"It would be far better," returned Miss Lambert; "realities are always best."
"Now, Elsie; we are waiting for you," cried her father. Her reply was to strike a few chords, and begin a sweet, wild, plaintive air with Italian words. Her voice was peculiarly rich and sympathetic; its lower notes were especially fine; she had been thoroughly well taught, and had besides a degree of natural expression that sent her tones right to the heart of her hearers.
"This is indeed music," said Glynn, in a low voice when she ceased. "Do you feel something of the delight you give?"
"Do I give you delight? You look as if you liked my singing,—I am glad."
"It is heaven to listen to you," he exclaimed, almost in spite of himself. "Your song is quite unknown to me."
"It is a Polish air arranged by my music-master for some Italian words. He is Italian."
"I feel as if I were unworthy to ask for another song," said Glynn, after a short pause.
"Why? I will sing as much as you like, I can always sing well for those who like my singing," and again her deft fingers strayed over the notes, till they seemed to fall of their own accord into an undulating accompaniment to which she sang a barcarolle—brilliant, playful, but with an undertone of sadness.
"She can sing a bit, can't she?" asked Lambert, approaching with exultant looks. "Why, sir, she'd create a fureur, a regular fureur; she'd pick up gold for the asking, ay, in hatfuls, if she'd go on the stage; fancy her in the 'Trovatore,' or, 'The Figlia' or 'Martha!'—give us 'The Last Rose of Summer,' my heart;—why, she'd bring down any house; and the obstinate little sinner refuses point-blank to appear on the boards, says it would kill her. Faith, it is a right royal way to keep life in one, and the devil out of one's pocket; by Jove, she would hold her own with the best, when she has a father that can crack a walnut at fifty paces, and wouldn't mind if it were a skull in a good cause!"
"Ah, no! the stage would be a miserable failure for me. You do not take temperament into account," said Miss Lambert, with a sigh, and then stopped the conversation by thrilling out the exquisite air for which Lambert had asked.