reat silver blossoms and
dark flat leaves of the water-lilies, seeing even from there the shadowy
forms of the great fish which glided slowly among the slimy stalks.

"Ready?" said the musician, giving his hand a flourish.

"Yes, sir," said Roy, aloud; and then to himself, "Oh, what an awful
fib." Then he wrinkled up his brows dismally, and began to think of old
Ben polishing the armour and swords; but the next moment his face
smoothed out stiffly, and he grew red in his efforts to keep from
laughing aloud, for Master Pawson commenced jerking and snatching from
the strings a remarkable series of notes, which followed one another in
a jigging kind of fairly rapid sequence, running up and down the gamut
and in and out, as if the notes of the composer had suddenly become
animated, and, like some kind of tiny, big-headed, long-tailed goblins,
were chasing one another in and out of the five lines of the stave,
leaping from bar to bar, never stopping for a rest, making fun of the
flats and sharps, and finally pausing, breathless and tired, as the
player now finally laid down the bow, took out a fine laced
handkerchief, and began to wipe his fingers and mop his brow.

"There," he said, smiling; "you like that bright, sparkling composition
better?"

"No," said Roy, decisively; "no, I don't think I do."

"I am glad of it; very glad of it. I was afraid that you preferred the
light and trivial coranto to the graceful saraband."

"But, I say. Master Pawson, the Italians surely don't dance to such
music as that?"

"I have never been in Italy, my dear pupil, but I believe they do.
Going?"

Roy had risen from his chair.

"Yes, sir; I thought, as you were practising, you would not want me to
stop and read to-day, and you are writing a letter, too."

"Letter?" said the secretary, hurriedly reaching towards an open sheet
upon the table and turning it over with the point of his bow. "Oh,
that? Yes, some notes--some notes. Well, it is a fine day, and
exercise is good, and perhaps I shall run through a few more
compositions. So you can go, and we will study a little in the evening,
for we must not neglect our work, Roy, my dear pupil; we must not
neglect our work."

"No, sir. Thank you, sir," said the boy; and, for fear of a change of
decision, he hurried from the room and made his way out upon the old
ramparts, to begin walking leisurely round the enclosed garden, and
looking outward from the eminence upon which the c