But as she came out from supper the children pounced upon her,clamorous for a story.She assented on condition that Mr.Burleigh would give them the use of one of the private parlors--a stipulation speedily complied with;and soon she had nearly all the small folk in the hotel gathered round her.
"I shall stand without,like the 'Peri at the gate,'"Stanton found a chance to say.
"The resemblance is very striking,"was her smiling reply;but for some reason he winced under it and wished he had not spoken.
When she dismissed her little audience there were traces of tears on some of the children's faces,proving that she could tell a pathetic,as well as a jolly story;and Van Berg observed with interest how the power of her magnetism kept them lingering near her even after she entered the parlor and sought a quiet nook near the old gentleman and lady to whom she had been reading the previous evening.
Mrs.Chints,who liked to be prominent on all occasions,very proudly felt that sacred music would be the right thing on Sabbath evening,and,with a few of hew own ilk,was giving a florid and imperfect rendering of that peculiar style of composition that suggests a poor opera while making a rather shocking and irreverent use of words taken from Scriptures.
Van Berg and Stanton,who were out on the piazza,were ready to grate their teeth in anguish,finding the narcotic influence of the strongest cigar no match for Mrs.Chints's voice.
Suddenly that irrepressible lady spied Miss Burton,and she swooped down upon her in a characteristic manner,exclaiming:
"You can't decline;you needn't say you don't;I've heard you.If you sing half as well for us as you did to Mrs.Burleigh's baby this afternoon,we'll be more than satisfied.Now come;one sweet solo--just one."Stanton craned his neck from where he sat to see the result of this onslaught,but Miss Burton shook her head.
"Well,then,won't you join in with us?"persisted Mrs.Chints.
"Sacred music is so lovely and appropriate on Sunday night.""You are right in that respect,Mrs.Chints.If it is the wish of those present I think some simple hymns in which we can all join might be generally enjoyed.""Now,my dear,you have just hit it,"said the old lady at her side."I,for one,would very much like to hear some simple music like that we had when I was young."The old lady's preference was taken up and echoed on every side.
Indeed the majority were ready for any change from Mrs.Chints's strident tones.
"Well,my dear,"said the lady,"it shall be as you say."Then she added,"sotto voce,"with a complacent nod,"I suppose the music we were giving is beyond the masses,but if you could once hear Madame Skaronni render it in our choir at the Church of the (something that sounded like 'pica-ninny,'as by Mrs.Chints pronounced)you would wish for no other.Will you play,my dear?""Ah,yes,please do,"exclaimed some of the children who had gathered around her.
"In mercy to us poor mortals for whom there is no escape save going to bed,please comply,"whispered the old lady in her ear.
The light in Miss Burton's eyes was mirthful rather than sacred as she rose and went to the piano,and at once an air of breezy and interested expectancy took the place of the previous bored expression.
"Come,Van,"said Stanton,throwing away his cigar,"we'll need your tenor voice.We must stand by that little woman.The Chints tribe have incited to profanity long enough,and shall make the night hideous no more.If we could only drown them instead of their voices,what a mercy it would be!"and the young men went around and stood in the open door near the piano.
"You are to sing,"said Miss Burton,with a decided little nod at them.
"We intend to,"replied Stanton,"since you are to accompany us."She started "Coronation,"that spirited and always inspiriting battle song of the church--jubilant and militant--a melody that is also admirably adapted for blending rough and inharmonious voices.
For a moment her own voice was like that of a singing lark,mounting from its daisy covert;or rather,like the flow of a silver rill whose music was soon lost,however,in the tumultuous rush of other tributary streams of sound;still,the general effect was good,and the people enjoyed it.By the time the second stanza was reached the majority were singing with hearty good-will,the children gathering near and joining in with delight.
Other familiar and old-fashioned hymns followed,and then one and another began to ask for their favorites.Fortunately Mrs.Chints's knowledge of sacred music was limited,and so she retired on the laurels of having called Miss Burton out,informing half the company of the fact with an important nod;and in remembrance of this fact they were inclined to forgive her the anguish she had personally caused them.