From afar off, as it seemed, there came a dreamy, exquisite music,as sweet as the spinnet's had been, but so much fuller, so muchricher, seeming as though a chorus of angels were singing alltogether. August ceased to think of the museum: he thought ofheaven. "Are we gone to the Master?" he thought, remembering thewords of Hirschvogel.

All was so still around him; there was no sound anywhere exceptthe sound of the far-off choral music.

He did not know it, but he was in the royal castle of Berg, andthe music he heard was the music of Wagner, who was playing in adistant room some of the motives of "Parsival."

Presently he heard a fresh step near him, and he heard a low voicesay, close close behind him, "So!" An exclamation no doubt, he thought,of admiration and wonder at the beauty of Hirschvogel.