Part 12 (1/2)

”You _are_ pleased, mother?” he whispered, and another kiss was the answer. Then the young stranger came forward.

”Herr Wildermann, I must thank you for all the trouble you have taken. I am more than pleased,” said Lady Iltyd warmly. ”How have you succeeded so well? You have taught him more than his music--you have taught him to persevere, and to keep up heart in spite of difficulties.”

”He has taught himself, madame,” said Ulric eagerly, his face flus.h.i.+ng.

”It was his kind heart that gave him what he needed. Ah, Master Basil,”

he went on, turning to his little pupil, ”I must now tell the whole, and then it will be to say if you are still to continue your lessons.”

”The whole” was soon told, and it is easy to understand that it did not lessen Lady Iltyd's pleasure. She had been glad to find her boy capable of real effort and determination--she was still more glad to find that the new motive which had prompted these was unselfish sympathy and kindness.

”I thank you _again_, Herr Wildermann,” she said, when the young man had told her all, ”you have, as I said, taught Basil more lessons than you knew. And your mother is happy to have so good a son.”

Better days began for the young music-master. Thanks to Basil's mother and to Basil himself, for the boy became a pupil who would have done credit to any master, Herr Wildermann gradually made his way in the neighbourhood he had chosen for his new home, and his old mother's later days were pa.s.sed in peace and comfort. He always counted Tarnworth his home, though as time went on he came to be well known as one of the first violinists of the day, in London and others of the great capitals of Europe.

But sometimes when his success and popularity were at the highest, he would turn to the friend who had been his first pupil, and say half regretfully--

”_You_ might excel me if you chose, Basil. I could sometimes find it in my heart to wish that you too had been born a poor boy with his way to make in the world.”

And Basil Iltyd would laugh as he told Uric that his affection made him over-estimate his pupil's talent.

”Though, such as it is,” he added, ”I have to thank you for having drawn it out, and added untold pleasure to my life.”

For though Basil had too many other duties to attend to for it to be possible for him to devote very much time to music, he never neglected it, and never forgot the grat.i.tude he owed his mother for encouraging his boyish taste.

”Above all,” Lady Iltyd used often to say, ”as in mastering the violin, you gained your first battle over impatience and want of perseverance.”

”My first but not my last,” he would answer brightly. For Basil came to be known for steady, cheerful determination, which, after all, is worth many more brilliant gifts in the journey through life, which to even the most fortunate is uphill and rugged and perplexing at times.

THE MISSING BON-BONS

A TRUE STORY

CHAPTER I

”Let it either be grave or glad If only it may be true.”

DEAR me, such a lot of children! At first you could hardly have believed that they were all brothers and sisters--such a number there seemed, and several so nearly of a size. There were--let me see--two, three, four, actually five girls of varying heights, the two elder, twins apparently, for in all respects they resembled each other so closely; three or four boys, too, from Jack of fourteen to little hop-o'-my-thumb Chris of six.

There they were all together in the large empty playroom at Landell's Manor, dancing, jumping, shouting, as only a roomful of perfectly healthy children, under the influence of some unusual and delightful excitement, can dance, and jump, and shout.

”Miss Campbell's coming to-day--joy, joy!” exclaimed one or two of the little girls.

”Miss Campbell is coming, hurrah, hurrah!” sang Jack to the tune irresistibly suggested by the words, and others joining in the chorus, till the next boy created a diversion by starting the rival air of--

”Home for the holidays here we be, Out of the clutches of L.L.D.”

”'Tisn't home for the holidays,” objected the smallest girl but one.

”Miss Campbell's never going to school no more. Her's coming home for all-a-ways.”