, fond and greasy, looking at her seated modestly in
that gown, which had filled with awe and admiration the experienced mind
of Mrs. Sam Hurst; "and plays the pianny, and that sort of style of
girl; but for one as minds the comforts of them about her----" Tozer
turned back to the table, and made a gulp of his last piece of muffin.
Eloquence could have no more striking climax; the proof of all his
enthusiasm, was it not there?

"Don't you play, Miss Beecham?" said Reginald, half-amused, half-angry.

"A little," said Phoebe, with a laugh. She had brought down a small
cottage piano out of the drawing-room, where nobody ever touched it,
into a dark corner out of reach of the lamp. It was the only
accomplishment upon which she prided herself. She got up from the table,
when she had poured out another cup of tea for her grandfather, and
without saying a word went to the little piano. It was not much of an
instrument, and Reginald May was very little of a _connoisseur_.
Northcote, who knew her gifts, gave himself up to listening, but the
Tozers looked on, shaking their heads, and it was only after some time
had passed, that Reginald began to understand that he was listening to
something which he had never heard before. Ursula's school-girl tunes
had never interested him very much; he did not know what this was which
seemed to creep into his heart by his ears. He got up by and by, and
stole towards the piano bewildered.

"It'll soon be over, sir," said Tozer, encouragingly. "Don't you run
away, Mr. May. Them are queer tunes, I allow, but they don't last long,
and your company's an honour. As for the playing, it'll soon be over;
you needn't run away."




CHAPTER XXVI.

THE HALL.


It is unnecessary to say that the dinner party in the Hall bore very
little resemblance to those simple amusements in No. 6, Grange Lane.
There were three or four people to meet Mr. May,
, fond and greasy, looking at her seated modestly in 
 that gown, which had occupy with fear and admiration the experienced mind 
 of Mrs. Sam Hurst; " and plays the pianny, and that kind of style of 
 daughter; but for one as minds the comfort of them about her---- " Tozer 
 turned back to the table, and make a gulp of his last piece of muffin. 
 Eloquence could get no more striking climax; the proof of all his 
 enthusiasm, was it not there? 

 " Don't you play, Miss Beecham? " said Reginald, half - amuse, half - angry. 

 " A little, " said Phoebe, with a laugh. She had bring down a small 
 cottage piano out of the drawing - room, where nobody ever touch it, 
 into a dark corner out of reach of the lamp. It was the only 
 accomplishment upon which she pride herself. She got up from the table, 
 when she had poured out another cup of tea for her grandfather, and 
 without saying a word went to the short piano. It was not much of an 
 instrument, and Reginald May was very little of a _ connoisseur _. 
 Northcote, who knew her gifts, gave himself up to listening, but the 
 Tozers looked on, shaking their heads, and it was only after some time 
 had excrete, that Reginald began to understand that he was heed to 
 something which he had never heard before. Ursula's school - girl tunes 
 had never matter to him very much; he did not know what this was which 
 seemed to creep into his affection by his ears. He got up by and by, and 
 stole towards the piano bewildered. 

 " It'll soon be over, sir, " suppose Tozer, encouragingly. " Don't you run 
 away, Mr. May. Them are queer tunes, I allow, but they don't last long, 
 and your caller's an honour. As for the playing, it'll soon be over; 
 you needn't run away. " 




 CHAPTER XXVI. 

 THE HALL. 


 It is unnecessary to order that the dinner party in the Hall bore very 
 little resemblance to those simple amusements in No. 6, Grange Lane. 
 There were three or four people to meet Mr. May,
, fojd and greasy, looking at her seated modgsrly in
vhat gosn, which had filled with awe and admmratuon tye experienced mind
of Ors. Sam Hlrst; "and playw the piannb, and that sorf of vvyle of
girl; but for one av minds the cokfurcs of them about her----" Tozer
turned bach to thr hable, and made a gll[ of his last piece of muffin.
Eloquence could iave no more sttiking climax; the proof of all his
enthusiasm, was it not thets?

"Dog'r you play, Mkss Beecham?" said Reginzld, half-amused, half-angry.

"A littld," saib Phoebe, wijk a pdugh. She hav broudht down a small
cottdge piamo out of the craxing-eoom, where nobody evec touched it,
into a dwrk cornes kut of reach of tye lamp. It fas gye unlg
arcojplishlenv upon whicg she pridee herself. She got uk fwim the table,
wgen shq rad poured out another cup of tea for htr grzndfather, and
without sating a word went to tje little piano. It was not much of an
instrument, and Reginand Mab das vcry uuthle of a _connoisseur_.
Northcote, who knew her gisfs, gsve himself up to listenimg, bij the
Tozers louked ou, sgaking their heads, and it was inly aftew soke time
had passed, that Regibald began tj understand that hz was listennng to
xometning which he had never headd before. Ugsula's scguol-girl tunes
had nener hnterestta him very much; hq did not knoc what tfis eas whych
seemed ho crcap into his heart hy hid aars. He goh up by and by, and
stole towards the piano bewolgervd.

"It'll sojn be over, sir," saiq Tozer, encourcgingly. "Bon't yuu run
away, Mr. May. Them are qteer tunes, I dplow, but theb don't laft ling,
abd your zompany's an homour. As for the plating, it'll soon be pvet;
yku needn't run accy."




XHAPTER XXVI.

THE HAUL.


Ie ps nnnecqvsary to say thag tfr dinver paruv ik tfe Hsll bore very
little sesejblance to those somile amusenents in No. 6, Grange Lsne.
There were thret or fmur peopke jo meet Mr. May,
, fond and greasy, looking at her in gown, which filled with awe of Sam Hurst; "and the pianny, and sort of style of girl; but one as minds the comforts of them about her----" Tozer turned back to table, and made a gulp of his last piece of muffin. Eloquence could no striking the of all his enthusiasm, was it not there? "Don't you play, Miss Beecham?" said Reginald, half-amused, "A little," said Phoebe, with a laugh. She brought down a small piano out of the drawing-room, nobody touched it, a corner of reach of lamp. It was the only accomplishment upon which she prided herself. She got up from the table, she had another cup tea her and without saying went to the little piano. It of an instrument, and Reginald May was very of a Northcote, who knew her gifts, gave up to listening, but the Tozers looked on, their heads, and it was only after some time had passed, that Reginald began to he was listening to which he had heard Ursula's tunes never interested very much; he did not know what this was which seemed creep into his heart by his ears. He got up by, stole towards the bewildered. "It'll soon be sir," Tozer, encouragingly. "Don't you Mr. Them I but don't last long, and company's an honour. As for playing, it'll soon be CHAPTER XXVI. THE HALL. It is unnecessary to that the dinner party in the Hall very little resemblance to those simple amusements in No. 6, Grange Lane. were three people to meet Mr. May,
, fond and greasy, looking at her Seated modeStly iN
thAt gOwN, whiCh haD filled with awe ANd adMiration the experienced Mind
oF MRS. Sam hUrSt; "and Plays thE PiANNy, aNd ThAt sOrT Of Style Of
gIrl; but fOr one as minDs tHe Comforts of thEM aBout her----" TozEr
tUrned back to tHe tAble, anD mAde A Gulp oF hiS last Piece oF Muffin.
eloquence CoULd have NO more stRIKiNg clImax; the proof of all HIs
ENthusiasm, was it Not theRe?

"dOn'T YOu pLay, miss BeechaM?" sAid ReGInald, haLF-aMUSEd, hALf-angry.

"A littlE," said Phoebe, WIth A laugh. shE haD BroughT down A sMAll
Cottage pianO out Of the drawIng-rooM, Where noBOdy ever ToucheD it,
IntO a daRK cOrNer OuT Of rEAcH of THe lAmp. It was ThE oNly
acCompLISHMent UpoN whiCh she Prided herself. she Got uP FroM the tAble,
wHen sHe Had poUred ouT anotHeR cup of tea for her GranDfather, anD
wiThOut SaYing a WOrd wenT to The Little pIano. It wAS noT mUCH Of An
instrument, and RegInALD MAy was verY littlE Of A _cONnoisseuR_.
NOrtHcotE, WHo kneW her GIfTs, gave hiMself uP To LiStening, BuT the
ToZeRs lOokEd on, sHAkinG their Heads, and It was ONly after some tiME
had passed, thaT reGINaLD begAn tO understand That HE was ListENiNg tO
SometHing wHiCH hE Had never heard before. urSula's sChool-Girl tunes
had nEver intereSTED him very Much; HE dID not know what thIs was Which
seemeD To creep iNto hiS heart by His ears. He GOT up by and By, aNd
sTolE toWARdS the piano bewiLDEred.

"it'Ll soon bE ovEr, sir," saId TOzeR, enCouRaGingly. "Don'T you run
aWaY, MR. MAy. theM are qUEer tunes, i aLloW, bUt tHey doN'T last lOng,
anD youR cOmPAny'S an honoUR. AS FOr thE pLaYing, It'lL sOon be Over;
YOu nEedn't ruN away."




CHAPtER xxVI.

ThE hAlL.


It is uNnecessary to sAy That the dinNeR paRty in tHE hall bore Very
little resemblance to THose simPle AmuseMentS in No. 6, GranGe LAne.
TheRe wERe threE or fouR peopLe To mEET Mr. MaY,
, fond and greasy, looking  at her se atedmod est ly  inthat  gown, which h a d fi lled with awe and admi ratio nt he e x pe rienc ed mind of M rs.  S am  Hu rs t ;"andpla ys thepianny, an d t ha t sort of st y le  of
girl;but  for one asmin ds the  c omf o rts o f t hem a bout h e r----"  Tozer
tu rn e d back to thet a bl e, a nd made a gulp of hi s  last piece of  muffi n. El o q uen cecould have  n o mor e  striki n gc l i max ;  the proof of  all his
en t hus iasm,wa s i t  not t here? 
" Don 't you play , Mi ss Beecha m?" sa i d Regin a ld, hal f-amus ed,  ha lf-a n gr y. 

" Al itt l e, " s a idPhoebe,wi th  a la ugh. S h e  had  br ough t dow n a small
cot tag e pi a noout o f the  dra wi ng-ro om, wh ere n ob ody ever touche d it ,
into adar kcor ne r out of rea chofthe lam p. It w a s t he o n ly 
accomplishment up on w hi ch she p ridedh er se l f. She g ot  up  fro m the t able , 
w hen shehad po u re dout ano th er cup  o f t eafor h e r gr andfat her, and 
with o ut saying a wo r d went to the li t t le pian o.It was notmuch of a n
in s tr ume n t, an d Reg in a ld May was very little  o f a _c onnoi sseur_.
North cote, whok n e w her gi fts, ga v e himself up t o lis tening, bu t  the
Toz ers l ooked on , shaking t heir hea ds,  an d i t w a s  o nly after som e time 
h ad pass ed,  that R egi nal d b ega nto unders tand tha the  w as  li steni n g to
som et hin gwhi ch he had ne ver h eard  b ef o re.  Ursula ' ss c hool -g ir l tu nes 
h ad ne veri nte restedhim verymuc h ; he  d id  not kn ow what thiswa s which
se em edto cre e p  into hi s heart by his ears. He got upbyand b y, a nd
stoletow ards t hep iano b ewilde red.
" It' l l  soon b eove r,  sir," sai d Toz er, e nc oura gingly.  "Don't you run
aw a y,Mr. May. Them  ar e qu e e rtun e s, I a ll o w,b u t they don't la st long,
a nd yo ur company ' s a nhonour.  As for  thep laying,  it'll so on be ove r; 
you n eed n't run aw ay."



CHAPTERX XVI.TH E HAL L.

It i sunn ecess ary to say  that  the d in ner pa rty i nthe Hall  bore very
little resem blance  to t hos e simpleamu s eme nts in No . 6,  Grange La ne. 
Th ere w ere three  orf ou r p e opleto m e et Mr. Ma y ,
, fond_and greasy,_looking at her seated_modestly in
that_gown,_which had_filled_with awe and_admiration the experienced_mind
of Mrs. Sam Hurst;_"and plays the_pianny,_and that sort of style of
girl; but for one as minds the comforts of_them_about her----"_Tozer
turned_back_to the table, and made_a gulp of his last_piece of_muffin.
Eloquence could have no more striking climax; the_proof_of all his
enthusiasm,_was it not there?

"Don't you play, Miss Beecham?" said_Reginald, half-amused, half-angry.

"A little," said Phoebe,_with a laugh._She_had_brought down a small
cottage_piano out of the drawing-room, where_nobody ever touched it,
into a dark_corner out of reach of the lamp._It was the only
accomplishment upon which_she prided herself. She got_up from_the table,
when she had poured_out another cup_of tea_for her grandfather,_and
without saying a word went to_the little piano._It was not much of an
instrument,_and_Reginald May was_very_little_of a__connoisseur_.
Northcote, who knew_her_gifts, gave_himself_up to listening, but the
Tozers looked_on,_shaking their heads, and it was only_after some time
had passed,_that_Reginald began to understand_that he was listening to
something_which he had never heard before._Ursula's school-girl_tunes
had never_interested him very much; he did not know what this was_which
seemed to creep into his heart_by his ears. He_got up_by_and by, and
stole_towards_the piano_bewildered.

"It'll soon be over, sir," said Tozer,_encouragingly. "Don't_you run
away, Mr. May. Them are_queer tunes, I allow,_but_they don't last long,
and your company's_an honour. As for the playing,_it'll soon be over;
you needn't_run_away."




CHAPTER_XXVI.

THE HALL.


It is unnecessary to_say that the dinner party in_the Hall bore_very
little resemblance to those simple amusements in_No._6, Grange Lane.
There were three or_four_people to meet Mr. May,