ed Miss Husted, "they must not speak!"

Knowing the extent of their knowledge of each other's language, Von
Barwig readily promised on behalf of Poons to obey her injunction to the
letter, and she left the room in a state of resignation.

Von Barwig opened his letter, his eyes fairly glittering with excitement
as he read the following:

"MY DEAR VON BARWIG: No doubt you thought I had forgotten you, but such
is not the case. Your appointment as conductor of the 'Harmony Hall
Concerts' has been passed on favourably by the promoters of the venture.
None of them knew you or had ever heard of you, but I soon won them over,
and I am now empowered to offer you a liberal salary during the
engagement. So come up to the hall at your earliest convenience and let
us discuss details.

"Yours always faithfully,

"HERMANN VAN PRAAG."

P.S. "We are having some trouble with the Unions, but I do not
anticipate any serious impediment to our progress."

Von Barwig's blood ran hot and cold; his heart beat so rapidly he could
hear it. He read the letter again and again. His first impulse was to
rush out into the hall to tell all his friends; to shout, to dance, to,
give way to excitement. This he resisted. Then a great calm came over
him; the end of his ill luck had come at last. It was a long lane, but
the turning was there and he had reached it. Deep, deep down in his
heart the man thanked God for His kindness. And as he read the letter
once more, he wept tears of joy, for he felt that his deliverance was at
hand. At last, at last, when well on the brink of failure, of despair,
perhaps of starvation, this great joy had come to him!

In order to realise it to its fullest possible extent he sat down in his
armchair and thought it all out. He could give engagements to Poons, to
Fico, to Pinac. Pinac was a fairly good violin player, both he and Fico
played well enough to sit at the back desk of the second violins. Poons
would, of course, be one of his 'cellists. And he, himself? He need
never go to the dreadful Museum again; for this alone he was grateful.
Yes, he could share his good fortune with his friends; he could even make
it possible for Poons to marry Jenny. These thoughts filled him with
such wild excitement that he could restrain himself no longer. He rushed
out into the hall, and called up the stairway for his friends. They were
in, he knew, for he could hear them practising. As soon as they heard