ould get a good deal out of her. So, the next day, I watched my
time, and I coaxed and asked her who it was that played the organ; for
I knew that it was the organ and not the wind well enough, for all I
had kept silence before James. But Dorothy had had her lesson, I'll
warrant, and never a word could I get from her. So then I tried Bessy,
though I had always held my head rather above her, as I was evened to
James and Dorothy, and she was little better than their servant. So she
said I must never, never tell; and if ever I told, I was never to say
_she_ had told me; but it was a very strange noise, and she had heard
it many a time, but most of all on winter nights, and before storms;
and folks did say it was the old lord playing on the great organ in the
hall, just as he used to do when he was alive; but who the old lord
was, or why he played, and why he played on stormy winter evenings in
particular, she either could not or would not tell me. Well! I told you
I had a brave heart; and I thought it was rather pleasant to have that
grand music rolling about the house, let who would be the player; for
now it rose above the great gusts of wind, and wailed and triumphed
just like a living creature, and then it fell to a softness most
complete, only it was always music, and tunes, so it was nonsense to
call it the wind. I thought at first, that it might be Miss Furnivall
who played, unknown to Bessy; but one day, when I was in the hall by
myself, I opened the organ and peeped all about it and around it, as I
had done to the organ in Crosthwaite church once before, and I saw it
was all broken and destroyed inside, though it looked so brave and
fine; and then, though it was noon-day, my flesh began to creep a
little, and I shut it up, and run away pretty quickly to my own bright
nursery; and I did not like hearing the music for some time after that,
any more than James and Dorothy did. All this time Miss Rosamond was
making herself more and more beloved. The old ladies liked her to dine
with them at their early dinner. James stood behind Miss Furnivall's
chair, and I behind Miss Rosamond's all in state; and after dinner, she
would play about in a corner of the great drawing-room as still as any
mouse, while Miss Furnivall slept, and I had my dinner in the kitchen.
But she was glad enough to come to me in the nursery afterwards; for,
as she said, Miss Furnivall was so sad, and Mrs. Stark so dull; but she
and I were merry enough;