I didn't mean to do so then, but I
chimed in before I thought, when they sang:--
He set a star up in the sky
Full broad and bright and fair.
"That song was taken from the Ormulum," said the Judge; "a poem of the
thirteenth century--"
"Nelly! Was that you?" cried Aunt Frank, interrupting.
The music of the new, fresh, vibrant voice had thrilled them all--all
except the unconscious Judge--and there they sat, spellbound. But as they
shook off the witchery, there was all at once a babble of voices, and
before I quite knew what had happened, I was at the piano again, singing
"The King in Thule:"
There was a king in Thule
True even to the grave
To whom his mistress, dying,
A golden goblet gave.
Perhaps it wasn't very appropriate to Christmas, but Cadge had drilled me
upon it. In the middle of the first stanza I happened to glance up, and
noticed that Mr. Hynes was again looking at me with an absorbed, indrawing
gaze, colouring with amazed pleasure. It woke in me a flutter of
consternation and delight, for he has the sensitive face of a musician;
but my presence of mind was gone, and for one horrible instant I thought I
was going to break down, and just sat there, gasping and blushing.
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