Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-05
came to me and touched me on the

shoulder.
"You are 10 come with mo, he said,
authoritatively, speaking in French. but
with an English hccent. followed him,
my heart beating with excitement,
through the big door. into large, hand
some hall and mp a broad staircase,
thinking that in all my life 1 had never
seen such beautiful house.
He led me into large and luxurious
sdlon, which seemed to my astonished
ewes like wonderful museum. The
walls were crowded with pictures, n
charming winter color by Gustave Mo-
reau was lying on the grand piano wait
ing until nook could be found for IL to
hang, Renaissance bronzes and the work
Of eighteenth-century silversmiths JOS
tied one another on brackets. and on
table lay handsome violin case. The
pale blinds were drawn down, and there
was delicious smell of flowers diffused
everywhere. A lady was lying on n sofa
near the window-a handsome woman OF
about thirty, whose dress was miracle
OF lace and finishes.
The young man led me toward her,
and she placed two delicate, jewelled
hands on my shoulders, looking at me
steadily in the face.
"Where did you learn to play like
that. my boy ?" she asked.
81 cannot remember when / could not
fiddle, Madame, " answered, which was
true.
"The boy is born musician, Felix"
said Lady Greyille. LOOK ct his
hands,"
And she held up mine to the young
mans notice he glanced at them care
lessly.
Eyes, Miladi." said the young man,
they are real violin hands. What
were you playing just now, my lad ?"
81 don't know, sir" | said. 81 play
Just what comes into my head"
Lady Greville looked at her nephew
with glance of triumph.
"What did | tell youl" she cried.
"The boy is a genius, Felix. l shall
have him educated"
"All your geese are swans, Auntie, J"
said the young man in English.
Lady Greville, however, ignored his
thrust.
"Will you play for me now, my dear"
she said, las you did before--just what
comes into your head ?"
nodded, and was getting my fiddle to
my chin when she stopped me.
'"Not that thing" bestowing glance
of contempt at my instrument. Felix.
the Stradivarius."
The young man went to the other
side Of the room and returned with the
case which had noticed. He put it in
my hand with the injunction to handle it
gently. ] had never heard of Cremona
violins nor of my namesake Stradivarius,
but at the sight OF the dark-seasoned
wood, reposing on its blue velvet, [ could
not restrain cry of admiration. | have
that same instrument in my room now
and I would not trust it in the hands Of
another for a million. lifted the violin
tenderly from its case, and ran my bow
I'D the gamut. felt almost intoxicated
at the mellow sounds it uttered. | could
have kissed the dark wood, that
looked to me stained through and
through with melody. / began to play.
Ny improvisation was song OF triumph
and delight; the music, at first rapid
and Joyous, became slower and more
solemn as the inspiration seized on me,
until at last, in spite OF myself, it grew
into n wild and indescrlbable dirge,
fading away in a long wall of unuttera-
bic sadness and regret. When it was
over | felt exhausted and unstrung, as
| though virtue had gone out from me. l
had played as had never played before.
The Young man had turned away and
was looking out of the window. The
lady on the sofa was TRANSPORTED. The
| lanRuor had altogether left her, and the
tears we're streaming down her face to
the great detriment OF the powder and
enamel which composed her complexion.
She pulled me toward her and kissed me.
alt is beautiful terrible she said.
81 have never heard such music in my
life. You must stay with me now and
have masters. If you can play like that
now, without culture and education, in
time when you have been taught you
will be the greatest violinist that ever
lived"
l will say of Lady Greville that in
spite of her frivolity and Alterations she
does love music, at the bottom of her
soul, with the absorbing passion that IN
nv eyes would absolve a person for COM
hitting all the sins in the decalogue. II
her heart could be taken out and exam
ined | can fancy it as a shield divided
into equal fields. Perhaps, as her friends
declare, one of these might bear
the device. "Modes ct Connections,
but am sure that you would see on the
other, even more deeply craven, the
divine word Music" She is one of the
few persons whose praise Of any OF my
compositions gives me real satisfaction
and almost alone, when everybody Is
running in true goose fashion, to hear
my piano recitals. she knows and tells
me to stick to my true yocation-the
violin.
"My dear Baron" she said, "why
waste your time playing on an instru-
ment which is not suited to you when
YOU have Stradivarius waiting at home
for the magic touch.
She was right, though it is the fashion
to speak of me now as O second Rubin
| STEM. mere are SCORES Oh IutI iJldDlsiH
than I, oven here in London. But am
quite sure, yes, and you are sure, too,
oh my Stradivarius, that in the whole
world there is nobody who can make
such music out Of you as / can, no one
to whom you tell snch stories as you tell
to me. ANY one who knows could see
by merely looking at my hands that they
are violin and not piano hands.
own you come and live with me, An
ton 2" said Lady Greville, more calmly.
- am rich, and childless you shall
live Just as if you were my child. The
best masters in Europe shall teach You.
Tell ME where to find your parents, An
ton, and | will see them tonight.
81 have no parents" | said "only
Ninette. | cannot leave Ninette.
"Who is Ninetto ?" asked Felix, turn
ing round from the window.
told him.
"What is to be done?" cried Lady
Greville in perplexity. 81 cannot have
the girl here as well, and l will not let
my Phoenix 90"
"Send her to the Orphanage," said
the yonng man carelessly. "You have
! n nomination"