Part 2 (2/2)

”But Aunt 'Gina,” said Jane, gently; ”surely you forget that most of these people have been to town and heard plenty of good music, Madame Velma herself most likely, and all the great singers. They know they cannot sing like a prima donna; but they do their anxious best, because you ask them. I cannot see that they require an object lesson.”

”Jane,” said the d.u.c.h.ess, ”for the third time this afternoon I must request you not to argue.”

”Miss Champion,” said Garth Dalmain, ”if I were your grandmamma, I should send you to bed.”

”What is to be done?” reiterated the d.u.c.h.ess. ”She was to sing THE ROSARY. I had set my heart on it. The whole decoration of the room is planned to suit that song--festoons of white roses; and a great red-cross at the back of the platform, made entirely of crimson ramblers. Jane!”

”Yes, aunt.”

”Oh, don't say 'Yes, aunt,' in that senseless way! Can't you make some suggestion?”

”Drat the woman!” exclaimed Tommy, suddenly.

”Hark to that sweet bird!” cried the d.u.c.h.ess, her good humour fully restored. ”Give him a strawberry, somebody. Now, Jane, what do you suggest?”

Jane Champion was seated with her broad back half turned to her aunt, one knee crossed over the other, her large, capable hands clasped round it. She loosed her hands, turned slowly round, and looked into the keen eyes peering at her from under the mushroom hat. As she read the half-resentful, half-appealing demand in them, a slow smile dawned in her own. She waited a moment to make sure of the d.u.c.h.ess's meaning, then said quietly: ”I will sing THE ROSARY for you, in Velma's place, to-night, if you really wish it, aunt.”

Had the gathering under the tree been a party of ”mere people,” it would have gasped. Had it been a ”freak party,” it would have been loud-voiced in its expressions of surprise. Being a ”best party,” it gave no outward sign; but a sense of blank astonishment, purely mental, was in the air. The d.u.c.h.ess herself was the only person present who had heard Jane Champion sing.

”Have you the song?” asked her Grace of Meldrum, rising, and picking up her telegram and empty basket.

”I have,” said Jane. ”I spent a few hours with Madame Blanche when I was in town last month; and she, who so rarely admires these modern songs, was immensely taken with it. She sang it, and allowed me to accompany her. We spent nearly an hour over it. I obtained a copy afterwards.”

”Good,” said the d.u.c.h.ess. ”Then I count on you. Now I must send a sympathetic telegram to that poor dear Velma, who will be fretting at having to fail us. So 'au revoir,' good people. Remember, we dine punctually at eight o'clock. Music is supposed to begin at nine.

Ronnie, be a kind boy, and carry Tommy into the hall for me. He will screech so fearfully if he sees me walk away without him. He is so very loving, dear bird!”

Silence under the cedar.

Most people were watching young Ronald, holding the stand as much at arm's length as possible; while Tommy, keeping his balance wonderfully, sidled up close to him, evidently making confidential remarks into Ronnie's terrified ear. The d.u.c.h.ess walked on before, quite satisfied with the new turn events had taken.

One or two people were watching Jane.

”It is very brave of you,” said Myra Ingleby, at length. ”I would offer to play your accompaniment, dear; but I can only manage Au clair de la lune, and Three Blind Mice, with one finger.”

”And I would offer to play your accompaniment, dear,” said Garth Dalmain, ”if you were going to sing La.s.sen's Allerseelen, for I play that quite beautifully with ten fingers! It is an education only to hear the way I bring out the tolling of the cemetery chapel bell right through the song. The poor thing with the bunch of purple heather can never get away from it. Even in the grand crescendo, appa.s.sionata, fortissimo, when they discover that 'in death's dark valley this is Holy Day,' I give then no holiday from that bell. I don't know what it did 'once in May.' It tolls all the time, with maddening persistence, in my accompaniment. But I have seen The Rosary, and I dare not face those chords. To begin with, you start in every known flat; and before you have gone far you have gathered unto yourself handfuls of known and unknown sharps, to which you cling, not daring to let them go, lest they should be wanted again the next moment. Alas, no! When it is a question of accompanying The Rosary, I must say, as the old farmer at the tenants' dinner the other day said to the d.u.c.h.ess when she pressed upon him a third helping of pudding: 'Madam, I CANNOT!'”

”Don't be silly, Dal,” said Jane. ”You could accompany The Rosary perfectly, if I wanted it done. But, as it happens, I prefer accompanying myself.”

”Ah,” said Lady Ingleby, sympathetically, ”I quite understand that. It would be such a relief all the time to know that if things seemed going wrong, you could stop the other part, and give yourself the note.”

The only two real musicians present glanced at each other, and a gleam of amus.e.m.e.nt pa.s.sed between them.

”It certainly would be useful, if necessary,” said Jane.

”_I_ would 'stop the other part' and 'give you the note,'” said Garth, demurely.

”I am sure you would,” said Jane. ”You are always so very kind. But I prefer to keep the matter in my own hands.”

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