"A very impressionable child," he said lightly.

"A very unusual child," returned the small man gravely. He was blinking
absently at the count's dark face. "She has the temperament," he
murmured softly; "she will learn."

The count beamed on him.

"We depend on you to teach her," he said suavely. "You will go with us
next week to Zelitz?"

The young man bowed uncertainly. His full lips smiled doubtfully. "It is
an honor," he said, "but I must work. There is not time to lose. I must
work." He moved his big head from side to side and twirled his fingers.

The count smiled genially.

"It shall be arranged--a little house by yourself, apart from the
castle--a piano, absolute quiet, lessons only by your own arrangement."
He spoke quietly, in the tone of a superior granting terms.

The thick lips opposite him were puckering a little, and the eyes behind
the great spectacles blinked mistily.

"I must have time," repeated the little man--"time to think of it."

The count's face clouded a shade.

"We depend on you," he said. The tone had changed subtly. It was less
assertive. "With the Baron von Schoenstein--" he motioned toward his
companion; the two young men bowed slightly--"with the baron we have a
fine quartet, and with you to train us--oh, you _must_ come!" His face
broke into a winning smile.

The young man smiled in return.

"I will come," he said; "but--free," he added.

"Free as the wind," assented the count easily. The note of patronage was
gone.

A big sunny smile broke over the musician's face. It radiated from the
spectacles and broadened the wide mouth.

"_Ach!_ We shall do great things!" he announced proudly.

"Great things," assented the count. "And 'Der Erlkoenig'--I must have
'Der Erlkoenig.' Bring it with you."

"'Der Erlkoenig' shall be yours," said Schubert grandly. There was the
air of granting a royal favor in the round, green-and-white little
figure as it bowed itself from the room.

In the hall he stumbled a little, looking uncertainly about. A small
figure glided from a curtained window and approached him timidly.

"Your hat is on the next landing, Herr Schubert," she said.

He looked down at her. His big face flushed with pleasure. "You like my
music," he said bluntly.

She shook her head gravely.

"It is terrible," she replied.

The spectacles glared at her.

"It hurts me here." She raised a small, dark hand to her chest.

The musician's eyes lighted.

"That is righ