“This violin,” reverted Eileen, as if endeavouring to interest her guest and keep his thoughts away from the misery of his own condition as long as possible, “was the last work of a very famous Italian violin maker, who disappeared mysteriously and was never heard of afterwards. It has a most beautiful tone, but for one note, and that one note is hideous. Ugh!––I hate it.”
She shuddered. “I would have destroyed it long ago 29 only my father prizes it as a great curio and as an heirloom.”
The convict showed deep interest.
“Isn’t it strange that a beautiful instrument like this should have a discordant note in it that no one seems to be able to explain away?” she asked, as they stood together near the window, losing themselves in their interest.
“Yes,––it is strange,” returned the man, examining the violin closely. “I have read of something similar somewhere. The discord, I think, is called the wolf note, and it is well named. I believe its presence is difficult to explain, and such an instrument has occasionally been produced by the best violin makers. They usually destroyed them, as the discord is unalterable, making the instrument, of course, unmarketable as a music producer.”
Eileen remained in thought for a while, then she held out her hand for the violin, took it from the man and went to the wall where she hung it up, as if dismissing a distasteful subject.
Back to the young man’s face came the hopeless look of remembrance. “I had almost forgotten myself,” he remarked. “Thank you! I must be off. I should not be here. I––I should never have intruded.”
“One moment!” said Eileen. “The air is chilly and you have nothing but that thin, torn, cotton shirt on your back. Get into this! It is an old sweater of mine; it is loose and big. It will keep the cold out.”
“No! You have already done more than I can ever hope to pay back. I might get caught with it on–––”
“But you must,” she put in imperiously. “I have several of them. This is the oldest of those I have. You are not depriving me of anything, and you will be glad of it before the morning, for it is cold up here at nights.”