The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-15

He came to me one morning with
my violin case and hat Come said
he" Berenice was waiting for us in
the hall and we went on board one
of the large steamers. We had not
been aboard long before we were pilot
ed out Of the harbor How weary
weary were the two weeks that we
were on the ocean! There was scarce
ly anything beyond the sighting Of a
few steamers to break the mOnotony Of
routine shlplife. All the time there
was hardly a cloud passed over our
skies.
At last came the landing in Liver
pool. We took a train at once for
London and arrived late in the even
ing. l had noticed with wonder that
amid all the hurry and hustle of the
others aboardship, Mr. Fiola and Bere-
nice had moved around with their ac-
customed quietude They behaved as
though a journey across the ocean was
no more to them than the many rides
we had taken on the New York cable
cars. In the same quiet way we went
from London to Calais, and from Cal
ais to a little suburb of Paris. It was
there 1 spent two of the happiest years
of my life.
Each morning I rose early and took
a long walk and returned to eat a
frugal breakfast: after this came a
long period of practising, with Mr..
Fiola as my companion. l saw moth
ing of Berenice during the day, until
4 O'Clock in the afternoon, and then
she went driving or walking or rid
ing with me for an hour; or, if 1t were
summer we were often out boating.
At dinner she was always present,
and afterwards in the parlor we were
together for two hours or more. She
read aloud or, at Mr.. Fiola's request
DlaUed If OF nd
sung to us in such a voice as I be-
lieve no woman had before. l remem-
Der that l often marvelled then, why,
with his Unsuitable desire for fame
Mr.. Ftola never placed Berenice be-
fore the public. But as I look back
now and study the events which
caused my separation from them, see
plainly that jealousy had a greater
hold on his nature than ever ambition,
and that it was his fear of losing
Berenice for himself that kept her in
seClusiOn.
Then followed three years that pass
before me now as a mist. Through
them I see fair Berenice's face, gleam-
ing with the kind and lovely smile
she always showed for me- I was
playing for the public now, and we
went from place to place. Mr.. Fiola
made all engagements for me and 1
could seldom say that I knew until
evening where the nights perform
ance was to be. Now I had my hardest
work; there were never less than four
hours practising to do, and sometimes
it was six. Mr.. FiCla spared neither
himself nor me. He was nv accom-
PIANIST as well as teacher, and a hard
task master he had proved himself.
I loved Berenice. I learned to love
her with the first and tender passion
of a mans love. My health began to
fail me after a winter spent in Paris
and Berlin. and a physician ordered
a complete rest for me for several
months. We went to Naples and here
for a few weeks I lived in perfect
content; for at last Berenice allowed
me to whisper to her of love, and Mr.
Fiola smiled on my suit.
Despite the fact that I was now 20
years of age, and had been before the
| public eye so long, l had learned lit
tie Of the real workings of the world
1 cared but little for books and had
| therefore obtained no ideas, false. ex-
aggerated, or true, Of life. I had been