"I think it is the keynote of our hearts that is struck by those chords, and gives back such answering thrills. I never came across anything before that affected me like it."
"Well, whatever it is, it is painfully sweet. I will try it again, but don"t stand looking at me, there"s a good fellow, but go away by the window and look out at--nothing."
Again those wondrous chords filled the room, but the masterful touch that usually accompanied Dexie"s fingering was now wanting, for it was a trembling hand that followed the printed notes. More the once she faltered, but after a period of waiting she would repeat the pa.s.sage and go on. But presently a longer silence occurred, and Lancy turned from the window to look at her. Tears were standing in her eyes, and she sat with her hands clasped tightly before her. Drawing her away from the piano, he led her to the sofa, and the silent sympathy in his manner was more eloquent than any flow of words could have been.
"It seems foolish, does it not, Lancy?" she said at last, "but it is no common piece of music, and I shall never be able to play it before strangers."
"No; neither shall I, Dexie. That music speaks to your heart and mine alike. Let it be for ourselves alone, will you, Dexie?" and the grey eyes looked very dark in their earnestness.
"Well, have it so, Lancy. I will be able to play it properly by and by, I expect. But I never noticed the name of it."
"It is simply called "A Song Without Words." Let us name it again to suit ourselves."
"Very well. I came in to ask you into our side of the house. The picnic is being discussed; but I don"t feel a bit like going back myself now--that music has almost upset me."
"Well, stay with me and let us have a quiet "sing" by ourselves here; that will be pleasanter than discussing a picnic--shall we?"
When Hugh looked into the door a short time afterwards, he saw nothing that need have caused such a frown to wrinkle up his manly brow, for Lancy was only playing a simple ballad, and Dexie was seated in a low rocker some distance from the piano, her hands clasped behind her head, singing softly, her whole appearance seeming to suggest rest and contentment. Perhaps that very suggestion goaded him to bitterness, for why couldn"t Dexie be as contented and happy in his society as in Lancy"s?
The picnic came off as planned, and was enjoyed by all excepting Hugh, who, finding he could not have the companion of his choice, coaxed little Gracie and Ruth Gurney to go with him, and they willingly consented. But Gussie looked with angry eyes on the fine turnout, "just wasted on those little torments," as the light buggy flew past the more sober-going horses that were bringing up the rear.
She forgot her anger, however, when she returned home and found that Mr.
Plaisted had arrived during their absence.
Bless us! how very amiable we can be when we want to make a deep impression on someone"s soft heart!
Gussie"s face was now all smiles. Her words were all sweet when Mr.
Plaisted was by anyway, and as it is an ill wind that blows n.o.body good, Dexie felt grateful enough for anything that would cause Gussie to be a little better-natured than she had been during the last few weeks, and Gussie"s very unexpected offer, to "keep the parlor dusted while Plaisted is here," touched Dexie to the heart.
But his presence made Dexie"s task much harder than usual. Such a "lie-a-bed" as he was in the mornings, and he expected to be served with a hot breakfast whatever might be the hour of his appearance.
Nancy remembered him of old, and resented the added work, and Dexie tried almost in vain to pour oil on the troubled waters.
One evening, when Plaisted was about to retire, Dexie handed him his lamp, saying:
"Our breakfast hour is eight o"clock, Mr. Plaisted, and if you will rise at the first bell you will have plenty of time to curl your hair before the breakfast bell rings."
"Dexie, don"t let your tongue run away with you," her father said, reprovingly. "Plaisted will surely be up in good time to-morrow, as we have much work ahead of us if we intend to catch the train."
"Yes, I"ll be up to-morrow morning without fail," he replied. "I don"t see how it is that I oversleep myself so often when I am here; I fully intended to get up to breakfast this morning, but missed it. However, you will see me to-morrow morning at the breakfast table, Miss Dexie, if I am alive," he added jokingly, as he waved a good-night to Gussie.
"Very well; but if you are not up in time we shan"t wait for you," said Dexie, smiling, "for dead men need no breakfast."
"Oh! you"ll see, Miss Dexie, I"ll be up to-morrow in time, without fail,"
and he laughed as he disappeared up the stairs.
But when eight o"clock came next morning, it brought no Plaisted with it, and Dexie horrified them by asking if they had better go up and view the remains.
Breakfast was eaten in silence. Mr. Sherwood was vexed at Plaisted"s laziness when there was so much need of energetic work to make up for time lost and wasted.
"Perhaps he did not hear the bell," said Gussie, as the clock struck nine.
"I"ll ring it again," which she did, vigorously.
But another hour slipped by, and still he did not appear, much to Dexie"s disgust and annoyance.
While standing by the window waiting his appearance, she became aware of a great event that was taking place in the backyard. It happened that a pet cat had met with some accident that had deprived it of life, and the children were indulging in a funeral. A grave had been dug at the back corner of the yard, and the procession of mourners was marching back and forth across the yard with many twists and turns, to make it last longer, until it at last reached the open grave. Georgie Sherwood, who marched in the front of the procession, with the remains in a raisin-box, now deposited it in its last resting-place, while the little Gurneys, who were sedately following, wailed aloud.
When the grave was covered to their satisfaction, Frankie Gurney came into the house with Georgie, holding a piece of smooth, white marble, and asked Dexie if she would write something on it, for it was to be the cat"s tombstone.
"Say that she was the prettiest and best-behaved cat in Halifax, and that she left a large family of sorrowing kittens behind her."
"Yes, and children, too. Be sure and say that, Dexie," added Georgie.
The inscription was soon written in Dexie"s largest and clearest hand, and it delighted the eyes of the little ones, who could easily read every word.
"Where did you get such a nice stone, Frankie?" she asked.
"Oh, down in the grave-stone shop. The man told me I could have it."
A sudden thought came into her mind, and she smiled as she asked:
"Could you get another piece as big as that, do you think?"
"Oh, yes; there is another piece like this. Someone broke a foot-stone, and it is no good, the man said. I"ll go and get it, if you want it."
"Oh, will you? then run quickly. I"ll make you a new kite, if you will hurry."
In a very short time Frankie was back with the stone, Georgie, meanwhile, being engaged in setting up the cat"s monument.
"What do you want with the stone, Dexie?" he asked, as he regarded her attentively.
"Come with me, Frankie, and I will show you," and she led him upstairs to the upper hall.
"I want to play a trick on Mr. Plaisted; but I can"t, unless you will help me."
"Oh, I"ll do anything you tell me," his eyes eager for any fun.
"You see, he is a fearful hand to sleep in the mornings. He is not up yet, and the morning is half gone. He said last night that he would be up in time for breakfast, if he was alive. Well, you can hear him snoring in the next room; but, since he is not up, I am going to consider him dead, and I want you to put up his tombstone. Now, do you think that you can go carefully and put this at the head of his bed without waking him?"
Laying the stone on her knee, she soon had it written over in large, plain letters, and hoping that Plaisted might sleep till noon, as he often did, she slipped downstairs to await results.
It is not often that a man is roused from sleep by his own tombstone falling on him, but that is how was at last awakened. Quite likely Frankie, fearing to awaken him, did not place it very securely. However, as Plaisted was about to turn over for another snooze, down came the marble slab on his papered head! It almost stunned him for a moment, but curiosity roused him enough to find out what had struck him.
Lifting his arms above his head, he grasped the object, but not calculating on its weight, it slipped out of his hands and bruised his head in another spot. Raising on his elbow, he gazed in bewilderment on the thing, but turning it over he quickly grasped its meaning, for the words thereon were plain enough for the dullest man to understand, and read as follows:
"Sacred to the memory of D.S. PLAISTED, who departed this life while in full health and curl papers.
His death was sudden, but quite expected.
This monument was erected by one who fully realized his WORTH-LESS-NESS.
Peace to his ashes."