sic, Mr. Minim, that you are
giving us for our Aristophanic choruses.

_Mr. Minim._ No, sir; I have endeavoured to give you a good selection,
as appropriate as I can make it.

_Mr. Pallet._ Neither am I giving you Greek painting for the scenery. I
have taken the liberty to introduce perspective.

_The Rev. Dr. Opimian._ Very rightly both, for Aristophanes in London.

_Mr. Minim._ Besides, sir, we must have such music as your young ladies
can sing.

_The Rev. Dr. Opimian._ Assuredly; and so far as we have yet heard them
rehearse, they sing it delightfully.

After a little more desultory conversation, they adjourned to the
drawing-rooms.

CHAPTER XV

EXPRESSION IN MUSIC--THE DAPPLED PALFREY--LOVE AND AGE--COMPETITIVE
EXAMINATION

(Greek passage)
Anthologia Palatina: v. 72.

This, this is life, when pleasure drives out care.
Short is the span of time we each may share.
To-day, while love, wine, song, the hours adorn,
To-day we live: none know the coming morn.

Lord Curryfin's assiduities to Miss Gryll had discomposed Mr. Falconer
more than he chose to confess to himself. Lord Curryfin, on entering the
drawing-rooms, went up immediately to the young lady of the house; and
Mr. Falconer, to the amazement of the reverend doctor, sat down in the
outer drawing-room on a sofa by the side of Miss Ilex, with whom he
entered into conversation.

In the inner drawing-room some of the young ladies were engaged with
music, and were entreated to continue their performance. Some of them
were conversing, or looking over new publications.

After a brilliant symphony, performed by one of the young visitors,
in which runs and crossings of demisemiquavers in _tempo prestissimo_
occupied the principal share, Mr. Falconer asked Miss Ilex how she liked
it.

_Miss Ilex._ I admire it as a splendid piece of legerdemain; but it
expresses nothing.

_Mr. Falconer._ It is well to know that such things can be done; and
when we have reached the extreme complications of art, we may hope to
return to Nature and simplicity.

_Miss Ilex._ Not that it is impossible to reconcile execution and
expression. Rubini identified the redundancies of ornament with the
overflowings of feeling, and the music of Donizetti furnished him
most happily with the means of developing this power. I never felt
so transported out of myself as when I heard him sing _Tu che al ciel
spiegasti l' a