n the signal is made and--the rest is my own affair! You will
find this agreement in your fiddle-case."

"Frederick! Frederick! be quick be quick!" again shouted the father.

"Frederick! Frederick! Castero is boasting about your absence!" cried
the chorus of impatient friends.

"I agree!" cried the _artiste_, and affixed his name. While he was
signing, the stranger muttered some words of mysterious sound, of which
he did not know the meaning; and immediately the pieces of the broken
instrument united themselves--rests, bridge, stops, faces, and sides,
all took their proper places, and the soul of the noble violin
re-entered its musical prison, at the moment when that of the future
baby of Maina was sold to the enemy of mankind!

"Now, then," said Satan, as he sank beneath the floor, "go where glory
waits thee."

CHAPTER VI

What need is there to tell the success of Frederick Katwingen--how he
triumphed over Castero, captivated the Stadtholder, and was the pride of
his native town? The Stadtholder attached him to his person, settled a
pension on him of fifteen thousand florins, and treated him as the most
cherished of his friends. The burgomaster was delighted to gain so
illustrious a son-in-law, and hurried forward the marriage with all his
might. On the day of the wedding, when Frederick was leading the bride
to church, at the moment when the party was crossing the market-place, a
voice whispered in his ear--"A piece of the lace she will wear at the
ball this evening." Frederick recognised the voice, though no one else
heard it. He turned, but saw nobody. After the ceremony, the burgomaster
handed the contract to the bridegroom, to which the Stadtholder had
affixed his signature. A present of a hundred thousand florins from the
governor of the United Provinces, proved the sincerity of that
illustrious personage's friendship, and that his favour had by no means
fallen off. The burgomaster was emulous of so much generosity, and
introduced a clause in the contract, settling his whole fortune on his
son-in-law, in case of Maina's death.

Behold, then, the _artiste_ praised--feted--and happy. Possessed of the
wife he loved--rich--honoured--what more had he to hope than that those
advantages should be continued him? Castero was true to his
word--reduced his violin to powder, acknowledged Frederick's
superiority, and betook himself to higher pursuits, which ended in the
great discovery of printing.

The Dutch Orph