ssly. "They haven't asked her for a solo."

But although this was the case Lilac felt quite as interested and
pleased as though she were to be the chief performer at the concert.
When the programme was discussed at the farm, which was very often, she
listened eagerly, and was delighted to find that Mrs Leigh wished her
to sing in two glees which she had learnt at school. The concert would
be unusually good this year, everyone said, and each performer felt as
anxious about his or her part as if its success depended on that alone.
Mr Buckle, next to his own recitation, relied a good deal on the
introduction of a friend of his from Lenham, who had promised to perform
on the banjo and sing a comic song--if possible.

"If you can get Busby," he repeated over and over again, "it'll be the
making of the thing, and so I told Mrs Leigh."

"What did she say?" enquired Bella.

"Well, she wanted to know what he would sing. But, as I said to her,
you can't treat Busby as you would the people about here. He moves in
higher circles and he wouldn't stand it. You can't tie him down to a
particular song, he must sing what he feels inclined to. After all, I
don't suppose he'll come. He's so sought after."

"Well, it is awkward," said Bella, "not being certain--because of the
programme."

"Oh, they must just put down, _Song, Mr Busby_, and leave a blank.
It's often done."

Each time Mr Buckle dropped in at the farm just now he brought fresh
news relating to Mr Busby.

He could, or could not come to the concert, so that an exciting state of
uncertainty was kept up. As the day grew nearer the news changed.
Busby would certainly _come_, but he had a dreadful cold so that it was
hardly probable he would be able to sing. Lilac heard it all with the
greatest sympathy. The house seemed full of the concert from morning
till night. As she went about her work the strains of the "Edinburgh
Quadrilles" sounded perpetually from the piano in the parlour.
Sometimes it was Agnetta alone, slowly pounding away at the bass, and
often coming down with great force and determination on the wrong
chords; sometimes Bella and Agnetta at the same time, the treble dashing
along brilliantly, and the bass lumbering heavily in the distance but
contriving to catch it up at the end by missing a few bars; sometimes
Mr Buckle arriving with his drum and triangle there was a grand
performance of all three, when Lilac and Molly, taking furtive peeps at
th