'Very fond. How beautiful your playing is!'
'To-morrow you shall hear Miss Newthorpe play; hers is much better. Will you sing this for me?'
When it was sung, she asked what other songs Thyrza knew. They were all, of course, such as the people sing; some of them Mrs. Ormonde did not know at all, but to others she was able to play an accompaniment. Her praise was limited to a few kind words. On leaving the piano, she was thoughtful.
At ten o'clock Mrs. Mapper came to conduct Thyrza to her bedroom.
'We have breakfast at half-past eight to-morrow,' Mrs. Ormonde said.
'If I am up in time,' Thyrza asked, 'may I go out before breakfast?'
'Do just as you like, my dear,' the other answered, with a smile. 'I want you to enjoy your visit.'
In spite of the strangeness of her room, and of the multitude of thoughts and feelings to which the day had given birth, Thyrza was not long awake. She passed into a dreamland where all she had newly learnt was reproduced and glorified. But the rising sun had not to wait long for the opening of her eyes. She sprang from bed and to the window, whence, however, she could only see the tall chestnuts and a neighbouring cottage. The day was again fine; she dressed with nervous speed—there was no Lyddy to do her hair, for the very first time in her life—then went softly forth on to the landing. No one seemed to be stirring; she had no watch to tell her the time, but doubtless it was very early. Softly she began to descend the stairs, and at length recognised the door of the drawing-room. She did not like to enter: it was only Mrs. Ormonde's kindness that had given her a right to sit there the evening before. But the house-door would not be open yet, she feared. Just as she was reluctantly turning to go up and wait a little longer in her bedroom, a sound below at once startled and relieved her. Looking over the banisters, she saw a servant coming from one of the rooms on the ground floor. She hurried down. The servant looked at her with surprise.
'Good-morning!' she said. 'Can I get out of the house?'
'I'll open the door for you, Miss.'