Conversation -- Fiction; Entertaining -- Fiction; Hospitality -- Fiction; New England -- Fiction
It was Rollins who insisted on serving the May Girl's supper. "It
was his right," he said. More than this he also insisted on
gathering up all his own supper on one quite inadequate plate, and
trotting back to the library to eat it with the May Girl. This also
was his right, he said. Truly he looked very funny there all
huddled up on a low stool by the May Girl's side. But at least he
showed sense enough now not to babble very much. And once, at
least, without reproof I saw him reach up to the May Girl's fork
and plate and urge some particularly nourishing morsel of food into
her languidly astonished mouth.
It was just as everybody drifted back from the dining-room into the
library that the May Girl wriggled her long, silken, childish legs
out of the steamer-rug that encompassed her, struggled to her feet,
wandered somewhat aimlessly to the piano, fingered the keys for a
single indefinite moment and burst ecstatically into song!
None of us, except my Husband, had heard her sing before. None of
us indeed, except my Husband and myself, knew even that she could
sing. The proof that she could smote suddenly across the ridge of
one's spine like the prickle of a mild electric shock.
My Husband was perfectly right. It was a typical "Boy Soprano"
voice, a chorister's voice--clear as flame--passionless as syrup.
As devoid of ritual as the multiplication table it would have made
the multiplication table fairly reek with incense and Easter
lilies! Absolutely lacking in everything that the tone sharks call
"color"--yet it set your mind a-haunt with all the sad crimson and
purple splendors of memorial windows! Shadows were back of it! And
sorrows! And mysteries! Bridals! And deaths! The prattle alike of
the very young and the very old! Carol! And Threnody! And a fearful
Transiency as of youth itself passing!
She sang--
"There is a Green Hill far away
Without a city wall,
Where our dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us--all."
and she sang
"From the Desert I come to thee,
On a stallion shod with fire!
And the winds are not more fleet
Than the wings of my de-sire!"
Like an Innocent pouring kerosene on the Flame-of-the-World the
young voice soared and swelled to that lovely, limpid word
"desire." (In the darkness I saw Paul Brenswick's hand clutch
suddenly out to his Mate's. In the darkness I saw George Keets
switch around suddenly and begin to whisper very fast to Allan
John.) And then she sang a little nonsense rhyme about "Rabbits"
which she explained rather shyly she had just made up. "She was
very fond of rabbits," she explained. "And of dogs, too--if all the
truth were to be told. Also cats."
"Also--shells!" sniffed young Kennilworth.
"Yes, also shells," conceded the May Girl without resentment.
"Ha!" sniffed young Kennilworth.
"O--h, a--jealous lover, this," deprecated George Keets. "Really,
Miss Davies," he condoned, "I'm afraid to-morrow is going to be
somewhat of a strain on you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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