as she possibly could. When she had
finished she placed her elbows on the keyboard and said: "How do you
like this maiden's prayer?"

Von Barwig looked at her critically. "You can do better than that," he
said.

"How do you know?" she asked quickly.

"Because, at some points you added notes of your own. You increased
the bass, greatly improving the original harmony of the composition,"
replied Von Barwig. "You have talent," he added. "Badly as you play,
badly as you execute, your talent stands out. No one can add to the
composer's work without having musical ideas of his own."

"He has found me out already," thought Helene. Then she mechanically
picked a tune on the piano with one finger.

Von Barwig's trained musical ear caught the melody in a moment.

"Where did you hear that?" he asked quickly.

"At your house," she answered, "the night I brought Danny to you. I
have a very keen ear for music," she added.

"You gave me quite a start," he said. "It is my symphony, my dead and
buried work. To hear that music from you was startling." There was a
pause. "Do you know the bass part?" he asked.

She closed the piano quickly with a bang. "What do you think of
Danny?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"What a curious girl!" thought Von Barwig, and then he said aloud, "The
boy has possibilities, and so have you," he added.

Helene laughed. "It's a shame to deceive him," she thought.

"Herr Von Barwig," she began, "I want to be serious a moment. I'm
afraid I've been guilty of a little--what shall I call it?
Indiscretion? No, deception; that's better. I have deceived you--"
She paused; the look of deep consternation on Von Barwig's face
arrested her. "What's the matter?" she asked.

The old man gazed at her. "I don't know," he said, swallowing a lump
in his throat "The fear that something had happened to prevent
the--continuation--of--I am so happy here--I--" He apparently was
unable to explain his meaning, for he stopped short.

"Go on," she said.

Von Barwig shook his head. "You look so serious," he said after a
pause. "I thought perhaps something had happened to prevent my coming
here, and the thought made me very unhappy. I am a foolish old man,
eh? But, I am so happy here, so happy! I try to explain," he said.
"Everything I have had in this world, everything I love I have lost! I
am afraid to love anything for fear that I shall lose it. That's
superstition, is it not? You tell