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obtained, and bid the Maestro goodbye with the greatest respect. I felt optimistic about my next step, hoping for much rich conversation from a music-loving and party-arranging lady.

CHAPTER THREE
     
     
    In which Vanessa visits Zürich and hears all about a charming party which took place there
     
    Frau Adelina Bochsler was very friendly, very helpful, and very, very voluble. She was horrified by the so gifted young virtuoso’s dreadful death. She had seen in him a great future. She was always, but always, looking out for young geniuses such as he. She had hoped for a long and fruitful collaboration. She had heard him in London, and it was her idea that he should come to Zürich. She had persuaded Herr Maestro Hegar, who had hesitated to take risks on yet unknown youth, but the young man’s gold medal at a famous competition had helped convince him. Sebastian was so young, so strong, so handsome, so appealing. Those who had never met him could not even understand, was it not, dear Frau Vetherburn? She had been lucky to meet him even once. As for myself, how lucky I had been, and how sad my bereavement! I nodded until I felt like a Chinese mandarin.
    I asked if dear Sebastian had stayed on in Zürich after his concert. No, Frau Bochsler did not believe that he had. In fact, she had asked him, for if he had been staying longer, she would have gladly taken him on an outing in her carriage to see the sights. But he was leaving the very next morning. Where was he going? Why, she didn’t know. She supposed he was returning home. But had he said so? She didn’t remember, but she did remember that he was quite – how could she say? He seemed eager to go. It was as though something important was awaiting him next. But she hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary in this. Surely the life of such a handsome young man must be filled with exciting events.
    So he had seemed nervous? No, nervous would be the wrong word. Not nervous, but tense, excited, wound up. He was to leave quite early in the morning. The trip to London was a very long one. Such musicians were in great demand; they must resolve themselves to a great deal of travel.
    Had poor Sebastian spoken to her of his trio, or his fiancée? Why yes, he had. He had told her of his hopes to come with his trio to play the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Tonhalle Orchester. But Frau Bochsler had felt a twinge of dismay, as she did not know whether it would be right to encourage him in this idea. She was not at all certain that Herr Hegar would agree, and of course it was Herr Hegar who took all such decisions. She did not say so, but she seemed very much to prefer the idea of Sebastian coming all by himself, to be petted and taken under her wing. The idea of his arriving flanked by two radiant young ladies did not seem to appeal to her much. She sighed, and agreed that of course his fiancée must be utterly devastated.
    Could she tell me anything she had noticed about Sebastian’s mood over the course of the evening? You see, I told her, we were convinced that at some point between his leaving for Zürich and his death, he had learnt something which had a profound and terrible effect on him. We were trying to trace his every movement and gesture during that lapse of time in order to pinpoint the moment at which this had happened. She understood perfectly. But she could not see how anything of the kind could have happened at her soirée. Well, obviously, there had been many people there. Thirty-five or forty people. Dear Sebastian was not previously acquainted with any of them, as far as she knew. She had kept him near her for the whole first part of the evening, introducing him to the cream of music-loving Zürich society; magistrates, doctors, men of law, men of government, and their elegant, artistic wives. He had not encountered any familiar faces that she knew of, except for Herr Hegar’s, of course. At least there had been no sign that he had done so. His mood was