musician whose music he had so often heard on the piano--for Von Barwig
frequently played his own compositions and the strains were wafted
through the open window. Pinac was most enthusiastic, for he knew Von
Barwig slightly by reputation. He had been in Dresden and he had heard
of Anton Von Barwig, the musical conductor. It seemed scarcely
possible that the gentleman before him was that great man.

Von Barwig was silent, smiling a little at Pinac's enthusiasm, but as
he did not deny his identity Pinac felt sure that he was right. The
three men soon became quite friendly and often met in the little _cafe_
to talk things over. Galazatti's was frequented chiefly by foreigners
and the din of loud voices added to the rattle and clatter of knives
and forks made conversation difficult. But its patrons soon became
used to this and the _table d'hote_ was cheap and good at the price,
twenty-five cents. It was a combination of East Side Tivoli and French
Brasserie and Hungarian Goulash Rendezvous--a tiny cosmopolis in
itself--and it did a rushing business.

So the months dragged along in unending monotony. Poor Von Barwig
tried hard to do work that would please the gentlemen who controlled
the music trades, but failed. One day, while looking over his
manuscripts to discover if possible the cause of his failure, he was
struck by the similarity of one of his compositions to another. They
all seemed to contain the same melody, in one form or another, and he
saw plainly at last that he was subconsciously haunted by the leading
motif of the first movement of his last symphony, the symphony that was
played on that dreadful night for the first and last time. The
inference was plain enough. This melody haunted him, he could not
forget it; it showed itself in all his work and he realised that his
career as a composer had come to an end.

After that Von Barwig tore up all his compositions and turned his
attention to teaching, an occupation he had always hated ever since he
had given up the professorship of counterpoint and harmony in the
Leipsic Conservatory. Teaching--the very thought had made him shudder.
He looked about him and found that New York was fast moving uptown, and
that Houston Street was not a good locality for a musical conservatory.
People who could afford to study music did not live in that
neighbourhood; but he could not summon up sufficient energy or courage
to leave the place. He had come to like the ol