FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143  
144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   >>   >|  
ed it. "Does she make much music?" asked Edgar with his hand under her chin, turning up her face. The child shrugged her little shoulders. "She makes a noise," she said; and those who heard her laughed. "That is not a very polite way of putting it," said Edgar a little gravely. "No," said Josephine. "You should speak nicely of your sister, my little one," put in Sebastian. Fina looked up into his face reproachfully. "You called it a noise yourself, papa," she said, pouting. "You made her leave off yesterday as soon as you came in, because you said she made your head ache with her noise, and set your teeth--something, I don't know what." "Did I, dear?" he repeated carelessly. "Well, we need not discuss the subject. I dare say it amuses her to make music, as you call it, and so we need say no more about it." "But you did say it was a noise," persisted Fina, climbing on to his knees and putting her arms round his neck. "And I think it a noise too." "Poor Leam's music cannot be very first-rate," remarked Maria, who was a proficient and played almost as well as a "professional." "Four years ago she did not know her notes, and four years' practice cannot be expected to make a perfect pianiste." "But a person may play very sweetly and yet not be what you call perfect," said Edgar. "Do you think so?" Maria answered with a frosty smile. "I do not." Of what use to have toiled for thirty years early and late at scales and thorough-bass if a stupid girl like Leam could be allowed to play sweetly after four years' desultory practice? "Adelaide Birkett, if you will, plays well," she added; "but Leam, poor child! how should she?" "I hope I shall have an opportunity of judging for myself," said Edgar with his company manner.--"When will you come and dine here, Dundas?--to-morrow? You and your elder daughter: we shall be very glad to see you." He looked to his mother. Mrs. Harrowby had drawn her lips tight, and wore an injured air doing its best to be resigned. This was Edgar's first essay in domestic mastership, and it pained her, not unnaturally. "Thanks," said Sebastian. "Willingly, if--" looking to Mrs. Harrowby. "I have no engagement, and Edgar is master now," said that lady. "And mind that Leam comes too," said Josephine, sharing her favorite brother's action by design. "And me," cried Fina. Whereat they all laughed, which made Fina cry, to be consoled only by some sweetmeats which Jose
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143  
144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Harrowby
 

sweetly

 

perfect

 

practice

 

putting

 
Josephine
 
Sebastian
 

laughed

 
looked
 

Dundas


manner

 

judging

 
company
 

morrow

 
mother
 

daughter

 
opportunity
 
allowed
 

desultory

 

stupid


Adelaide

 

Birkett

 

turning

 

action

 

design

 

brother

 

favorite

 

sharing

 

Whereat

 

sweetmeats


consoled

 
resigned
 

injured

 

domestic

 

mastership

 
engagement
 

master

 
Willingly
 

pained

 
unnaturally

Thanks
 

scales

 
called
 
nicely
 

amuses

 

sister

 
persisted
 

gravely

 
climbing
 

reproachfully