His voice shook the floor with the doleful cadences of a distressing ballad about a man who murdered his wife because she was "untrew," and was afterwards haunted by a "figger in white with pityous eyes and cries." He eventually died of remorse and the ballad ended by warning all men to refrain from hasty judgments upon their wives.
"Amen! So say we all!" Professor Roberts heartily agreed. A lively discussion was precipitated by Mason, who said "the man must be judged by the facts before him at the time the deed was done, not afterwards. I've no doubt there are wives whose murder would be justifiable homicide."
Isabel interrupted it at last by saying: "That will do, that is quite enough. You are on the road to vituperation."
"Miss Dutcher, you will sing for us, won't you?"
"O, I don't sing." Rose turned upon her in terror.
"Really and truly?"
"Really and truly."
"Then you play?"
"I have no accomplishments at all. All the music I can make is a whistle and a jewsharp, I assure you."
This set Roberts off. "Ah! La Belle Siffleuse! we will hear you whistle. Dr. Sanborn, Miss Dutcher can whistle."