g-room and bed-chamber for the
purpose, and more than half an hour; for the first time in her life she
laid down to rest with a feeling that she had something to rise for in
the morning. She listened to the footsteps of her guest above; they were
lighter than those of other people; his contact with the furniture, too,
was cautious. His eyes, with their kindly glow of good-will, and the
fathomless depths beyond this, were the last objects she saw distinctly.

Indescribable days followed. Magnhild went regularly to her lessons, but
lost no time in getting home again, where she was received by music and
found the house surrounded by listeners. She scarcely went out again
the rest of the day. Either her guest was at home and she was waiting
for him to play, or he had gone out for a walk, and she was watching for
his return. When he greeted her in passing she blushed and drew back. If
he came into her room to ask for anything, there ran a thrill through
her the moment she heard the approach of his footsteps; she became
confused and scarcely comprehended his words when he stood before her.
She had, perhaps, not exchanged ten words with him in as many days, but
she already knew his most trifling habit and peculiarity of dress. She
noticed whether his soft brown hair was brushed behind his ears, or
whether it had fallen forward; whether his gray hat was pushed back, or
whether it was drawn down over his forehead; whether he wore gloves or
not; whether he had a shawl thrown over his shoulders or not. And how
was it in regard to herself? Two new summer dresses had been ordered by
her, and she was now wearing one of them. She had also purchased a new
hat.

She believed that in music lay her vocation; but she felt no inclination
to make any kind of a beginning. There was enough to satisfy her in her
guest's playing, in his very proximity.

Day by day she developed in budding fullness of thought; her dream-life
had prepared her for this; but music was the atmosphere that was
essential to her existence: she knew it now. She did not realize that
the refined nature of this man of genius, spiritualized and exalted by
ill-health, was something new, delightful, thought-inspiring to her; she
gave music alone the credit for the pleasure he instilled into her life.

At school she took an interest in each scholar she had never experienced
before; she even fell into the habit of chatting with the sailor's wife
who did the work of her house.