e a children's party--is that it?
I don't think I care about parties, mother." And his face looked rather
disappointed.

"Basil, Basil, how impatient you are! I never said anything about a
children's party. Mrs. Marchcote told me something quite different from
that. Listen, Basil. A young German--Herr Wildermann is his name--has
come to Tarnworth in hopes of making his living by teaching the violin.
He can give pianoforte lessons also, but he plays the violin better. He
plays it, she says, _very_ beautifully. He has got no pupils yet, Basil.
But--who do you think is going to be his first one?"

Basil gazed at his mother. For a moment he felt a little puzzled.

"Mother," he said at last, "do you mean--oh, mother, _are_ you going to
let me have lessons? Shall I have a dear little violin of my own? Oh,
mother, mother!"

And he jumped up from the rug where he had been lying at his mother's
feet, and looked as if he were ready to turn head over heels for joy!

"Yes, my boy," said his mother; "you are going to have your first lesson
the day after to-morrow, and Herr Wildermann is to choose you a violin.
But listen, Basil, and think well of what I say. It is _not_ easy to
learn to play the violin. Even if a child has a great deal of
taste--talent even--for music, it requires great patience and
perseverance to learn to play the violin at all well. No instrument
requires more patience before you can arrive at anything really good. I
would not say all this to another child--I would let Blanche, for
instance, find out the difficulties for herself, and meet them as they
come, cheerfully and brightly as she always does. But you are so
exaggerated about difficulties, Basil, that I want to save yourself and
me vexation and trouble before you begin the violin. You are too
confident at first, and you cannot believe that there will be
difficulties, and then you go to the other extreme and lose heart. Now,
I warn you that the violin is _very_ difficult. And it is not a thing
you _must_ learn--not like your lessons at school. It will be a great,
an immense pleasure to you once you master it, but unless you resolve to
be patient and persevering and _hopeful_ in learning it, you had better
not begin it."

Lady Iltyd spoke very earnestly. She was anxious to make an impression
on Basil, for she saw more clearly than any one the faults of his
character, and longed to help him to overcome them. For a moment or two
Basil remained silent, f