FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  
during the next few days. I, for my part, had my own secret cherished plan, which made my heart beat quicker whenever I thought of it. But I wanted somebody's counsel and help; and on the whole I thought my Aunt Gary's would be the safest. So after breakfast I consulted Preston only about my mysterious little box, which would not open. Was it a paper weight? Preston smiled, took up the box and performed some conjuration upon it, and then--I cannot describe my entranced delight--as he set it down again on the table, the room seemed to grow musical. Softest, most liquid sweet notes came pouring forth one after the other, binding my ears as if I had been in a state of enchantment; binding feet and hands and almost my breath, as I stood hushed and listening to the liquid warbling of delicious things, until the melody had run itself out. It was a melody unknown to me; wild and dainty; it came out of a famous opera, I was told afterward. When the fairy notes sunk into silence, I turned mutely towards Preston. Preston laughed. "I declare!" he said,--"I declare! Hurra! you have got colour in your cheeks, Daisy; absolutely, my little Daisy! there is a real streak of pink there where it was so white before." "_What_ is it?" said I. "Just a little good blood coming up under the skin." "Oh no, Preston--_this_; what is it?" "A musical box." "But where does the music come from?" "Out of the box. See, Daisy; when it has done a tune and is run out, you must wind it up, so,--like a watch." He wound it up and set it on the table again. And again a melody came forth, and this time it was different; not plaintive and thoughtful, but jocund and glad; a little shout and ring of merriment, like the feet of dancers scattering the drops of dew in a bright morning; or like the chime of a thousand little silver bells rung for laughter. A sort of intoxication came into my heart. When Preston would have wound up the box again, I stopped him. I was full of the delight. I could not hear any more just then. "Why, Daisy, there are ever so many more tunes." "Yes. I am glad. I will have them another time," I answered. "How very kind of mamma!" "Hit the right thing this time, didn't she? How's the riding cap, Daisy?" "It is very nice," I said. "Aunt Gary is very good; and I like the whip _very_ much, Preston." "That fat little rascal will want it. Does the cap fit, Daisy?" "I don't know," I said. "Oh yes, I suppose so."
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91  
92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Preston

 

melody

 

musical

 

liquid

 

delight

 
declare
 

binding

 

thought

 

dancers

 
merriment

jocund

 
scattering
 

thousand

 

silver

 

morning

 

bright

 

secret

 

laughter

 

plaintive

 

cherished


thoughtful

 

riding

 

suppose

 

rascal

 

intoxication

 

stopped

 

answered

 

consulted

 

enchantment

 

breakfast


delicious

 
things
 

warbling

 

listening

 

breath

 
hushed
 

pouring

 

performed

 

smiled

 

conjuration


describe

 

entranced

 

mysterious

 

Softest

 

weight

 

safest

 
absolutely
 

streak

 

wanted

 

cheeks