“Oh, Mr. Cyril—I'm so sorry!”

“Sorry!—and you play like that!”

“No, no; I'm not sorry I played. It's because you—found me.”

Billy's cheeks were a shamed red, but her eyes were defiantly brilliant, and her chin was at a rebellious tilt. “I wasn't doing any—harm; not if you weren't here—with your NERVES!”

The man laughed and came slowly into the room.

“Billy, who taught you to play?”

“No one. I can't play. I can only pick out little bits of things in C.”

“But you do play. I just heard you.”

Billy shrugged her shoulders.

“That was nothing. It was only what I had heard. I was trying to make it sound like—yours.”