. And she was not of a shy disposition; indeed, she still had
to be reminded daily that shyness was expected of her. So she sat and
looked about her. It was an interesting room in which she found
herself. Low bookshelves, three shelves high, ran round the walls, and
on the top shelf were many outlandish objects. What an evening it would
have been had Mr. Strachey invited them to examine these ornaments, or
to handle the books, instead of having to pick up a title here and
there by chance.--From the shelves, her eyes strayed to the pictures on
the walls; one, in particular struck her fancy. It hung over the
mantelpiece, and was a man's head seen in profile, with a long hooked
nose, and wearing a kind of peaked cap. But that was not all: behind
this head were other profiles of the same face, and seeming to come out
of clouds. Laura stared hard, but could make nothing of it.--And
meanwhile her companions were rising with sickly smiles, to seat
themselves, red as turkey-cocks' combs, on the piano stool, where with
cold, stiff fingers they stumbled through the movement of a sonata or
sonatina.

It was Lilith Gordon who broke the chain by offering to sing. The
diversion was welcomed by Mrs. Strachey, and Lilith went to the piano.
But her nervousness was such that she broke down half-way in the little
prelude to the ballad.

Mrs. Strachey came to the rescue. "It's so difficult, is it not, to
accompany oneself?" she said kindly. "Perhaps one of the others would
play for you?"

No one moved.

"Do any of you know the song?"

Two or three ungraciously admitted the knowledge, but none volunteered.

It was here Laura chimed in. "I could play it," she said; and coloured
at the sound of her own voice.

Mrs. Strachey looked doubtfully at the thin little girl. "Do you know
it, dear? You're too young for singing, I think."

"No, I don't know it. But I could play it from sight. It's quite easy."

Everyone looked disbelieving, especially the unhappy singer.

"I've played much harder things than that," continued Laura.

"Well, perhaps you might try," said Mrs. Strachey, with the ingrained
distrust of the unmusical.

Laura rose and went to the piano, where she conducted the song to a
successful ending.

Mrs. Strachey looked relieved. "Very nice indeed." And to Laura: "Did
you say you didn't know it, dear?"

"No, I never saw it before."

Again the lady looked doubtful. "Well, perhaps you would play us
something yourself no