Mr John Randolph then seated himself at the piano, at the host's request, and addressed himself to his work with a loving earnestness that showed that the soul of music dwelt within him. The very first chords he struck riveted at once the attention of every one, an attention which was deepened into surprised delight, as he executed with perfect finish passages of surpassing brilliancy growing out of the national airs of many countries--airs which floated out from the entanglements of the more rapid portions with an earnest pathos that held every hearer as with a spell of enchantment. "Marvellous, marvellous! Bravo!" cried both Mr Rothwell and Mark at the conclusion. "My young friend," said Mr Tankardew, "will be glad to give lessons in music, as an occupation. He will be making my house his home at present." There was a slight expression of surprise on every face, and of something like scorn or contempt on the Rothwells'. However, both the young ladies at "The Firs" and Mrs Franklin expressed their wish to engage Mr Randolph's services, and so it was arranged. CHAPTER SIX. HEARTLESS WORK. Music certainly flourished at "The Firs" and "The Shrubbery" under the able instructions of Mr John Randolph. The young man's manner was puzzling to his pupils at both houses. With the Misses Rothwell (who gave _themselves_ airs, besides practising those which were given them by their master), he was quietly civil and deferential, and yet made them sensible of his superiority to them in a way which they could not help feeling, and yet equally could not resent. With Mary Franklin his respectful manner was mingled with an almost tenderness, ever kept in check by a cautious self-restraint. What did it mean? It made her feel embarrassed and almost unhappy. She had no wish to entangle the young musician's affections, and indeed felt that her own were getting entangled with Mark Rothwell. Mark contrived to throw himself a good deal in her way at this time, far more than her mother liked, but Mr Rothwell himself seemed bent on promoting the intimacy, and his son laid himself out to please. There was, moreover, rankling in Mary's heart the impression that Mark was being harshly judged by her mother; this helped to draw her closer to him. He was, besides, an excellent performer on the flute, and would sometimes come over on lesson mornings and accompany her, much to the annoyance of her instructor.