"The boat is very small," she said, in a low voice, almost one of

apology.

"Oh, it's all right, so long as you sit still, and keep your head," he

said. "It could ride over twice as big a swell as this."

She looked at him from under her lowered lids with a new expression in

her face, a faint tremor on her lips; and, as if she could not meet his

eyes, she glanced back with an affectation of interest at the steamer.

As she did so, something dropped from it into the lake.

"What was that?" she said. "Something fell overboard."

"Eh? A man, do you mean?" he asked, stopping.

"Oh, no; something small."

"A parcel, somebody's lunch, perhaps," he said; and he rowed on.

She leant back, her eyes downcast; she still seemed to feel that

strong, irresistible pressure of his hand under which she had been

unable to move.

"There ought to be an echo somewhere here," he said, as they came

opposite one of the hills, and he gave the Australian "coo-ee!" in a

clear, ringing voice, which the echo sent back in a musical imitation.

"How true it was!" she said, and she opened her lips and sang a bar or

two of the "Elsie" song.

Stafford listened to the echo, which was almost as soft and sweet as

the girl's notes.

"What a wonderful voice you have!" he said, almost unconsciously. "I

never heard a sweeter. What was that you sang?"

"That thing of Wagner's," she replied; and quite naturally she began

the air and sang it through.

Stafford let the boat drift and leant upon the oars, his eyes fixed on

her face, a rapt and very eloquent admiration in his own.

"Ah--beautiful!" he said in a low voice. "What a delight it must be to

you to be able to sing like that! I can understand a whole theatre

crying over that song sung as you sing it!"

She glanced at him with an affectation of languid amusement; but she

was watching him intently.

"That's not the best in the opera," she said. "I like this better;" and

she sang the "Swan" song; sang it so low that he leant forward to catch

the notes which flowed like silver from her soft, red lips; and when

she finished it he drew a long breath and still leant forward looking

at her.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024