"Sit down and try it, then you will be a better judge," Mr. Bailey said, watching her flushed, happy face with smiling eyes.
Angel complied, and played one of the simple tunes she had learnt at school, whilst the others stood by listening.
"It is a beautiful piano!" she declared enthusiastically.
"It is for you," Mr. Bailey told her, "for your very own, my dear. A present from your old uncle!"
"For me!" the little girl cried. "For my own? Oh, father do you hear what he says?"
"Certainly I do. You are very fortunate to have such a present given you," Mr. Willis answered earnestly.
"Oh, I am, indeed! Uncle Edward, I can never tell you how much I thank you," she said in trembling tones, and with heartfelt gratitude, throwing her arms around Mr. Bailey's neck and kissing him; "but I do thank you very, very much! I knew you must be thinking of buying a piano, because I saw you and father looking over a list of pianos one day; but I never thought you meant to give me one! Fancy, my having a piano of my very own!"
"Listen to that now!" Mr. Bailey said to the others. "We didn't keep our secret as well as we imagined we were doing. Angel, you are too sharp for us."
"Gerald, did you know it was to be mine—really mine?" she asked, turning her bright, excited face to her brother.
"Yes, and I'm so glad," he responded heartily. "You'll get on splendidly now you've got a piano to practise on."