"I think D flat will be about right," he replied. "Kindly play a little bit of it."
The sound of the symphony brought most of even the young people into the drawing room. At the end of the first verse there was a subdued rustle of applause, a little more after the second, and at the end of the song so much of a burst of approval as could be produced by the audience. Mrs. Benson looked up into John's face and smiled.
"We appear to have scored the success of the evening," she said with a touch of sarcasm. Miss Clara joined them.
"What a dear old song that is!" she said. "Did you see Aunt Charlie (Mrs. Tenaker) wiping her eyes?—and that lovely thing of Tosti's! We are ever so much obliged to you, Mr. Lenox."
John bowed his acknowledgments.
"Will you take Mrs. Benson out to supper? There is a special table for you musical people at the east end of the veranda."
"Is this merely a segregation or a distinction?" said John as they sat down.
"We shall have to wait developments to decide that point, I should say," replied Mrs. Benson. "I suppose that fifth place was put on the off chance that Mr. Benson might be of our party, but," she said, with a short laugh, "he is probably nine fathoms deep in a flirtation with Sue Tenaker. He shares Artemas Ward's tastes, who said, you may remember, that he liked little girls—big ones too."
A maid appeared with a tray of eatables, and presently another with a tray on which were glasses and a bottle of Pommery sec. "Miss Clara's compliments," she said.
"What do you think now?" asked Mrs. Benson, laughing.