Townsend chuckled. “There’s your answer, Colton,” he said. “Let your Old Folks’ singing school, or whatever it is, slide. Go around amongst the congregation and the summer crowd and collect two dollars apiece. You’ll have just as much money in the end and no worry or work or hard feelings. Here! here’s my two dollars to begin with.” Mr. Colton was not satisfied with this lesson in common-sense finance. He smiled deprecatingly, and shook his head. “Every one isn’t as generous--or practical--as you are, Captain Townsend,” he said. “Of course if you are against having the concert it won’t be given, but the other people, those I have talked with, are very enthusiastic about it. Particularly the summer visitors, the younger element. They will enjoy taking part. Your niece, Esther, is as eager as the others. We had intended to ask her to be our principal soloist. Every one knows of her charming voice, but very few have had the privilege of hearing her sing. I have mentioned the idea to her and she--” Townsend interrupted. “Oh, Esther is for it, is she?” he observed. “Humph! Well, if that is so I don’t know as I shall stand in the way. It is all foolishness, of course, but-- So they want to hear her sing, do they?” “Indeed they do. The summer people--the very best people--particularly. Your niece has made a great hit with them, Captain Townsend. They have already taken her to their hearts, as the saying goes.” “Oh, they have, have they? Well, she won’t give ’em heart disease, I guess. I haven’t seen one of their girls yet who is fit to tread the same deck with her.” There was a hint of tartness in the speech which the reverend gentleman noticed, but thought it best to ignore. “They like her--and admire her--very much indeed,” he insisted, eagerly. “Why, Mrs. Wheeler--you know the Wheelers, Captain; New Haven people, Professor Wheeler is at Yale--Mrs. Wheeler herself told me only yesterday that she and her daughter had become so fond of Esther. They felt already as if she was one of their own.” “She did, eh? Well, she isn’t theirs, she is mine.... All right, all right! Have your concert, if you want to. As for Esther’s singing in it, that is for her to settle.” Varunas furnished the last word. “If she does sing she’ll make the rest of ’em sound like crows a-hollerin’,” he announced. “Every time Esther starts singin’ in that front parlor of ours even Nabby stops talkin’ to listen. And it takes some singin’ to fetch _that_ around, now, I tell ye.” So the preparations for the concert went on. The rehearsals were few and Esther enjoyed them. At the meeting, when the question of costumes was brought up for discussion, she was not present, having driven with her uncle to Ostable. But the following day--Sunday--when she stopped in at the cottage for a chat with her Aunt Reliance, she learned an item of news which surprised her.