"Heigh ho! H only I could sing. I shouldn't mind exchanging any other accomplishment for it," but he knew that no training in the world could ever make him a vocalist. However, he could learn to play some instrument at least. He remembered how on one occasion when he found himself alone at Annada Babu's he had drawn the bow once across the strings of the violin; but that one stroke had been enough! The Muse had scolded him so severely as to convince him that to condemn himself to the cult of the violin would be far too harsh a sentence. So he moderated his ambitions and bought a harmonium. He took the instrument into his room, shut the door, and began to finger it very gingerly. He did not take long to discover that the harmonium is a less exacting instrument than the violin.
On his next appearance in Annada Babu's house Hemnalini greeted him with the remark, "We heard some one playing a harmonium in your rooms yesterday!"
Ramesh had supposed that by keeping his door shut he could escape detection, but some one's hearing was good enough to catch sounds that came through his closed door. A little shamefacedly Ramesh had to confess.
"It's no good shutting yourself in and making hopeless attempts to learn by yourself," said Hemnalini. "Much better come and practise here. I know a little about it so I'll be able to give you some help."
"I'm so clumsy," said Ramesh, "it'll be very trying for you."
"I'll be able to teach you all I know," said Hemnalini, "even if you are awkward."
It soon become apparent that in describing himself as clumsy Ramesh had not erred on the side of modesty. Even with such an instructress to help him it was difficult to drive any conception of music into his
