"You are saying this," she said, "for my sake. You fear that I shall
suffer hardship and want. You sacrifice yourself--more than
yourself--for me."

This turn in the conversation completed the vexation of the Maestro.
When you are doing a particularly mean thing, nothing is more
aggravating than to have noble and generous motives imputed to you; and
to have a very pretty woman offer herself to you, unreservedly, when
motives of paltry selfishness render the offer unacceptable, is enough
to provoke any man.

The old man lost his temper completely.

"Faustina," he said, "you are a fool. I have told you already that I
intend to travel, without thinking of work or of pay. You must stay
here. I shall not want you. You have everything here you can wish. The
Prince is your lover. You have a brilliant future before you. Don't let
me have any more trouble about you."

Still the girl could not believe that her friend and teacher meant to
cast her off. She was looking at him wonderingly and sadly.

"Maestro," she said, "you are not well. You are cross and tired; we will
not speak of this any more to-night. This worry has made you ill.
To-morrow you will see quite differently. You can never leave your
art--and Tina."

This feminine persistency, as it seemed to him--this leaving a
discussion open which it was absolutely necessary should be closed that
night--was too much for the Maestro.

"I leave Vienna," he said brutally, "the day after to-morrow. I suppose
that you will not insist on following me uninvited. If so, I shall know
what to do."

This tone and look revealed to the girl, at last, that she was cast off
and discarded by the only man for whom she really cared. She threw
herself on her knees beside his chair, and caught his hand.

"Maestro," she said passionately, "you will not be so cruel! You will
not leave me! What can I do? How can I live, without you? I cannot sing
without you. I am your child. You took me out of the gutter; you taught
me all I know; you made me all I am. I will do anything you tell me. I
will not trouble you. I will not speak even! I care for no one except
for you. I know you better, I can care for you, can serve you better,
than they all. You will not be so cruel! You will not send me away from
you."

The more passionately she spoke, the more rapid and fervent her
utterance, the more fretful and irritated did the old man become. He
pushed her roughly from him.

"Tina," he said again