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And they are smooth and polished; and then carpets and rugs of all sorts are laid about; and it's most beautiful. She has got one of those
Persian carpets she was telling about, Lois."
"I dare say."
"And the walls are all great mirrors, or else there is the richest sortof drapery – curtains, or hangings; and the prettiest painted walls. AndO, Lois, the flowers! – "
"Where were they?"
"Everywhere! On tables, and little shelves on the wall – "
"Brackets."
"O, well! – shelves they are, call them what you like; and stands ofplants and pots of plants – the whole place was sweet with the smell, and green with the leaves, and brilliant with the flowers – "
"Seems to have been brilliant generally."
"So it was, just brilliant, with all that, and with the lights, andwith the people."
"Were the people brilliant too?"
"And the playing."
"O, – the playing!"
"Everybody said so. It wasn't like Mrs. Barclay's playing."
"What was it like?"
"It looked like very hard work, to me. My dear, I saw the drops ofsweat standing on one man's forehead; – he had been playing a prettylong piece," Madge added, by way of accounting for things. "I never sawanything like it, in all my life!"
"Like what? – sweat on a man's forehead?"
"Like the playing. Don't be ridiculous."
"It is not I," said Lois, who meanwhile had risenn and was gettingdressed. Madge was doing the same, talking all the while. "So theplaying was something to be seen. What was the singing?"
Madge stood still, comb in hand. "I don't know!" she said gravely. Loiscould not help laughing.
"Well, I don't," Madge went on. "It was so queer, some of it, I did notknow which way to look. Some of it was regular yelling, Lois; and ifpeople are going to yell, I'd rather have it out-of-doors. But oneman – I think he thought he was doing it remarkably well – the goings upand down of his voice – "
"Cadences – "
"Well, the cadences if you choose; they made me think of nothing butthe tones of the lions and other beasts in the menagerie. Don't youknow how they roar up and down? first softly and then loud? I hadeverything in the world to do not to laugh out downright. He wassinging something meant to be very pathetic; and it was absolutelykilling."
"It was not all like that, I suppose?"
"No. There was some I liked. But nothing one-half so good as yoursinging a hymn, Lois. I wish you could have been there to give themone. Only you could not sing a hymn in such a place."
"Why not?"
"Why, because! It would be out of place."
"I would not go anywhere where a hymn would be out of place."
"That's nonsense. But O, how the people were dressed, Lois! Brilliant!
O you may well say so. It took away my breath at first"
"You got it again, I hope?"
"Yes. But O, Lois, it is nice to have plenty of money."
"Well, yes. And it is nice not to have it – if the Lord makes it so."
"Makes what so? You are very unsympathetic this morning, Lois! But ifyou had only been there. O Lois, there were one or two fur rugs – furskins for rugs, – the most beautiful things I ever saw. One was aleopard's skin, with its beautiful spots; the other was white and thickand fluffy – I couldn't find out what it was."
"Bear, maybe."
"Bear! O Lois – those two skins finished me! I kept my head for a while, with all the mosaic floors and rich hangings and flowers anddresses, – but those two skins took away the little sense I had left.They looked so magnificent! so luxurious."
"They are luxurious, no doubt."
"Lois, I don't see why some people should have so much, and others solittle."
"The same sort of question that puzzled David once."
"Why should Mrs. Burrage have all that, and you and I have only yellowpainted floors and rag carpets?"
"I don't want 'all that.'"
"Don't you?"
"No."
"I do."
"Madge, those things do not make people happy."
"It's all very well to say so, Lois. I should like just to try once."
"How do you like Mrs. Burrage?"
Madge hesitated a trifle.
"She is pleasant, – pretty, and clever, and lively; she went flyingabout among the people like a butterfly, stopping a minute here and aminute there, but I guess it was not to get honey but to give it. Shewas a little honeyfied to me, but not much. I don't – think" – (slowly)"she liked to see her brother making much of me."
Lois was silent.
Persian carpets she was telling about, Lois."
"I dare say."
"And the walls are all great mirrors, or else there is the richest sortof drapery – curtains, or hangings; and the prettiest painted walls. AndO, Lois, the flowers! – "
"Where were they?"
"Everywhere! On tables, and little shelves on the wall – "
"Brackets."
"O, well! – shelves they are, call them what you like; and stands ofplants and pots of plants – the whole place was sweet with the smell, and green with the leaves, and brilliant with the flowers – "
"Seems to have been brilliant generally."
"So it was, just brilliant, with all that, and with the lights, andwith the people."
"Were the people brilliant too?"
"And the playing."
"O, – the playing!"
"Everybody said so. It wasn't like Mrs. Barclay's playing."
"What was it like?"
"It looked like very hard work, to me. My dear, I saw the drops ofsweat standing on one man's forehead; – he had been playing a prettylong piece," Madge added, by way of accounting for things. "I never sawanything like it, in all my life!"
"Like what? – sweat on a man's forehead?"
"Like the playing. Don't be ridiculous."
"It is not I," said Lois, who meanwhile had risenn and was gettingdressed. Madge was doing the same, talking all the while. "So theplaying was something to be seen. What was the singing?"
Madge stood still, comb in hand. "I don't know!" she said gravely. Loiscould not help laughing.
"Well, I don't," Madge went on. "It was so queer, some of it, I did notknow which way to look. Some of it was regular yelling, Lois; and ifpeople are going to yell, I'd rather have it out-of-doors. But oneman – I think he thought he was doing it remarkably well – the goings upand down of his voice – "
"Cadences – "
"Well, the cadences if you choose; they made me think of nothing butthe tones of the lions and other beasts in the menagerie. Don't youknow how they roar up and down? first softly and then loud? I hadeverything in the world to do not to laugh out downright. He wassinging something meant to be very pathetic; and it was absolutelykilling."
"It was not all like that, I suppose?"
"No. There was some I liked. But nothing one-half so good as yoursinging a hymn, Lois. I wish you could have been there to give themone. Only you could not sing a hymn in such a place."
"Why not?"
"Why, because! It would be out of place."
"I would not go anywhere where a hymn would be out of place."
"That's nonsense. But O, how the people were dressed, Lois! Brilliant!
O you may well say so. It took away my breath at first"
"You got it again, I hope?"
"Yes. But O, Lois, it is nice to have plenty of money."
"Well, yes. And it is nice not to have it – if the Lord makes it so."
"Makes what so? You are very unsympathetic this morning, Lois! But ifyou had only been there. O Lois, there were one or two fur rugs – furskins for rugs, – the most beautiful things I ever saw. One was aleopard's skin, with its beautiful spots; the other was white and thickand fluffy – I couldn't find out what it was."
"Bear, maybe."
"Bear! O Lois – those two skins finished me! I kept my head for a while, with all the mosaic floors and rich hangings and flowers anddresses, – but those two skins took away the little sense I had left.They looked so magnificent! so luxurious."
"They are luxurious, no doubt."
"Lois, I don't see why some people should have so much, and others solittle."
"The same sort of question that puzzled David once."
"Why should Mrs. Burrage have all that, and you and I have only yellowpainted floors and rag carpets?"
"I don't want 'all that.'"
"Don't you?"
"No."
"I do."
"Madge, those things do not make people happy."
"It's all very well to say so, Lois. I should like just to try once."
"How do you like Mrs. Burrage?"
Madge hesitated a trifle.
"She is pleasant, – pretty, and clever, and lively; she went flyingabout among the people like a butterfly, stopping a minute here and aminute there, but I guess it was not to get honey but to give it. Shewas a little honeyfied to me, but not much. I don't – think" – (slowly)"she liked to see her brother making much of me."
Lois was silent.
Другие электронные книги автора Susan Warner
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