Everything depends upon the success of your
first public appearance, and if your friends can
in this way help you to establish the reputation
which is nothing but your right, I am sure you
ought not to bind their hands by your foolish
sensitiveness. You don't know the American
way of doing things as well as I do, therefore
you must stand by your promise, and leave
everything to me."

It was impossible not to believe that anything
Edith chose to do was above reproach. She
looked so bewitching in her excited eagerness
for his welfare that it would have been inhuman
to oppose her. So he meekly succumbed, and
began to discuss with her the programme for
the concert.

During the next week there was hardly a day
that he did not read some startling paragraph
in the newspapers about "the celebrated Scandinavian
pianist," whose appearance at S----
Hall was looked forward to as the principal
event of the coming season. He inwardly
rebelled against the well-meant exaggerations;
but as he suspected that it was Edith's influence
which was in this way asserting itself in his behalf,
he set his conscience at rest and remained silent.

The evening of the concert came at last, and,