Chapter TwoThe Duke watched her for a moment and, as he walked nearer to the piano, he said,
“Your difficulties are over now. I can help your father and I promise you that in my opinion his compositions are so outstanding that with my approval they will bring him a great deal of money.”
Vanola did not raise her head, but he knew that she was fighting to stop herself from weeping.
Then at last she looked up at him and he thought that she was going to thank him, but instead, as if a darkness suddenly overtook her, she swayed and before he could prevent it collapsed from the piano stool onto the floor.
He bent and picked her up in his arms and was aware as he did so that she had fainted not only from nervous exhaustion after climbing into his house and forcing him to listen to her but bec
