"Don't trouble yourself about it.You will get intoher good graces again next Sunday when you go to church.Stand outside her pew，and look up to the right，for there，in the balcony pew，is a little face which isworth looking at-the widow baroness'charming daugh-ter.This is a well-meant bit of advice，and I'll give yousome more.You cannot live where you are now.Move in-to a larger apartment-with a decent stairway!-or，ifyou won't leave the singing master，then let him live inbetter style.He has means enough，and you have a prettygood income.You must give a **，too，an eveningsupper.I could give it myself，and will do so，but youcan invite a few of the little dancing girls.You're a luckyfellow!But I believe，heaven help me，that you don't yetunderstand how to be a young man!"
Peer did understand it exactly，in his own way.With his full，warm，young heart，he was in love withart;she was his bride;she returned his love and liftedhim into gladness and sunshine.The depression that hadcrushed him evaporated soon;gentle eyes looked uponhim，and everyone met him in a friendly and cordial man-ner.The amber heart，which he still wore constantly，onhis breast，where Grandmother once had hung it，wascertainly a talisman;yes，so he thought，for he was notquite free from superstition-a childlike faith，one maycall it.Every nature that has genius in it has something ofthis，and looks to and believes in its star.Grandmotherhad shown him the power that lay in the heart，how itcould draw things to itself.His dream had shown him atree growing out of his amber heart，bursting through ceil-ing and roof，and bearing thousands of hearts of silver andgold;that surely neant that in the heart，in his own warmheart，lay the power of his art，whereby he had won andstill would win thousands upon thousands of hearts.
Between him and Felix there was undoubtedly a kindof sympathy，different as they were from each other.Peerassumed that the difference between them lay in that Felix，as the rich man's son，had grown up amid temptations anddesires and could afford to taste them.
He had，on the contrary，been more fortunatelyplaced as a poor man's son.
Both of these two chilthen of the house had sincegained prominence.Felix would soon be a gentleman inwaiting to the royal coult，and that is the first step towardbecoming a chamberlain;then one has a gold key behind.Peer，always lucky，already had the gold key of genius inhis hand，though it was invisible-the key that opens allthe treasures of the earth，and all hearts，too.
ⅩⅤ
It was still wintertime.The sleigh bells jingled，andthe clouds carried snowflakes in them，but wherever a sun-beam burst through them，it announced that spring wasnear.In the young heart there was a fragrance and a songthat flowed out in picturesque tones and found expression inwords：
The snow is still upon the earth，
O'er the lake，skaters race in mirth.
The trees are frost-rimmed，full of crows，
But tomorrow perhaps the winter goes.
The sun breaks through the sky of gray;
Spring is in town;it's like a summer day.
The willow's woolen gloves fall from the tree.
Strike up，musicians，for a merry spree!
Sing，little birds!All voices blend!
For mow the winter has come to an end!
Oh，to be kissed by the warming sun!
Come，pluck violets and primrose-what fun!
It's as if the forest its breath were holding，
While in the night each leaf is unfolding.
The cuckoos sing;you know their song.
Hear them sing that your life will be long.
The world is young，so be young with the young!
With thankful heart and merry tongue，
Sing of spring!All voices blend!
For never does youth come to an end!
Never does youth come to an end!
Life on earth is a magic blend
Of sunshine and storm，joy and pain.
Within our hearts a world was lain;
It vanishes not like a shooting star，
For man is the image of God afar.
God and nature remain ever young.
Teach us，O Spring，the song you've long sung.
Every little bird sings;all voices blend-
For never does youth come to an end!
"That is a complete musical painting，"said thesinging master，"and well adapted for chorus and orches-tra.It is the best yet of your emotional compositions.Youcertainly must learn thorough bass，although it is not yourdestiny to be a composer."
Young music friends soon introduced the song at agreat concert，where it attracted attention but aroused noexpectations.Our young friend's career was open beforehim.His greatness and importance lay not only in thesympathetic tones of his voice，but in his remarkable dra-matic talent as well;this he had shown as George Brownand as Hamlet.He very much preferred the regular operato the light opera.It was contrary to his sound，naturalsense to go from song to talk and back to song.