natural and sweet, and such
a golden link between him and all his life's love and happiness, rising
out of the silence; he turned his face away, and hid his tears. Not,
as he told them when they spoke to him, not that the music was too
plaintive or too sorrowful, but it was so dear to him.

They all loved Florence. How could they help it! Paul had known
beforehand that they must and would; and sitting in his cushioned
corner, with calmly folded hands; and one leg loosely doubled under him,
few would have thought what triumph and delight expanded his childish
bosom while he watched her, or what a sweet tranquillity he felt. Lavish
encomiums on 'Dombey's sister' reached his ears from all the boys:
admiration of the self-possessed and modest little beauty was on every
lip: reports of her intelligence and accomplishments floated past him,
constantly; and, as if borne in upon the air of the summer night, there
was a half intelligible sentiment diffused around, referring to Florence
and himself, and breathing sympathy for both, that soothed and touched
him.

He did not know why. For all that the child observed, and felt, and
thought, that night--the present and the absent; what was then and
what had been--were blended like the colours in the rainbow, or in
the plumage of rich birds when the sun is shining on them, or in the
softening sky when the same sun is setting. The many things he had had
to think of lately, passed before him in the music; not as claiming
his attention over again, or as likely evermore to occupy it, but as
peacefully disposed of and gone. A solitary window, gazed through years
ago, looked out upon an ocean, miles and miles away; upon its waters,
fancies, busy with him only yesterday, were hushed and lulled to rest
like broken waves. The same mysterious murmur he had wondered at, when
lying on his couch upon the beach, he thought he still heard sounding
through his sister's song, and through the hum of voices, and the tread
of feet, and having some part in the faces flitting by, and even in the
heavy gentleness of Mr Toots, who frequently came up to shake him by
the hand. Through the universal kindness he still thought he heard it,
speaking to him; and even his old-fashioned reputation seemed to be
allied to it, he knew not how. Thus little Paul sat musing, listening,
looking on, and dreaming; and was very happy.

Until the time arrived for taking leave: and then, indeed, there was a
sensation in the