r could
be grasped.

"Your hat!" exclaimed several voices.

"Why, Mr Enderby, where is your hat?" cried Sydney, laughing. Enderby
clapped his hand on the top of his head, and declared he did not know.
He had not missed his hat till this moment.

Hope called from the first boat to the farmer, and asked him to look in
the aisle of the abbey for the gentleman's hat. It was brought thence;
and Fanny and Mary laughed at Mr Hope for being such a good guesser as
to fancy where Mr Enderby's hat might be, when Mr Enderby did not know
himself. The moment the hat was tossed into the lap of its owner, Mr
Grey's voice was heard shouting to the men--

"Start off, and get us home as soon as you can."

The men gave a glance at the sky, and set forth at a smart pace. Mr
Grey saw that the umbrellas lay at his hand, ready for distribution, and
advised each lady to draw her cloak about her, as the air felt to him
damp and chill.

A general flatness being perceptible, some one proposed that somebody
else should sing. All declined at first, however, except Maria, whose
voice was always most ready when it was most difficult to sing--when the
party was dull, or when no one else would begin. She wanted to prevent
Margaret's being applied to, and she sang, once and again, on the
slightest hint. Sophia had no music-books, and could not sing without
the piano, as every one knew beforehand she would say. Mrs Grey
dropped a tear to the memory of Mrs Enderby, whose ballad was never
wanting on such occasions as these. Sydney concluded that it was the
same thought which made Mr Enderby bury his head in his hat between his
knees while Miss Young was singing. It could not surely be all from
shame at having kept the party waiting.

It was with some uncertainty and awe that he whispered in his friend's
ear--

"Don't you think you could sing your new song that cousin Margaret is so
fond of? Do: we are all as flat as flounders, and everybody will be
asleep presently if we don't do something. Can't you get over a thing
or two, and sing for us?"

"I am sure I would if I only could."

Enderby shook his head without raising it from his knees.

Mr Walcot had no idea of refusing when he was asked. He could sing the
Canadian Boat Song; but he was afraid they might have heard it before.

"Never mind that. Let us have it," said everybody.

"But there should be two: it is a duet, properly, you know."

Sophia believed she could sing that