The other evening I had to keep quiet on my chair while she thumped through four pieces one after the other, including the Beethoven Sonata.

We knew it was the Beethoven Sonata.

She told us before she started it was going to be the Beethoven Sonata, otherwise, for all any of us could have guessed, it might have been the 'Battle of Prague.' We all sat round with wooden faces, staring at our boots.

Afterwards those of them that couldn't get near enough to her to make a fool of her crowded round me.

Wanted to know why I had never told them I had discovered a musical prodigy.