a face illumined-第32章

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Sibley　did　not　find　her　altogether　the　same　girl　that　she　had　been

the　evening　before。　　Still；　as　has　been　said；　he　was　her　natural

ally；　and　she　tried　to　second　his　efforts　to　re…establish　a　good

character　and　to　keep　up　the　appearance　of　fashionable　respect。



Stanton　was　in　something　of　a　dilemma。　　He　did　not　like　Sibley；

and　was　ashamed　of　his　recent　excess；　but　having　drank　with　him；

and　so；　in　a　sense；　having　accepted　his　hospitality；　felt　himself

obliged　to　be　rather　affable。　　He　managed　the　matter　by　keeping　out

of　the　way　as　far　as　possible；　and　was　glad　to　remember　that　the

young　man　would　depart　in　the　morning。　　While　scarcely　acknowledging

the　fact　to　himself；　he　was　on　the　alert　most　of　the　day　to　find

an　opportunity　of　enjoying　a　conversation　with　Miss　Burton；　but

she　kept　herself　very　much　secluded。　　After　attending　church　at　a

neighboring　village　in　the　morning；　she　spent　most　of　the　afternoon

with　Mrs。　Burleigh；　assisting　her　in　the　care　of　the　cross　baby。



Van　Berg；　much　to　Stanton's　envy；　found　her　as　genial　and　cheery

as　ever　when　they　met　at　the　table。　　He　learned；　from　her　manner

more　than　from　anything　she　said；　that　the　day　and　its　associations

were　sacred　to　her。　　She　affected　no　solemnity　and　seemed　under

no　constraint；　only　her　thought　and　bearing　had　a　somewhat　soberer

coloring；　like　the　shading　of　a　picture。　　To　his　mind　it　was　but

another　example　of　her　entire　reticence　in　regard　to　herself；　while

her　smiling　face　seemed　as　open　as　the　light。



But　as　she　came　out　from　supper　the　children　pounced　upon　her；

clamorous　for　a　story。　　She　assented　on　condition　that　Mr。　Burleigh

would　give　them　the　use　of　one　of　the　private　parlorsa　stipulation

speedily　complied　with；　and　soon　she　had　nearly　all　the　small　folk

in　the　hotel　gathered　round　her。



〃I　shall　stand　without；　like　the　'Peri　at　the　gate；'〃　Stanton　found

a　chance　to　say。



〃The　resemblance　is　very　striking；〃　was　her　smiling　reply；　but　for

some　reason　he　winced　under　it　and　wished　he　had　not　spoken。



When　she　dismissed　her　little　audience　there　were　traces　of　tears

on　some　of　the　children's　faces；　proving　that　she　could　tell

a　pathetic；　as　well　as　a　jolly　story；　and　Van　Berg　observed　with

interest　how　the　power　of　her　magnetism　kept　them　lingering　near

her　even　after　she　entered　the　parlor　and　sought　a　quiet　nook　near

the　old　gentleman　and　lady　to　whom　she　had　been　reading　the　previous

evening。



Mrs。　Chints；　who　liked　to　be　prominent　on　all　occasions；　very

proudly　felt　that　sacred　music　would　be　the　right　thing　on　Sabbath

evening；　and；　with　a　few　of　hew　own　ilk；　was　giving　a　florid　and

imperfect　rendering　of　that　peculiar　style　of　composition　that

suggests　a　poor　opera　while　making　a　rather　shocking　and　irreverent

use　of　words　taken　from　Scriptures。



Van　Berg　and　Stanton；　who　were　out　on　the　piazza；　were　ready　to

grate　their　teeth　in　anguish；　finding　the　narcotic　influence　of

the　strongest　cigar　no　match　for　Mrs。　Chints's　voice。



Suddenly　that　irrepressible　lady　spied　Miss　Burton；　and　she　swooped

down　upon　her　in　a　characteristic　manner；　exclaiming：



〃You　can't　decline；　you　needn't　say　you　don't；　I've　heard　you。　　If

you　sing　half　as　well　for　us　as　you　did　to　Mrs。　Burleigh's　baby

this　afternoon；　we'll　be　more　than　satisfied。　　Now　come；　one　sweet

solojust　one。〃



Stanton　craned　his　neck　from　where　he　sat　to　see　the　result　of　this

onslaught；　but　Miss　Burton　shook　her　head。



〃Well；　then；　won't　you　join　in　with　us？〃　persisted　Mrs。　Chints。

〃Sacred　music　is　so　lovely　and　appropriate　on　Sunday　night。〃



〃You　are　right　in　that　respect；　Mrs。　Chints。　　If　it　is　the　wish　of

those　present　I　think　some　simple　hymns　in　which　we　can　all　join

might　be　generally　enjoyed。〃



〃Now；　my　dear；　you　have　just　hit　it；〃　said　the　old　lady　at　her

side。　　〃I；　for　one；　would　very　much　like　to　hear　some　simple　music

like　that　we　had　when　I　was　young。〃



The　old　lady's　preference　was　taken　up　and　echoed　on　every　side。

Indeed　the　majority　were　ready　for　any　change　from　Mrs。　Chints's

strident　tones。



〃Well；　my　dear；〃　said　the　lady；　〃it　shall　be　as　you　say。〃　　Then　she

added；　〃sotto　voce；〃　with　a　complacent　nod；　〃I　suppose　the　music

we　were　giving　is　beyond　the　masses；　but　if　you　could　once　hear

Madame　Skaronni　render　it　in　our　choir　at　the　Church　of　the　（something

that　sounded　like　'pica…ninny；'　as　by　Mrs。　Chints　pronounced）　you

would　wish　for　no　other。　　Will　you　play；　my　dear？〃



〃Ah；　yes；　please　do；〃　exclaimed　some　of　the　children　who　had　gathered

around　her。



〃In　mercy　to　us　poor　mortals　for　whom　there　is　no　escape　save　going

to　bed；　please　comply；〃　whispered　the　old　lady　in　her　ear。



The　light　in　Miss　Burton's　eyes　was　mirthful　rather　than　sacred　as

she　rose　and　went　to　the　piano；　and　at　once　an　air　of　breezy　and

interested　expectancy　took　the　place　of　the　previous　bored　expression。



〃Come；　Van；〃　said　Stanton；　throwing　away　his　cigar；　〃we'll　need

your　tenor　voice。　　We　must　stand　by　that　little　woman。　　The　Chints

tribe　have　incited　to　profanity　long　enough；　and　shall　make　the

night　hideous　no　more。　　If　we　could　only　drown　them　instead　of　their

voices；　what　a　mercy　it　would　be！〃　　and　the　young　men　went　around

and　stood　in　the　open　door　near　the　piano。



〃You　are　to　sing；〃　said　Miss　Burton；　with　a　decided　little　nod　at

them。



〃We　intend　to；〃　replied　Stanton；　〃since　you　are　to　accompany　us。〃



She　started　〃Coronation；〃　that　spirited　and　always　inspiriting

battle　song　of　the　churchjubilant　and　militanta　melody　that　is

also　admirably　adapted　for　blending　rough　and　inharmonious　voices。



For　a　moment　her　own　voice　was　like　that　of　a　singing　lark；　mounting

from　its　daisy　covert；　or　rather；　like　the　flow　of　a　silver　rill

whose　music　was　soon　lost；　however；　in　the　tumultuous　rush　of　other

tributary　streams　of　sound；　still；　the　general　effect　was　good；　and

the　people　enjoyed　it。　　By　the　time　the　second　stanza　was　reached

the　majority　were　singing　with　hearty　good…will；　the　children

gathering　near　and　joining　in　with　delight。



Other　familiar　and　old…fashioned　hymns　followed；　and　then　one　and

another　began　to　ask　for　their　favorites。　　Fortunately　Mrs。　Chints's

knowledge　of　sacred　music　was　limited；　and　so　she　retired　on　the

laurels　of　having　called　Miss　Burton　out；　informing　half　the　company

of　the　fact　with　an　important　nod；　and　in　remembrance　of　this　fact

they　were　inclined　to　forgive　her　the　anguish　she　had　personally

caused　them。



Mrs。　Burleigh；　who　had　stolen　into　the　parlor　for　a　little　while

that　she　might　enjoy　the　singing；　remembered　that　she　had　a　pile

of　note…books　that　had　grown　dusty　on　a　shelf　since　the　baby　had

furnished　the　music　of　the　household。　　These　were　brought；　and

higher　and　fuller　musical　themes　were　attempted；　until　the　singers

dwindled　to　a　quartet　composed　of　a　lady　who　had　a　fair　soprano

voice；　Miss　Burton；　Stanton　and　Van　Berg。　　　Their　selections；　however；

continued　truly　sacred　in　character；　thus　differing　radically　from

the　florid　style　that　Mrs。　Chints　had　introduced。



The　sweet　and　penetrating　power　of　Miss　Burton's　voice　could　now

be　distinguished。　　For　some　reason　it　thrilled　and　touched　its

hearers　in　a　way　that　they　could　not　account　for。　　The　majority

present　at　once　realized　that　she　was　not；　and　never　could　become；

a　great　singer。　　But　within　the　compass　of　her　voice；　she　could

pronounce　sacred　words　in　a　manner　that　send　them　home　to　the　hears

of　the　listeners　like　rays　that　could　both　cheer　and　melt。



At　last　she　rose　from　the　piano；　remarking　that　there　were　other

musicians　present；　and　no　amount　of　persuasion　could　induce　her　to

remain　there　any　longer。



〃Perhaps　you　gentlemen　play；〃　she　said；　turning　to　the　young　men

who　were　about　to　depart。　　〃A　man's　touch　and　leadership　is　so　much

more　decisive　and　vigorous　than　a　lady's！〃



〃Mr。　Van　Berg　plays　very　well　indeed；　considering　his　youth　and

diffiden