The Argosy — page 160: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Our Amateur Concert. 145 dashed through her solo in a frenzied fashion that augured ill for her later and more risky performance. After luncheon we went for a stroll en masse, looking quite a large party. The Misses Markham were my companions, and as they are extremely pleasant and lady-like girls, I enjoyed my walk very much. So, I think, did they. Anyhow, we laughed a good deal. Home again at five. Tea with the ladies in the dusk drawing-room. An interval of welcome laziness and lounging. Then dinner, for which undress was allowed, as the performers preferred getting into their ‘ war-paint ” afterwards. The concert was fixed for eight o’clock, and at a quarter past seven the drawing-room at Smallwood Hall presented a brilliant scene of gorgeous toilettes. Trains rustled, shirt-studs twinkled, gloves were drawn on, and their many buttons manipulated by nervous fingers ; music was rolled hastily into cases. Each fresh arrival from up-stairs increased the powerful odour of y-lang y-lang, and new mown hay, which struggled with the scent of hot-house flowers. At last we all set out in various vehicles, and, after a quarter of an hour’s drive, reached the school-room adjoining Crickley parish church. A side- door took the whole of the Smallwood Hall party into the small room which had been improvised into an ante-room for the occasion, and from the door of which we could see the audience pouring rapidly into the concert hall. The latter place was already half-full, for Mrs. Smallwood was very well-known and much liked in the neighbourhood, and had not scrupled to make full use of her popularity in inducing her neighbours to come to the concert she had promoted with such charitable views. The sight of all the faces in rows half down the room completely scared some of our performers, and even Fred Hardwicke was heard to mutter, as he peeped from the ante-room door, ‘‘ Hope I shan’t make a fool of myself before all these people!” As for Ella Dean, she was so white and trembling that I observed to Mrs. Smallwood, “Tt would be almost better to substitute something else for her solo.’ Mrs. Smallwood accordingly said to her, in alow tone, “ Ella, dear, we'll have an apology made, and you shall be excused.” This, however, Ella was ashamed to have done. ‘“ Mr. Sutton says I shall not feel so bad when I’m once at the instrument,” she said ; ‘and it would be so silly to be the only one to show the white feather ! ” There was the secret of Ella’s determination to go on with it. No one else had seceded. The little creature had plenty of pride evi- dently. Would she had had more nerve ! Mrs. Smallwood of course wished to hear her concert “from the front;” so, after staying in the artistes’ room till it wanted but a minute or two to eight, she took her husband’s arm and adjourned to the concert hall, followed by those of her guests who were to play nothing but the part of listeners. VOL, XXXIII. comireboo S (CO)