“Oh, so very much,” said Philip, in the earnest way he had sometimes.
“Well, I am not afraid to ask the servant to take off the case,” said Lillie, skipping up to the man and making her request, with which he complied without hesitation, slipping off the Holland cover and revealing to Philip’s eager eyes the old-fashioned, long-silent instrument. Over it hung a copy of a picture they had seen in the picture gallery on the floor below. It was a portrait of the owner of the harp; a pretty figure in a fanciful shepherdess costume, with a preternaturally white lamb clasped in her lovely fair arms, and a simpering complacency on her pretty pink and white face that disposed the gazer to doubt the possibility of her ever having awakened the true soul of music; but none of the party were treasonable enough to contradict the flunkey, who remarked, as he noticed Mrs. Norton’s study of the portrait:
“The Lady Blanche was said to ’ave played ’er ’arp like a hangel.”
“I would give anything to hear it played,” said Philip, half to himself.
“There’s a new ’arp in the music-room,” said the servant civilly, “if the ladies would like to play for the young gentleman.”
“Well, Philip,” said Mrs. Norton, “I don’t play oftener than once in six months nowadays, but when we go down I will try to gratify you.”
Philip was happy then, and felt as if he could hardly wait till they reached the music-room; but at last the tour of the house was completed, and the servant led the way to the chapel-like apartment in the western wing, and there his aunt tried her skill in tuning the more modern-looking instrument that had belonged to the late Lady Ashden. Her performance, after she had put the harp in moderately good tune, was not of a high order, but it delighted Philip, who listened in ecstasy as she struck the chords, a little uncertainly it is true, but still with a sweetness that thrilled the sensitive child.
“Do you think you could play on it?” asked Rose of her cousin.
“No,” said Philip, shaking his head sadly. “I could not play on it, but I wish I could listen to it always.”
“You would soon tire of my miserable playing, child,” said his aunt; “but when you come to see us you shall go to the concerts and hear some music that is worth listening to.”