found it difficult to
get along. Paris seemed very different from their anticipations. It was
hard to decline such a splendid offer, but it was harder to part with
Camilla, and she could not go.

Then came the Conservatory. There were several teachers of the violin.
She might have the choice, and decided to go into Lambert Massart's
class. He was the most popular teacher. He was known to be cross and
irritable. His pupils had a sorry time of it but they generally became
good artists. She meant to be an artist and she would go to him. It was
fortunate, for as soon as he heard her play and learned something of her
history and circumstances, he generously offered to give her private
lessons at his own house without money and without price.

"Heaven helps those who help themselves." Salvatore Urso saw his store
of money melting away fast. It was not easy to find a place in the
orchestras in Paris. There was not a church in the city that did not
have several applicants waiting for the position of organist. Evil days
were beginning to come upon them. Nearly nine months had slipped away
and Camilla had only just succeeded in entering the Conservatory. For
all that, she had entered and her talents had won a good friend in the
great teacher Massart. They had no noble patron to aid them, there was
no wealthy friend to help them along. Everything depended upon
themselves and Camilla. She, brave little girl had done well and could
now go on and fulfill her splendid destiny.

Her first lesson at the Conservatory opened her eyes to the life that
was before her. There were eight boys in Massart's class besides
herself. At first the boys sneered at her and resented her presence. Not
content with this they tried to annoy her with rudeness and to plague
her with boyish pranks. She took it all patiently, replied to nothing
and clung to her violin in stubborn silence.

Massart was a large, rosy faced man with an uncertain temper. He seemed
much younger than he really was, and though at times he was dreadfully
cross and savage, he was at heart a kind and generous man. His manner of
teaching was peculiar. One pupil played at a time and the rest looked on
in silence while the master walked up and down the room with a long
slender stick in his hand. At first she thought it was a baton to beat
time with or to point to the music. Presently she found it had quite
another use. One stupid boy did not take the proper position. Massart
told him h