ng devil, keep still," cried Jonah, angrily. "Yer can pay fer
that out of yer pocket-money," he added.

"It was of no value," said the Duchess, with frigid dignity.

"Perhaps Miss Grimes will play something," said Jonah. "Ray's talked
of nothing else since daylight this morning."

Clara sat down at the piano and ran her fingers over the keys. She had
selected her masterpiece, "The Wind Among the Pines", a tone-picture
from a shilling album. Her fingers ran over the keys with amazing
rapidity as she beat out the melody with the left hand on the groaning
bass, while with the right she executed a series of scales to the top
of the keyboard and back. Jonah listened spellbound to the clap-trap
arrangement. He had the native ear for music, and he recognized that
he was in the presence of a born musician. Ray crept near, and
listened with open mouth to this display of musical fireworks. When
she had finished, Clara turned to Jonah with a languid smile, the look
of the artist conscious of divine gifts.

"My daughter was considered the best player at the convent where she
was educated," said the Duchess--"a great talent wasted in this
dreadful place."

"I niver 'eard anythin' like that in my natural," said Jonah with
enthusiasm. "If yer can teach Ray ter play like that, I'm satisfied."

"You may depend upon her doing her best with your son, but it is not
everyone who has Clara's talent," said the Duchess.

"Play some more," said Ray.

This time she selected a grand march, striking the dilapidated piano a
series of stunning blows with both hands, filling the air with the
noise of battle.

"That must be terrible 'ard," said Jonah.

"It takes it out of one," replied Clara, with the simplicity of an
artist.

Then she gave Ray his first lesson, showing him how to sit and place
his hands, anxious to impress the parent that she was a good teacher.
She declared that Ray was very apt, and would learn rapidly. An hour
later, Jonah paid for Ray's first quarter. Clara's terms were a
guinea, but Jonah insisted on two guineas on the understanding that Ray
would receive special attention.

But in spite of her promises, Ray's progress was slow. As Jonah had no
piano, the boy came half an hour early to his lesson to practise, but
the twenty minutes' journey from the Silver Shoe occupied the best part
of an hour, for Ray, who took to the streets as a duck takes to water,
could spend a morning idling before shop windows