But Mrs. Lee scarcely heard her. She had clasped her arms about the
small form and was holding it very close.

"I was just playing--what the fairies put in my fingers," Keineth
explained from the depths of Mrs. Lee's embrace.

"They are fairy fingers indeed," laughed Mrs. Lee. "Let us sit down
here together and you must tell me all about it. Who taught you to play
like that, child?"

"No one--like that. Madame Henri always gave me lessons. They were very
stupid and I hated having to practice. But every evening, when we'd sit
together, I'd play to Daddy the music that came into my fingers.
Sometimes he'd stand by the piano until I was finished and then he'd
kiss my fingers and say 'fairy fingers', only Tante used to snore so
loudly, poor thing."

"And you love music?"

"Oh--most of anything in the world. Sometimes Daddy would take me to
the big opera house to hear music and it seemed, when I heard it, as
though I was floating right away. Then we'd go home and I'd make up
more music and tell them a story on the piano and sometimes Daddy could
guess the story almost. Tante used to shake her head and Daddy would
say, 'Leave her alone--she knows more than we do.' I don't know what he
meant, but some day I shall study hard and try to be a great musician.
Daddy said-I should-only he said I must wait until my body grew as
strong as my spirit."