He found her altering a dress, sitting over it in her peculiar delicate
fashion--as if all objects whatsoever, dresses, flowers, books, music,
required from her the same sympathy.
He had come from a long day's electioneering, had been heckled at two
meetings, and was still sore from the experience. To watch her, to
be soothed, and ministered to by her had never been so restful; and
stretched out in a long chair he listened to her playing.
Over the hill a Pierrot moon was slowly moving up in a sky the colour
of grey irises. And in a sort of trance Miltoun stared at the burnt-out
star, travelling in bright pallor.
Across the moor a sea of shallow mist was rolling; and the trees in the
valley, like browsing cattle, stood knee-deep in whiteness, with all the
air above them wan from an innumerable rain as of moondust, falling into
that white sea. Then the moon passed behind the lime-tree, so that a
great lighted Chinese lantern seemed to hang blue-black from the sky.
Suddenly, jarring and shivering the music, came a sound of hooting. It
swelled, died away, and swelled again.
Miltoun rose.
"That has spoiled my vision," he said. "Mrs. Noel, I have something I
want to say." But looking down at her, sitting so still, with her hands
resting on the keys, he was silent in sheer adoration.
A voice from the door ejaculated:
"Oh! ma'am--oh! my lord! They're devilling a gentleman on the green!"
CHAPTER VI
When the immortal Don set out to ring all the bells of merriment, he
was followed by one clown.
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