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'Why, yes…did Virginia tell you?' She wondered uneasily just what Virginia had told him

He shook his head 'It's in the way you move You move to music… you compose with your walk'

Clare could feel her skin heating, the si to its sincerity It was a musician's coot too tall and…'

'Shapely?' hehis dark expression 'But you are in very good shape You still dance?'

'For exercise'

'And enjoyment?'

She allowed herself a s the effect of the dimple 'That, too'

'Then you kno music can move the emotions, can demand the best from us Clare—Mrs Malcolm—'

'Clare'

'Clare' Not a flicker of sot his oay 'Music is , and it has given me more pleasure, more success, demanded more of me than I ever dreamed of in my childish fantasies I knew that what I had was special, and I knew that there was some inner compulsion in me to play that would direct my life rather than accept any lesser compromise Natural ability with a musical instrument can be a trap It's very easy to drift, to 'cheat', if you like, when you're so e Many children who are called 'gifted' musically when they are small children don't fulfil the promise in later years It is discipline that makes a true rind of practice I was pushed relentlessly by h there were times when I resented it quite fiercely, I can attribute the musician I am today to their care and attention The early years are so ih a lifeti, particularly on the violin, which involves specific muscular co-ordination and development Genius may be born, but its developradual… othere'd all be burnt out by the time we're twenty'

'You see it strictly from a musician's point of view,' Clare said quietly 'You're not tellingI don't already know But Tiifted child, he's also a six-year-old boy who's interested in row up as a whole person, not an incomplete one, obsessed with just one aspect of himself There are some educationalists who think that a child shouldn't be expected to specialise until he's in his teens—'

'Ordinarily, yes… for the average child, but Tie He has iven for the violin since he was four…'

'Yes Lee—ave him a quarter-sized one for his birthday after he'd been fascinated by a busker in the street It was a kind of a joke…'

'But he's having lessons—obviously you yourself feel that there is a seriousness about hi Perhaps you are even a little afraid of it, no?' It was the first indication that his thoughts lish Clare reone to school Russian had been his language Then had come the visits to A Deverenko, cul in his early acceptance at Juilliard He now spoke five or six languages fluently

'Afraid, no Wary, yes Just because I don't fully understand his gift it doesn't mean I don't fully appreciate it Tim will have his chance, but not yet He and his father were very close, and he was severely affected by Lee's death He withdrew into himself and even now is slow to trust himself to others I don't think he needs any extra pressures right now'