“Wake up, Henry,” said Miss Sophia in her sharp voice; “the children are hungry, and so am I.”
Then the student would shake himself, seize the knife and fork, and make frantic dashes at whatever the joint might happen to be. It must be owned that he carved very badly. Miss Tredgold bore it for a day or two; then she desired the parlor-maid to convey the joint to the head of the table where she sat. After this was done the dinner-hour was wont to progress very satisfactorily. To-day it went quickly by. Then Verena went up to her aunt.
“Now, Aunt Sophy,” she said, “the gloaming has come, and music is waiting to make us all happy in the drawing-room.”
“I will play for you, my dears,” said Aunt Sophia.
She was just leaving the room when she heard Verena say:
“You love music, father. Do come into the drawing-room. Aunt Sophia has got her new piano. She means to play on it. Do come; you know you love music.”
“Indeed, I do nothing of the kind,” said Mr. Dale.
He pushed his gray hair back from his forehead and looked abstractedly at Miss Sophia, who was standing in the twilight just by the open door.
“You remind me, Sophia——” said Mr. Dale.
He paused and covered his eyes with his hand.