
orchestra, that, lately, he had been playing in the streets for a
living to pay for his miserable lodging and scanty food.

They arranged terms with many apologies on the part of Mr. Gay.

"It is an insult to a man of your talent to offer such a miserable
pittance. But my hands are tied, and tied very strictly, I can tell
you. Turn up at the Parthenon on Friday night; you will soon get
something better. You can read music quickly?"

Nello assured him on that point. He could read music as easily as his
newspaper. The terms which Mr. Gay offered him were riches compared to
the few coppers he had earned in the streets.

That same afternoon he and the joyful Anita presented themselves in
Dean Street, with their few belongings. Papa Peron furnished a royal
supper and broached another bottle of the very excellent Chambertin.

There was, however, still the question of clothes. Nello had nothing
but what he stood up in, and the Parthenon was a very swagger
theatre. Peron was equal to the emergency. He took the young man
round to a neighbouring costumier's, and secured a dress-suit on the
hire-purchase system, at a very small outlay of ready money which he
advanced. For, although the good Papa was not rich, he was very
thrifty, and usually had a shot in the locker.

It was a very happy _menage_; the old Frenchman was kindness and
geniality itself. He seemed to grow younger in the society of his
youthful friends.

And in time the mystery that had seemed to surround him vanished,
his means of livelihood became revealed. He was on the staff of a
couple of big music publishers. He corrected their proof sheets,
he occasionally advised on compositions of budding composers; but
needless to say, at this hack work his remuneration was very modest.

But he always appeared cheerful and resigned. He would drop
fragmentary hints of a brilliant past, when money flowed like water,
when he had mixed with illustrious personages. But he could never be
induced to dwell very long on this period, would enter into no
convincing details.

"It is go