Anton strolls home in the blue twilight with Al and Paul at his side. Paul carries the cornet, which the boys will share; he can’t resist squawking out a few notes now and again, and every time he does it, a rabbit bolts from the road’s verge or a flock of partridges clatters into the air. Anton can scarcely recall feeling so satisfied. His heart brims over with a rich, warm sense of accomplishment—and the certainty that he has laid the foundation for something miraculous, something he will build. He had expected it would only bring him pain, to stand at the head of a classroom again. But he
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