A Charming Fellow, Volume ITrollope, Frances Eleanor
General
A Charming Fellow, Volume I
Trollope, Frances Eleanor
Fiction
She chatted freely enough about her visit to Llanryddan in the summer,
and about Duckwell Farm, where her half-brother Seth lived, and, above
all, about Mrs. Errington. Mrs. Errington had been so good to her, and
had taught her, and talked to her; and did Miss Minnie know what a
change it was for a lady like Mrs. Errington to live in such a poor
place as theirs? For, although she had the best rooms, of course it was
very poor, compared with the castle she was brought up in. About
Algernon she said very little; but it slipped out that she was in the
habit of being present when Mr. Diamond came to read with the young
gentleman; and then Miss Minnie was very much interested in hearing what
Mr. Diamond said to his pupil, and how Rhoda liked Mr. Diamond, and what
she thought of him. And when it appeared that Rhoda had thought very
little about him at all, but considered him a very clever, learned
gentleman--perhaps a little stiff and grave, but not at all unkind--Miss
Minnie smiled to herself and said, "He is a little stiff and grave,
Rhoda. Not the kind of person to attract one very much, eh!"
And then tea was brought, and Rhoda sipped hers out of a delicate
porcelain cup, like those which Mrs. Errington had in her corner
cupboard. And there were some delicious cakes, which Rhoda was quite
natural enough to own she liked very much. And then Mrs. Bodkin came in,
and sat down beside her daughter; and finally, at Minnie's request, she
took Rhoda into the drawing-room, and played to her on the grand piano.
"Rhoda likes music, she says, mamma. But she has never heard a good
instrument. Do play her a bit of Mozart!"
"I am no great performer, my dear," said Mrs. Bodkin, opening the piano;
"but I keep up my playing on my daughter's account. She is not strong
enough to play for herself."
Minnie had her chair wheeled into the drawing-room, in order, as she
whispered to her mother, to enjoy Rhoda's face when she should hear the
music.
Rhoda sat by and listened, in a trance of delight, while Mrs. Bodkin
made the keys of the instrument delicately sound a minuet of Mozart,
and then give forth more volume of tone in "The Heavens are telling."
This was different, indeed, from the tinkling old harpsichord at home!
The music transported her. When it ceased she was breathing quickly, and
her eyes were full of tears. "Oh, how beautiful!" she faltered out.
"Why, child, you are a capital audience!" said Mrs. Bodkin, smiling
kindly.
Then it was time to go home. She was made to promise that she would come
again and see Minnie whenever her father would let her. She left Dr.
Bodkin's house in a very different frame of mind from that in which she
had entered it. Yet she was as silent on her way home as she had been in
the afternoon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account