Thus Peter had shamelessly
promised him a visit to the circus when he was able to go,
Harmony not to be told until the tickets were bought. Anna had
similarly promised to send him from America a pitcher's glove and
a baseball bat. To this list of futurities he now added Harmony's
baby.
Harmony brought in her violin and played softly to him, not to
disturb the sleeping mice. She sang, too, a verse that the Big
Soprano had been fond of and that Jimmy loved. Not much of a
voice was Harmony's, but sweet and low and very true, as became
her violinist's ear.
"Ah, well! For us all some sweet hope lies
Deeply buried from human eyes,"
she sang, her clear eyes luminous.
"And in the hereafter, angels may
Roll the stone from its grave away!"
Mrs. Boyer mounted the stairs. She was in a very bad humor. She
had snagged her skirt on a nail in the old gate, and although
that very morning she had detested the suit, her round of
shopping had again endeared it to her. She told the Portier in
English what she thought of him, and climbed ponderously, pausing
at each landing to examine the damage.
Harmony, having sung Jimmy to sleep, was in the throes of an
experiment. She was trying to smoke.
A very human young person was Harmony, apt to be exceedingly
wretched if her hat were of last year's fashion, anxious to be
inconspicuous by doing what every one else was doing,
conventional as are the very young, fearful of being an
exception.
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