Mary was sure it was a man.

By leaning over the banister until she almost lost her balance, she caught a glimpse of a pair of black coat-tails swinging awkwardly over a piano bench.

Herr Vogelbaum, the musical director, must have arrived.
Probably she would meet him at dinner.

That was something to look forward to--an artist who had played before crowned heads and had been lionized all over Germany.

And then the chords rolled into something so beautiful and inspiring that Mary knew that for the first time in her life she was hearing really great music, played by a master.