“But there is music too,” said Anthony.
Mary clapped her hands.
“When dinner is over,” she said, “you and I will go to find it.”
Dinner was over at last, and the four rose.
“Come,” said Mary; while Isabel turned into the garden and Mr. Buxton went to his room. “We will be with you presently,” she cried after Isabel.
Then the two went together to the little west parlour, oak-panelled, with a wide fireplace with the logs in their places, and the latticed windows with their bottle-end glass, looking upon the walled garden. Anthony stood on a chair and opened the top window, letting a flood of summer noises into the room.
They found the lute music, written over its six lines with the queer F’s and double F’s and numerals—all Hebrew to Anthony, but bursting and blossoming with delicate melodies to Mary’s eyes. Then she took up the lute, and tuned it on her knee, still sitting in a deep lounging-chair, with her buckled feet before her; while Anthony sat opposite and watched her supple flashing fingers busy among the strings, and her grave abstracted look as she listened critically. Then she sounded the strings in little rippling chords.
“Ah! it is a sweet old lute,” she said. “Put the music before me.”
Anthony propped it on a chair.
“Is that the right side up?” he asked.