He still continued to devote the chief part of his time to the business of the hour, and his eyes were for the most part fixed4 upon his plate. Yet now and then I observed he offered her the salt or the pepper, a piece of attention quite new to[Pg 83] him. I had some thought of suggesting to Miss Canby that she had awakened5 an interest in the heart of the gray old Professor, but it occurred to me that this would be hardly fair to the elderly suitor. It was only right to leave him a fair field, and let him win if Fate ordained6 it.
On Wednesday evenings it was generally understood that the boarders, such at any rate as had no other engagements, would remain after supper and gather in the little reception-room, till the dining-room was cleared, spending the evening socially.
On such occasions Mrs. Wyman would generally volunteer a song, accompanying herself if there was no one else to play. She had a thin, strident voice, such as one would not willingly hear a second time, but out of courtesy we listened, and applauded. The widow had one who fully7 appreciated her vocal8 efforts, and this was herself. She always[Pg 84] looked pleased and complacent9 when her work was done.
It was on the first Wednesday after the Count's arrival that she induced him to remain.
"Don't you sing, Count?" she asked.
"Very little, madam," he said.
"But you are an Italian, and all Italians are musical."
He uttered a faint disclaimer, but she insisted.
"Do me a favor—a great favor," she said, persuasively10, "and sing some sweet Italian air, such as you must know."
"No, I don't sing Italian airs," he said.
"What then?"
"I can sing 'Sweet Marie.'"
"I am sure we shall all be glad to hear it. I sometimes sing a little myself—just a tiny bit."
"I shall like much to hear you, signora."
"I shall feel very bashful about singing[Pg 85] to an Italian gentleman. You will laugh at me."
"No, no, I would not be so rude."
"Then perhaps I may. Our friends always insist upon hearing me."
So at an early period in the evening she sang one of her routine songs.
I watched the Count's face while she was singing. I was amused. At first his expression was one of surprise. Then of pain, and it seemed to me of annoyance11. When Mrs. Wyman had completed the song she turned to him a look of complacent inquiry12. She was looking for a compliment.
"Didn't I do horribly?" she asked.
"Oh, no, no," answered the Count, vaguely13.
"It must have seemed very bad to you."
"No, no—"
"Do you think it was passable?"
"Oh, signora, I never heard anything like it."
[Pg 86]
"Oh, you naughty flatterer," she said, smiling with delight. "I am sure you don't mean it."
"Indeed I do."
I was sitting next the Disagreeable Woman.
"The Count has more brains than I thought," she said. "I quite agree with him."
"That you never heard anything like it?" I queried14, smiling.
"Yes."
"Miss Ruth," I said to the young woman from Macy's, "do you never sing?"
"I used to sing a little in my country home," she admitted.
"What, for instance?"
"I can sing 'Annie Laurie'."
"Nothing could be better. It is a general favorite. Won't you sing it to-night?"
"But I cannot sing without an accompaniment," she said, shyly.
[Pg 87]
"I am not much of a musician, but I can play that."
With a little more persuasion15 I induced her to sing. She had a pleasant voice, and while I cannot claim for her anything out of the common on the score of musical talent, she rendered the song fairly well. All seemed to enjoy it, except Mrs. Wyman, who said, in a sneering16 tone:
"That song is old as the hills."
"It may be so," I retorted, "but the best songs are old."
"It was very good," said the Count, who really seemed pleased.
This seemed to annoy the widow.
"You are very good-natured, Count, to compliment such a rustic17 performance," she said.
"But, signora, I mean it."
"Well, let it pass! She did her best, poor thing!"
"She is a nice girl."
"Oh, Count, she is only a young woman from Macy's. She was born in the[Pg 88] country, and raised among cabbages and turnips18."
He seemed puzzled, but evidently regarded Ruth with favor.
Meanwhile, Prof. Poppendorf had listened attentively19 to the song of the maiden20 on whom he had fixed his choice.
"Mees Ruth, you sing beautiful!" he said.
Ruth Canby smiled.
"You are very kind, Prof. Poppendorf," she said, gratefully.
"I like your singing much better than Mrs. Wyman's."
"No. You mustn't say that. She sings airs from the opera."
"I like better your leetle song."
By this time Mrs. Wyman had succeeded in extracting a promise from the Count to sing.
"Dr. Fenwick," she said, "can't you play the accompaniment for the Count?"
"What is the song?"
"'Sweet Marie'."
[Pg 89]
"I will do my best. I am not professional."
So I played and the Count sang. He had a pleasant, sympathetic voice, and we were pleased with his singing.
"Oh, how charming, Count!" said Mrs. Wyman; "I shall never dare to sing before you again."
"Why not, signora."
"Because you are such a musical artist."
"Oh, no, no, signora!" he said, deprecatingly.
He was persuaded to sing again, and again he pleased his small audience.
"Miss Blagden, won't you favor us with a song?" asked Mrs. Wyman, in a tone of mockery.
"Thank you," said the Disagreeable Woman, dryly. "There is so much musical talent here, that I won't undertake to compete with those who possess it."
[Pg 90]
"Prof. Poppendorf, don't you ever sing?" asked the widow, audaciously.
"I used to sing when I was young," answered the Professor, unexpectedly.
"Then do favor us!"
He seated himself at the piano, and sang a German drinking song, such as in days gone by he had sung with Bismarck and his old comrades at the university.
There was a rough vigor21 in his performance that was not unpleasant. No one was more surprised than Mrs. Wyman at the outcome of what she had meant as a joke.
"Really, Professor," said the Disagreeable Woman, "you are more accomplished22 than I supposed. I like your song better than I did your lecture."
Prof. Poppendorf removed his glasses, and we saw in his eyes a suspicious moisture.
"Ah," he said, not appearing to hear the compliment, if it was a compliment, "it brings back the old days. I have not[Pg 91] sing that song since I was at the university with Bismarck. There were twenty of us, young students, who sang it together, and now they are almost all gone."
This ended the musical performances of the evening. After this, there was conversation, and later Mrs. Gray provided ice-cream and cake. It was Horton's ice-cream, and the plates were small, but we enjoyed it.
Before we parted, the Professor found himself sitting next to Ruth Canby.
"Do you ever go to the theatre, fraulein?" he asked.
"Not often, Professor. I cannot go alone, and there is no one to take me."
"I will take you, Mees Ruth."
The young woman from Macy's looked amazed. She had not dreamed of such an invitation from him. Yet she was very fond of the stage, and she saw no reason why she should not accept.
"You are very kind, Professor," she[Pg 92] said. "I did not think you cared for the theatre."
"I would like to go—with you," he said, gallantly23.
"Then I will go."
"It will be like going with my grandfather," she thought.
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1
reposed
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| v.将（手臂等）靠在某人（某物）上( repose的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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2
goggles
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| n.护目镜 | |
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3
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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4
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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5
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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6
ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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7
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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8
vocal
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| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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9
complacent
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| adj.自满的；自鸣得意的 | |
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10
persuasively
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| adv.口才好地；令人信服地 | |
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11
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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12
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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13
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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14
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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15
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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16
sneering
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| 嘲笑的，轻蔑的 | |
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17
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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18
turnips
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| 芜青( turnip的名词复数 )； 芜菁块根； 芜菁甘蓝块根； 怀表 | |
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19
attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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20
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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21
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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22
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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23
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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