place him among the greatest of his profession."

"He is a good-looking young fellow, too," said the old man.

"I think he is the handsomest man I ever have seen," replied the girl.

"Where does he come from?" continued Sanders.

"St. Casciano, a small town in Tuscany."

"Has he a family?"

"Only a sister, whom he loves dearly," good-naturedly answered the girl.

"And no one else?" continued the seemingly garrulous old man.

"None that I have heard him speak of. No, certainly not," rather
impetuously replied Mildred.

"How old is he?" continued the old man.

"Twenty-eight next month; why do you wish to know?" she quizzically
asked.

"Simply idle curiosity," old Sanders carelessly replied. "I wonder if
he is in love with any one in Tuscany?"

"Of course not; how could he be?" quickly rejoined the girl.

"And why not?" added old Sanders.

"Why? Because, because--he is in love with some one in America."

"Ah, with you, I see," said the old man, as if it were the greatest
discovery of his life; "are you sure he has not some beautiful
sweetheart in Tuscany as well as here?"

"What a foolish question," she replied. "Men like Angelo Diotti do not
fall in love as soldiers fall in line. Love to a man of his nobility
is too serious to be treated so lightly."

"Very true, and that's what has excited my curiosity!" whereupon the
old man smoked away in silence.

"Excited your curiosity!" said Mildred. "What do you mean?"

"It may be something; it may be nothing; but my speculative instinct
has been aroused by a strange peculiarity in his playing."

"His playing is wonderful!" replied Mildred proudly.

"Aye, more than wonderful! I watched him intently," said the old man;
"I noted with what marvelous facility he went from one string to the
other. But however rapid, however difficult the composition, he
steadily avoided one string; in fact, that string remained untouched
during the entire hour he played for us."

"Perhaps the composition did not call for its use," suggested Mildred,
unconscious of any other meaning in the old man's observation, save
praise for her lover.

"Perhaps so, but the oddity impressed me; it was a new string to me. I
have never seen one like it on a violin before."

"That can scarcely be, for I do not remember of Signor Diotti telling
me there was anything unusual about his violin."

"I am sure it has a fifth string."

"And I am equally sure the string can be of no importance