Dot put her arms round his neck, and kissed him. Hal winked his eyes hard, remembering the old dreams in the garret.
He went to see Mr. Kriessman the next day.
"The boy is a genius, I tell you, Mr. Kenneth," said the enthusiastic professor. "He will be a great man,—you see, you see! He has the soul, the eyes, the touch. He fail!" and an expression of lofty scorn crossed the fair, full face.
"But he has had so little practice"—
"It will all be right. You see, you see! Just leave him to me. And he is so little!"
Hal smiled. Kit did not bid fair to become the family giant, it was true.
Not a moment did the child lose. Dot declared that he could hardly eat. Charlie was in high delight when she heard of it; for Mr. Darol was going to take her and Miss Charteris. Hal hardly knew whether he dared venture, or not.
But Joe did come just in the nick of time, and insisted that everybody should go, ordering a carriage, and bundling Dot and Granny into it; poor Granny being so confused that she could hardly make beginning or end of it. And, when they were seated in the great hall that was as light as day, she glanced helplessly around to Joe.
"Never you mind, Granny! I'm not a bit afraid," he whispered. "He will fiddle with the best of them."
'The wonderful boy violinist,' it said on the programme. "If he should not be so wonderful," thought Hal quietly, with a great fear in his soul. He could not tell what should make him so nervous.