"
"I fear I do. Hush!" But when Van Berg's solo ended, she breathed
a deep sigh.
Then Stanton's rich, but uncultivated bass voice joined in the
melody. Still the effect was better tahn would have been expected
from amateurs. After a few moments, Stanton stood back and Miss
Burton and Van Berg sang together; then every one leaned forward
and listened with a breathless hush. Her voice seemed to pervade
his with sould and feeling that had been lacking hitherto.
As the last rich chords died away, the strongest expression of
pleasure were heard on every side; but Ida Mayhew stepped abruptly
out into the dusk of the piazza with clenched hands and compressed
lips.
"'Peste!'" she exclaimed under her breath. "What a contrast between
Sibley and myself last evening and these two people to-night! What
a worse contrast there might have been if Ik had not interfered in
time! I have a good voice, but the guests of the house have not
even thought of me in connection with this evening's entertainment.
I am associated only with the Sibley style of amusements."
Chapter XVII. New Forces Developing.
After Mr. Van Berg and Miss Burton finished the selection from the
Oratorio mentioned in the previous chapter, the old white-haired
gentleman at whose side the latter had been sitting in the earlier
part of the evening rose and said:
"I want to thank all the singers, and especially the young lady
and gentleman now at the piano, not only for the pleasure they have
given us all, but also for the comforting and sustaining thoughts
that the sacred words have suggested.
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