an absent smile; for she was
once more deeply absorbed in contemplation of the statue.

"Does she live here, and is she to be seen?" she said, suddenly
interrupting his flow of eloquence.

"I think, madame, you will give yourself useless trouble in trying to
make her acquaintance," replied Jansen, dryly. "The lady lives in a
very retired way, and I doubt--"

"Very well, very well, I understand; you are miserly with your
treasures, and want to keep the most beautiful to yourself.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to be angry with anything genius does!
Present my compliments to the charming, mysterious original, and tell
her--but who is that playing up-stairs?"

At this moment they heard Rosenbusch's flute, which had been playing a
light prelude for some time, strike up a grand _bravura_ movement with
all the power and feeling of which its owner was capable.

Jansen gave Felix a meaning look. Then he told as much about Rosenbusch
as was necessary to excite the lady's curiosity. Upon taking leave, she
gave the master and his pupil an invitation for that evening.

"You _must_ come," she said; "to be sure, I haven't much to offer you,
especially no such beautiful women as you are accustomed to. But we
shall have music--you love music, too, don't you? And, for the rest,
you must be contented with what we can do for you. I live in the hotel;
a bird of passage never has a comfortable nest. But only come to Moscow
some time; I own a few good old pictures and some sculptures there.
Will you? We will talk of this again. Well, good-by until this evening.
Here is my address, in case you should be as forgetful as geniuses and
friends of beautiful women generally are. _Au revoir!_"

She gave Jansen her card and a shake of the hand, bowed cordially to
Felix, and left the studio, followed by her two adjutants.

"Our rat-catcher has made a lucky hit again," laughed Jansen, as they
heard the strangers going up-stairs; and immediately afterward the
flute stopped in the room above. "When I have visitors, he invariably
becomes musical, in order to remind them that there are other people
living in the top story. This time I am especially grateful to him.
Upon my word, my patience and politeness were put to a hard test."

"You are right; the professor certainly was a tough morsel,"
interrupted Felix. "But, as for the lady--although I know enough of her
kind not to be deceived--still, for all that, it is a game of the sex
that one neve