Part 18 (1/2)
Trilby, tall, graceful, and stately, and also swift of action, though more like Juno or Diana than Hebe, devoted herself more especially to her own particular favorites--Durien, Taffy, the Laird, Little Billee--and Dodor and Zouzou, whom she loved, and tutoye'd en bonne camarade as she served them with all there was of the choicest.
The two little Vinards did their little best--they scrupulously respected the mince-pies, and only broke two bottles of oil and one of Harvey sauce, which made their mother furious. To console them, the Laird took one of them on each knee and gave them of his share of plum-pudding and many other unaccustomed good things, so bad for their little French tumtums.
The genteel Carnegie had never been at such a queer scene in his life.
It opened his mind--and Dodor and Zouzou, between whom he sat (the Laird thought it would do him good to sit between a private soldier and a humble corporal), taught him more French than he had learned during the three months he had spent in Paris. It was a specialty of theirs. It was more colloquial than what is generally used in diplomatic circles, and stuck longer in the memory; but it hasn't interfered with his preferment in the Church.
He quite unbent. He was the first to volunteer a song (without being asked) when the pipes and cigars were lit, and after the usual toasts had been drunk--her Majesty's health, Tennyson, Thackeray, and d.i.c.kens; and John Leech.
He sang, with a very cracked and rather hiccupy voice, his only song (it seems)--an English one, of which the burden, he explained, was French:
”Veeverler veeverler veeverler vee Veeverler companyee!”
And Zouzou and Dodor complimented him so profusely on his French accent that he was with difficulty prevented from singing it all over again.
Then everybody sang in rotation.
The Laird, with a capital barytone, sang
”Hie diddle Dee for the Lowlands low,”
which was encored.
Little Billee sang ”Little Billee.”
Vincent sang
”Old Joe kicking up behind and afore.
And the yaller gal a-kicking up behind old Joe.”
A capital song, with words of quite a masterly scansion.
Antony sang ”Le Sire de Framboisy.” Enthusiastic encore.
Lorrimer, inspired no doubt by the occasion, sang the ”Hallelujah Chorus,” and accompanied himself on the piano, but failed to obtain an encore.
Durien sang
”Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment; Chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie....”
It was his favorite song, and one of the beautiful songs of the world, and he sang it very well--and it became popular in the quartier latin ever after.
The Greek couldn't sing, and very wisely didn't.
Zouzou sang capitally a capital song in praise of ”le vin a quat' sous!”
Taffy, in a voice like a high wind (and with a very good imitation of the Yorks.h.i.+re brogue), sang a Somersets.h.i.+re hunting-ditty, ending:
”Of this 'ere song should I be axed the reason for to show, I don't exactly know, I don't exactly know!