Maud suppresses the tell-tale handkerchief, and puts on such a sweet smile as utterly precludes the idea of chagrin. The men, with the usual amount of bungling, fall into their places, and Cecil seizes the opportunity to say to Marcia, in a low tone: "You say Miss Massereene sings. Ask her to give us something now. It is so slow doing nothing all the evening, and I feel Mr. Amherst is bent on mischief. Besides, it is hard on you, expecting you to play all the night through." "I will ask her if you wish it," Marcia says, indifferently, "but remember, you need not look for a musical treat. I detest bad singing myself." "Oh, anything, anything," says Cecil, languidly sinking back into her chair. Thus instigated, Marcia does ask Molly to sing. "If you will care to hear me," Molly answers, coldly rather than diffidently, and rising, goes to the piano. "Perhaps there may be something of mine here that you may know," Marcia says, superciliously, pointing to the stand; but Molly, declaring that she can manage without music, sits down and plays the opening chords of Gounod's "Berceuse." A moment later, and her glorious voice, rarely soft, and sweet as a child's, yet powerful withal, rings through the room, swells, faints, every note a separate delight, falling like rounded pearls from her lips. A silence--truest praise of all--follows. One by one the talkers cease their chatter; the last word remains a last word; they forget the thought of a moment before. A dead calm reigns, while Molly sings on, until the final note drops from her with lingering tenderness. Even then they seem in no hurry to thank her; almost half a minute elapses before any one congratulates her on the exquisite gift that has been given her. "You have been days in the house, and never until now have let us hear you," Philip says, leaning on the top of the piano; he is an enthusiast where music is concerned. "How selfish! how unkind! I could hardly have believed it of you." "Was I ever asked before?" Molly says, raising her eyes to his, while her fingers still run lightly over the notes. "I don't know. I suppose it never occurred to us, and, as you may have noticed, there is a dearth of graciousness among us. But for you to keep such a possession a secret was more than cruel. Sing again." "I must not monopolize the piano: other people can sing too." "Not like you." He pauses, and then says, slowly, "I used to think nature was impartial in the distribution of her gifts,--that, as a rule, we all received pretty much the same amount of good at her hands; to one beauty, to another talent, and so on; but I was wrong: she has her favorites, it appears. Surely already you had had more than your share, without throwing in your perfect voice." Molly lowers her eyes, but makes no reply; experience has taught her that this is one of the occasions on which "silence is golden."