Part 3 (2/2)

Father Ninian's right hand and wrist, despite their age, flourished themselves with marvellous suppleness. ”Of a surety! Of a surety,” he interrupted, still in that gay, almost reckless voice, ”and I will teach you '_L'Addio del Marito_.' I never taught that to Roshan--it does not do for savage natures.”

”The husband's good-by! What a funny name,” echoed Laila, curiously.

”Why is it called that, guardian?”

The gaiety left the old man's face.

”Because the thrust is used, _cara mia_,” he replied in Italian, and his answer came dreamily, half to himself, ”when even those who have that greatest tie to life prefer to say good-by to it.” He paused, then went on cheerfully: ”But come! Music! Music! We lose time horribly.

Laila, 'tis your part to begin.”

The girl walked stolidly to the piano.

”What shall I sing, guardian?” she asked.

”Sing?” he repeated, reverting once more to Italian, and his voice had the dreamy tone in it again; ”sing my favourite, child. Something hath taken me back to the old days--and sing it well.”

Something in the pose of the girl, something in the faint defiance of her face as she stood turning over the leaves of the music, attracted Vincent Dering's fancy. He moved over to her, and asked if he should play her accompaniment.

”If you can,” she said, ungraciously.

He smiled. ”What is it? Oh!--Handel.” He shrugged his shoulders. ”Yes!

I fancy I can play him--he is not very complex.”

The next instant he had embarked, with a certain sense of pique lending perfection to his phrasing, on the prelude; but perfect as his tone was, it seemed to fall dull and dead before the voice which rose and echoed into the arches.

”He shall feed His flock like a Shepherd.”

Pure, peaceful, free from every touch of pa.s.sion; absolutely, utterly, beyond this world and its works, it rose and filled the garden; the orange-scented garden with its fretted marble cascades and water-maze, where the feet of laughing girls had chased each other, the latticed balconies where lovers had sat.

”And He shall gather the lambs in His arms.”

It floated out over the river where the dead girl had drifted, making a light come to a pair of bronze eyes.

”Come unto Him all ye that labor.”

Out beyond the garden, into the city, a faint far echo of the call made men and women pause in the struggle for life, and say, ”They are singing in the palace.”

”And ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

The promise of all religions, the cry which makes all creeds one, rose and fell, as the afternoon sun, s.h.i.+ning into the loggia, put a canopy of stars above the head of the singer.

Some of the audience said ”Thank you,” politely when she ended. Vincent Dering did not. He stood on one side, and, being musical to the heart's core, gave himself the luxury of silence. Only when Father Ninian, ever mindful of ceremonies and courtesies, crossed to acknowledge the services of the accompanist, he said briefly,--

”Who taught her that?”

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