Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-05

Lady Greville sought OUT Nihet,e h'
once, though was not allowed to accom-
nany her. I never saw Ninette again.
She made no opposition to Lady Gre
yille's scheme. She let herself be taken
10 the Orpbanage, and she never asked,
so they said, to see me again. 81,
"S6e's stupid little thing" said
Lady Greville to her nephew on her re-
turn. "and as plain as possible but L
suppose she was kind TO the boy. They
will forget each other now. hope. Its
not IA if they were related.
"In that case they would be hating
ench other like poison already. How
ever, / am quite sure your orotcge will
forget soon enough, and, after all, you
have nothing to do with the girl
| snppose did not think very much
of Ninette then; but what would you
have? It was such change from the
old vagrant days that there is a good
deal to excuse me. | was absorbed, too,
in the new and wonderful symmetry
which music began to assume, as taught
me by the master Lady Grevile pro-
cured for me. When the news was
broken to me, with great gentleness, that
my little companion had run away from
the Sisters with whom she had been
placed-run away and left no traces
behind her, | hardly realized how
completely she would have passed
away from me. l thought of
her for little while with come
regret then remembered Stradivarlus,
and could not be sorry long. 80 by
degrees ] ceased TO think of her lived
on in Lady Greville's house, going with
her wherever she stayed-London, Paris,
and Nice-until | was thirteen. Then she
sent me away to study music at small
German capital, in the house OF one OF
the few surviving pupils of Weber, We
parted as we had lived together, without
affection. Personally Lady tirevllle did
not like me if anything she felt an
ctualrepugnance for me. All the care she
lavished on me was for the sake OF my
talent, not for myself. She took great
deal of trouble in experimenting not
only my musical education, but my gen.
erai culture. She designed little medic
val costumes for me ami was indefatlga-
bic in her endeavors to impart to my
manners that finish which gutter edu-
cation had denied me. There is a
charming portrait of me bya well-known
English artist that hangs now in her
Ladyship's drawing.room. A pale boy OF
twelve, clad in an old-fashioned suit OF
ruby velvet a boy with huge black eyes
and long curls of the same color, isstand-
ing by an oak music-stand, holding
before him q Cremona violin. whose
rich coloring is relieved admirably by
tho beautiful old point-lace with which
the boys doublet is slashed. 1t is a
charming picture. The famous artist
who painted it considers it his best por-
trait, and Lady Greyille Is proud of 1t.
But her pride is Of the same quality as
that which made her value my presence.
| was in her eyes merely the compile
ment of her famous fiddle. heard her
one day express a certain feeling OF re-
lief at my approaching departure.
"You regret having taken him up?
asked her nephew, curiously.
"No," she said, "that would be folly.
He reDays all ones trouble as soon as he
touches his fddle-but Idon't like him.
"He can play like the great god Pan.
says Felix.
"Yes, and, like Pan, he is half q
beast"
You may make a musician out OF
him." answered the young man, exam
lining his pink nails with certain admi
ration, "but you will never make him
gentleman.
"Perhaps not" said Lady GreyillC
carelessly. "Still, Felix, he is very re-
fined"
Dame 1 think he would own himself
mistaken now. Mr. Felix LeominsteI
himself is not greater social success:
than the Baron Antonio Antonelli of the
Legion of Honor. / am as sensitive as
any one to the smallest spot on my linen,
and Duchesses rave about my charming
manners. For the rest my souvenirs
are not very numerous. lived in Ger
many until / made my dc6ut, and
never heard anything more of Ninette.
The history of my life is very much the
history of my art. l have always been
an art -concentrated man-selfconcentra
ted, my friend Felix Leominster tells me
frankly-and since | was boy nothing
has ever troubled the serene repOse oil
my egoism.
1t is strange, considering the way peo
pie rant about the "passionate sym
pathy" OF my playing, the "enormou:
potentially OF suffering" revealed in my
music, how singularly tree from passion
and disturbance my life has been.
have never let myself be troubled by
what Is commonly called Glove" TC
be frank with you do not much believe
in it. OF the two principal elements o.
which it is composed, vanity and egolsm
have too little of the former, too much
of the latter. too much GOODNESS witha
in my character to suffer from it. My
life has been VIGOROUSLY irreproachable
| | figure in polemical literature as an in
stance of man who has lived in con
tact with the demoralizing influence o.
the stage and will yet 80 to Heaven
4 Ia bonnie heUre !
| am coming to the end Of my GOuvc
Mrs and of my cigar at the same time
| must convey a coin somehow to tina
dreary person outside who is grinding
now hall way down the street. On con
sideretion / decide emphatically agains
opening the window and presenting i
that way. II the fog once gets in i
will utterly spoil me for any work thu
evening. I feel myself in travail also o
two charming little Heder that all TIM
thinking about Ninette has suggested
How would "Chansons de Canine
do for a title ? l think it best
on second thought, to ring for Gia
como, my man, and send him on
with the half crown L propose to sacri
flee on the altar of sentiment. Doubt
less the musician is a cOuntrywoman o
his, and if he pockets the coin that il
his lookout. Now, if / was writing {
romance, what a chance l have got.
should tell you how my organ-grinde
turned out to be no other than Ninette
OF course she would not be spoiled o
changed by the years-just the same Nj
nette. Then what scope for q pathetic
scene OF reconciliation and forgiveness
/ tha whole TO conclude with O peal O