ll see. I vill have you doing vhat you
Americans call 'stunts' on dat violin. Really, it vill surprise you!
Your fingers are stiff. See; I vill show you. Now, try dis
exercise--here!" He opened one of her music books and pushed the
music before her.

"Right there, now. One--two--t'ree! One--two--t'ree!--"

Dorothy swung off into the exercise with apparent ease, but soon
reached a difficult scale in the third position. Somehow her fingers
would not go where she intended them. She tried it once--twice--then
stopped, flushing.

"You see?" said the Herr professor. "If I vant to be mean, I vould
say, 'I told you so.'"

"Oh, Herr, I beg your pardon! I will never dispute your word
again--never--never! My fingers _are_ stiff. They are all right for
ordinary music in the first and second positions, but the third I can
hardly do at all, and I'm sure I have practiced and practiced it."

"Surely you have practiced it, but never as you shall during de next
few veeks. It iss only by constant application to a certain method
dat great violin players are made. Dey are expected to accomplish de
impossible. Dat may sound rather vague to you, but you vill some day
understand vhat I mean."

"I understand what you mean now, Herr. I find an exercise which it is
impossible for me to play. But I keep everlastingly at it until I can
play it. In that way I have achieved what _seemed_ to be the
impossible."

"Dat iss it--dat iss it! You catch my idea exactly. Do you t'ink you
vill be able to accomplish many of those impossible t'ings?"

"I shall perform every task you set for me, no matter how long or how
hard I have to try."

"Ah, now, dat iss de proper spirit. If all young ladies vere like you
vhat a beautiful time de moosic teachers vould have."

"They would, Herr?"

"Oh, yes; dey vould be so overjoyed dat dey vould be avay on a
vacation most of de time."

"I suppose you have all sorts of pupils, Herr?" said Aunt Betty, who
had been an interested listener to the conversation between the girl
and the professor.

"Yes; mostly young girls, madame, und to say dat dey are a big
trouble iss but expressing it mildly. In fact, dey are de greatest of
my troubles. Dey pay me vell, yes, but vhat iss pay vhen you must
labor with dem hour after hour to get an idea t'rough their heads?
Vy, for example I vill show you. A lady pupil vill valk into my
studio, t'row off her t'ings und prepare for a lesson. Vhen I say now
you do dis or dat, she