my opinion that it was anything but an
honourable style of going to work, to mystify this kind gentleman in
such a fashion, and pocket his money into the bargain.

"'You ought to be told,' said Haak, 'that his whole enjoyment consists
in giving lessons--in the way which you now comprehend; and that if I
and the other artists were to show any symptoms of under-valuing him or
his lessons, he would proclaim to the whole artistic world, in which he
is looked upon as a most competent and valuable critic, that we were
nothing but a set of wretched scrapers; that, in fact, apart from his
craze of being a marvellous player, the Baron is a man whose vast
knowledge of music, and most cultivated judgment thereon, are matters
from which even a master can derive great benefit. So judge for
yourself whether I am to be blamed if I hold on to him, and now and
then pocket a few of his Louis. I advise you to go to him as often as
you can. Don't listen to the cracky nonsense he talks about his own
execution; but do listen to, and profit by, what this man--who is most
exceptionally versed in the musical art, and has immense and valuable
experience in it--has to say about it. It will be greatly to your
advantage to do so.'

"I took his advice; but it was often hard to repress laughter when the
Baron would tap about with his fingers upon the belly of the fiddle
instead of on the finger-board, stroking his bow diagonally over the
strings the while, and asseverating that he was playing the most
beautiful of all Tartini's solos, and that he was the only person in
the world who could play it.

"But soon he would lay the violin down, and pour forth sayings which
enriched me with the profoundest knowledge, and enflamed my heart
towards the most glorious of all arts.

"If I then played something from one of his concertos with my utmost
_verve_, and happened to interpret this or the other passage of it
better than usual, the Baron would look round with a smile of
complacence, or of pride, and say: 'The boy has to thank me for that;
me, pupil of the great Tartini!'

"Thus, you perceive, I derived both profit and pleasure from the
Baron's lessons; and from his ducats into the bargain."

"Well, really," said Theodore, laughing, "I should think that the
greater part of the virtuosos of the present day--although they do
consider themselves far beyond any description of instruction or
advice--would be glad enough to have a few lessons such as the