Walker-My_Musical_Ex.. - Walter Cosand

SI2? STERNDALE BENNETT 31
the sweet voices of many young choristers were
chanting some quaint mediaeval hymn.
He had a special love for Mozart's music, and he
told me that on the day when he came by chance on
Mozart's F Major Sonata in the library of a country
house, he felt as if he had ' found a diamond.'
It may be imagined all the while that, as there is
no absolute perfection in this world of ours, there
would be from time to time some dissonance in the
relation even between a young and most profoundly
respectful pupil, and one who felt that in teaching he
was giving some of the very best he had to give, and
who demanded with reason implicit confidence in all
his dicta. Well I remember how stern a tone his
voice took,- and how his face clouded over, when, after
being more than usually in earnest about conquering
some difficulty, and, as I thought, doing but little
towards it, his kind words of encouragement brought
from me the hasty words, ' Oh, don't say that ! I
get angrier with myself than ever when you speak
so !' 'Do you think for a moment,' he replied, ' that
/ would give you undeserved approval? You don't
appreciate what I give, and I must say you are most
ungrateful.' I was dumfounded—in fact, horrified
at what his words suggested, and lost not a moment
in apologizing, and assuring him that at the time I
had only thought of myself, without any reference to
him. He was satisfied, I believe, even more by what
I looked than what I said, and, telling me to continue
—