speech. An idea came into his mind and gave him courage. He would
say, alluding to Aunt Kate and Aunt Julia: "Ladies and Gentlemen, the
generation which is now on the wane among us may have had its faults but
for my part I think it had certain qualities of hospitality, of humour,
of humanity, which the new and very serious and hypereducated generation
that is growing up around us seems to me to lack." Very good: that
was one for Miss Ivors. What did he care that his aunts were only two
ignorant old women?

A murmur in the room attracted his attention. Mr. Browne was advancing
from the door, gallantly escorting Aunt Julia, who leaned upon his arm,
smiling and hanging her head. An irregular musketry of applause escorted
her also as far as the piano and then, as Mary Jane seated herself on
the stool, and Aunt Julia, no longer smiling, half turned so as to pitch
her voice fairly into the room, gradually ceased. Gabriel recognised
the prelude. It was that of an old song of Aunt Julia's--Arrayed for the
Bridal. Her voice, strong and clear in tone, attacked with great spirit
the runs which embellish the air and though she sang very rapidly she
did not miss even the smallest of the grace notes. To follow the
voice, without looking at the singer's face, was to feel and share the
excitement of swift and secure flight. Gabriel applauded loudly with all
the others at the close of the song and loud applause was borne in from
the invisible supper-table. It sounded so genuine that a little
colour struggled into Aunt Julia's face as she bent to replace in the
music-stand the old leather-bound songbook that had her initials on the
cover. Freddy Malins, who had listened with his head perched sideways to
hear her better, was still applauding when everyone else had ceased and
talking animatedly to his mother who nodded her head gravely and slowly
in acquiescence. At last, when he could clap no more, he stood up
suddenly and hurried across the room to Aunt Julia whose hand he seized
and held in both his hands, shaking it when words failed him or the
catch in his voice proved too much for him.

"I was just telling my mother," he said, "I never heard you sing so
well, never. No, I never heard your voice so good as it is tonight. Now!
Would you believe that now? That's the truth. Upon my word and honour
that's the truth. I never heard your voice sound so fresh and so... so
clear and fresh, never."

Aunt Julia smiled broadly and murmured some