ie, how could you break my heart by such a confession!"
said he, laughing.

"It was only Lancy Gurney, so don't be foolish," leaning her head
confidingly on his shoulder.

"_Only_ Lancy Gurney! Worse and worse!" laughing gaily, as he held up her
face to meet his gaze. "Don't tell me you are 'sentimentally inclined' in
_his_ direction yet, or I shall do something desperate."

"How can I tell you about it, if you laugh? I am afraid you will not
understand it, if you look at it seriously!"

"Well, try me, anyway," and he drew her on to his knee.

"I fear it needs a musician's heart to understand it. I do not mean that
the piece is so very difficult, but it has such strange, peculiar chords,
which sound so exquisitely sweet, that it makes the tears come, no matter
how hard I try to repress them. It affected Lancy the same way, so I did
not mind playing it before him, but you see I could not give any reasonable
explanation for my tears had I played it for you at papa's request."

"Say no more, little wife. I'll not tease you about it again; but let me
confess a little sin. I listened to you one night through the open window
when you were playing that piece, and I saw you in tears, too, but I did
not rightly guess the cause of them."

"But I have not told you all yet! What will you say when I tell you that I
gave Lancy Gurney one promise which I have not been able to break!
Possibly, Lancy and I _were_ 'sentimentally inclined' when he exacted it of
me, but we agreed not to play that piece for other people, and I doubt if
he finds that promise any easier to break than I do, for he would not care
to let others see his emotion. I have often wondered what was in the heart
of the composer, for it touches my heart like no other piece of music has
power to do. I fear I have not made it very plain to you, dear, but I wish
you understood it as Lancy did."

"Little wife, I believe you care for him yet," lifting her face and kissing
her lips.

"Yes, of course I do, but not as I care for you. It is only the musical
corner of my heart that he has touched, for apart from music I never give
him a thought. My love for you is different; it seems to fill my life."

"You shall not find me exacting, dearest. Lancy is quite welcome to that
musical corner, while I have such a heart full of love for my own. I would
not have spoken about that music had I known what it was to you. I will
remember after this," he added, smiling, "that it is