o teach
him, you refused to accept money. Your reasons were that you were
devoted to your art and that you loved to help the children of the
poor. Surely I don't come under _that_ classification, Herr Von
Barwig?"

"Oh, no, no!" faltered poor Von Barwig.

"Then why do you refuse to take my money? Heaven only knows you've
worked hard enough for it! Your efforts to instill your ideas into my
head deserve far greater recognition than mere money payment."

"No, no! I have not worked. It has been so great a pleasure. No,
decidedly there has been no work! I do not feel myself entitled to
take, until you show some progress." Von Barwig felt himself on terra
firma again.

"All that is begging the question, my dear Maestro! Whether your work
affords you pleasure or no, it is still your work. Teaching is your
means of livelihood, is it not?"

"Not altogether; I play at--" and then he thought of the Dime Museum
and was silent. He looked at her; she was regarding him quite
seriously, and he was afraid he had offended her. There was a pause
during which he tried to think out a course of action calculated to
offset his mistake. Helene broke the silence.

"You left your own country, where I understand you were well known and
successful, and you came over here, where, pardon my saying so, you are
not known and where you--" Helene hesitated slightly, "where you are
not so prosperous. When I bring you a pupil you refuse to take money
for his tuition. When I take lessons from you myself, you refuse to
take money from me. Now, my dear Herr Von Barwig, I confess that I
cannot understand! You must explain." There was a dead silence.
"What does it mean?" demanded Helene. Von Barwig looked at her
helplessly. He had no explanation, or, rather, he realised that the
one he had was insufficient.

"Why do you take so much interest in me?" she asked.

"At first for a likeness, a likeness to some one I knew," replied Von
Barwig, in a low voice. "You resemble a memory I have known, a memory
that gives me so much happiness. She is gone, and now you--pardon the
liberty--you take her place. I take interest because it was she--and
it is now--you--you--a fresh young girl that will never grow old! You
have taken the place of--of--" Von Barwig could not go on. He knew
what he meant, but he could not express it.

"As I said before, Herr Von Barwig," and Helene spoke now with less
show of wounded dignity, "I do not unders