As she did so, Lancy slipped his arm around her, and his admiring eyes confirmed the words that fell from his lips. "You are beautiful to-night, Dexie. You need not fear any audience with those brilliant eyes and cherry lips. You will win all hearts, as you have mine."
Dexie lifted her eyes in surprise, and saw a lover"s face very near her own, and before she could retreat he had pressed her to his heart, and kissed her on both cheeks.
"For shame! look!" and she pointed to a mirror where their images were reflected. "What would your mother say to such rudeness, sir?"
"I think she would say, "Dexie, give Lancy one kiss for his trouble this afternoon." Don"t you think I deserve one, my Dexie?"
But Dexie flew past him and downstairs to the parlor, where her parents and Aunt Jennie were awaiting her.
"How do you like my looks, mamma? Am I not pretty, for once?" she asked.
"If you had behaved as well as you look I would see no cause for complaint," said her mother coolly; "but a "daw in borrowed feathers" is never a pretty sight."
"But, mamma, I am going to be just as good as I look, for this evening anyway; and I am sure, if my eyesight does not deceive me and my friends do not flatter, that I never looked better, so I"m content," and she left the room to put on her outside garments.
She meekly submitted to the extra wraps that Lancy insisted on placing round her face, and she felt, as she stood beside him, that Lancy"s tenderness and love added not a little to her daily happiness, even though she had not just the same regard for him as he professed to have for her.
"I think I"ll drive down with Hugh," she said teasingly, as they came down the steps to the street, where both sleighs were waiting.
"But I won"t let you," said Lancy quickly. "You are mine for this evening.
I have earned that much, surely. I can"t spare you to anyone else, my Dexie," and he lifted her in beside himself.
They drove quickly to the hall, and were soon in the dressing-room, among the bevy of young ladies who were to take part in the concert. Gussie"s heart was pierced with envy as she noticed how much attention was bestowed on her sister, and she heartily wished that Dexie had kept to her refusal of the morning.
Mr. Ross noticed that his peace-offering was not appreciated, and wisely refrained from further remarks, giving the necessary directions in as few words as possible.
Very gay did the Temperance Hall look that evening, with its walls draped with bunting and its stage decorated with palms and other ornamental plants; and it never held a larger audience than now awaited the opening chorus, while the applause that filled the house at its close seemed to make the rafters ring.
The first selections were admirably performed, and were fully enjoyed by those present, but when that part of the programme was reached in which the "American Warbler" made her first appearance, the enthusiasm reached its height, and found vent in round after round of applause.
Lancy made his appearance first, taking his seat at the piano. This intimated that he was not the "Warbler," and the audience looked around in doubt, as if asking each other what next to expect.
A moment later Dexie appeared, and the sea of expectant faces made her tremble. What if she should fail?
The appearance of this bright young girl, bowing before them, caused a moment"s hush to fall upon the people. Was she the "warbler," and what was the character of the performance that was rated so highly? After an exquisitely rendered interlude, Dexie"s clear whistle joined the accompaniment, and seemed to hold the listeners spell-bound. At its close a moment of silence followed, but when Lancy rose from the instrument the applause began, and grew louder and more deafening, and Mr. Ross hurried to Dexie"s side as she left the stage.
"You must come forward again, Miss Sherwood; that encore is not to be resisted," as the thunderous applause grew in volume.
She took Lancy"s arm at last, and stepped forward and bowed her acknowledgement. But that was not enough; nothing but a repet.i.tion would satisfy the enthusiastic audience, and when Mr. Ross asked her to give "The Mocking Bird" she felt obliged to consent. Mr. Ross had rightly judged a Halifax audience when he said it would not be content with one performance, and not till the strains from the piano rang through the building, followed by the appearance of Dexie, did the uproar cease.
Lancy played a long interlude to give Dexie time to compose herself, then the first strains of the familiar song floated softly through the hall, and very tender and touching did the words sound as they fell from Lancy"s lips, for genuine feeling was behind them. It was like a pa.s.sage in a love-story, and where is the person that does not enjoy the repet.i.tion of some pa.s.sages, even though they may, at the same time, p.r.o.nounce them silly and sentimental in the extreme?
Dexie stood near the piano. Her soft, low whistle seemed to come from a distance, then floated nearer and nearer, gaining strength and volume as the song progressed; and when Lancy sang "Listen to the Mocking Bird," the joyous, bewildering notes of the birds she was imitating seemed floating directly overhead, then receded as the next verse was sung, returning fuller and sweeter to accompany the chorus, each verse seeming to grow more tender and beautiful, and, when it ended, the enraptured audience showed their appreciation by applauding with all their strength.
"No; I cannot go out again," Dexie said, as Mr. Ross urged her to appear once more in answer to the call. "It is not fair to the rest, for there are other things on the programme much nicer."
"Just this once more," Lancy pleaded, his eyes shining with satisfaction.
"Come on to the stage, at least, Miss Sherwood," said Mr. Ross, "or they will have the house down over our ears. May I announce that you will whistle again at the conclusion of the programme?" and Dexie had to consent. Mr. Ross led her to the front of the stage, and the audience, expecting another repet.i.tion, subsided into silence; but it was soon broken when the announcement was made that they should have another selection later on.
Mr. Sherwood found his way to the dressing-rooms, and received Dexie with open arms, while numbers gathered around to congratulate her on her success.
"I am proud of you, Dexie," her father said, as they stepped aside. "I was down among the audience while you were whistling, and on every side I heard words of warmest praise. Your fear of being hissed was a foolish fear, after all. I am sure you are not sorry that you came here to-night."
"No, papa; but I do hope that Mrs. Gurney will be pleased. I whistled for her and Lancy to-night, and if they are satisfied, that is enough. But, listen! That is Gussie"s voice; that is the duet between her and Miss Burns. Oh, I do hope they will applaud her heartily!"
But no such feeling had dwelt in Gussie"s heart when Dexie was before the audience. If she had failed, had completely broken down or been hissed off the stage, as Dexie herself feared, Gussie would have exulted in her failure; yet if Gussie had faltered in the least, none would have felt it so keenly as her twin sister Dexie.
"Did you see Hugh among the audience?" Lancy whispered from behind her chair.
"Yes; how savage he looked! Such a scowl does not improve his handsome face, if he only knew it. I never saw him look more fierce."
"I expect that he did not like to see you leaning on my arm before them all," he whispered. "He is fearfully jealous, Dexie, so do not flirt with him any more when he goes in to see Gussie," he added, as he stroked his growing moustache.
"I am not likely to flirt with Hugh McNeil or anyone else," she said, with some spirit; "but judging by the looks cast in this direction, I am under suspicion already, so please leave me, Lancy."
The several selections on the programme were performed to everyone"s satisfaction, but every time that Dexie appeared, either as a singer or accompanist, she was received with such marked favor that it was plainly to be seen who was the favorite.
"Now, Miss Sherwood," said Mr. Ross, as the last piece ended and cries for "the warbler" arose in the hall, "send them home so well pleased with our entertainment that they will all be eager to attend our next."
"There is to be no repet.i.tion this time, Mr. Ross," said Dexie, decidedly.
"Let Mr. Gurney play the National Anthem directly the piece is ended."
"Very well. I will direct the members of the club to be ready to step forward the moment your piece is finished, and we will dismiss them with "G.o.d Save the Queen.""
As Lancy and Dexie made their appearance the clapping of hands arose again, and, under cover of the noise, Dexie whispered a few words to Lancy, who immediately secured another piano stool. Then they both sat down before the instrument and waited for the signal to begin.
A moment later and the outburst of melody that filled the hall seemed to come from a mult.i.tude of song-birds, and the peculiar, bird-like whistle never sounded sweeter or clearer as it rang out in answer to Lancy"s more powerful notes, their fingers meanwhile flying over the keys in delightful harmony. Dexie forgot the hundreds of eager listeners. She seemed to have partaken of the free, joyous nature of the birds she was so cleverly imitating, and when the last notes had died away the applause that greeted their ears seemed to shake the building.
It was a decided relief when the notes from the piano overruled the uproar.
A moment later and the stage was peopled by the members of the club, the notes of the National Anthem sounded through the hall, and the audience below rose to their feet at this the closing signal.
As the crowd pa.s.sed out the door, Hugh McNeil made his way to the front; and as he went at once to help Cora Gurney, and gave Gussie the a.s.sistance she asked for, Dexie thought nothing of his sudden appearance amongst them until he bent over her and hissed in her ear:
"I could have killed the both of you as you stood there making love to each other before them all, as if you belonged to him already! You shall be mine, not his! I swear it! so take care how you trifle with me!"
Dexie, terrified by his angry looks, hurried away, and Lancy, noticing her white face, asked anxiously:
"What has happened to you, Dexie? You are as white as a ghost."
"Oh! that big Frenchman has frightened me. Didn"t you see him talking to me just now?"
"Yes, but I supposed he was congratulating you on your success."
"It is a pity you could not have heard his congratulations, Lancy. I fancy you would not consider them complimentary," and they hurried homeward.
Mrs. Gurney had arranged a little supper for those of the household who attended the concert, and if anyone noticed Hugh"s absence, no one dreamed of the cause thereof.