id not do so she would not play to him, he
reluctantly consented, vowing at the same time that he would not accept
it himself, but would bestow it upon Ludwig. Then Valerie went to the
violin-case, which I had placed upon a side table, and taking her
precious instrument from it--the only legacy she had received from her
father--tuned it, and stood up to play. As Valerie informed me later,
the old man, though one would scarcely have imagined it from his
commonplace exterior, was a passionate devotee of the beautiful art, and
now he stood, leaning against the wall, his fat hands clasped before
him, and his upturned face expressive of the most celestial enjoyment.
Nor had Valerie, to my thinking, ever done herself greater justice. She
had escaped from a life of misery that had been to her a living death,
and her whole being was in consequence radiant with happiness; this was
reflected in her playing. Nor was the effect she produced limited to
Herr Schuncke. Under the influence of her music I found myself building
castles in the air, and upon such firm foundations, too, that for the
moment it seemed no wind would ever be strong enough to blow them down.
When she ceased I woke as from a happy dream; Schuncke uttered a long
sigh, as much as to say, "It will be many years before I shall hear
anything like that again," and then it was time to go. The landlord
accompanied us into the street and called a cab. As it pulled up beside
the pavement a cripple passed, making his way slowly along with the
assistance of a pair of crutches. Valerie stopped him.

"My poor fellow," she said, handing him the purse containing the money
with which, ten minutes before, she had thought of paying for our
dinner, "there is a little present which I hope may bring you more
happiness than it has done me. Take it."

The man did so, scarcely able to contain his surprise, and when he had
examined the contents burst into a flood of thanks.

"Hush," she said, "you must not thank me. You do not know what you are
saying." Then turning to Schuncke, she held out her hand. "Good-bye,"
she said, "and thank you for your kindness. I know that you will say
nothing about having seen us."

"You need have no fear on that score," he said. "Pharos shall hear
nothing from me, I can promise you that. Farewell, Fraeulein, and may
your life be a happy one."

I said good-bye to him, and then took my place in the vehicle beside
Valerie. A quarter of an hour later we wer