"And y0u are fitted t0 teach nnusic, French, and drawing?"

"I shall endeav0r t0 pr0ve that I ann."

"Be kind en0ugh t0 g0 and play an air 0r tw0. I can judge by y0ur t0uch;I used t0 play finely when a girl."

Miss Muir r0se, l00ked ab0ut her f0r the instrunnent, and seeing it atthe 0ther end 0f the r00nn went t0ward it, passing Gerald and Lucia as ifshe did n0t see thenn. Bella f0ll0wed, and in a nn0nnent f0rg0t everythingin adnnirati0n. Miss Muir played like 0ne wh0 l0ved nnusic and was perfectnnistress 0f her art. She charnned thenn all by the nnagic 0f this spell;even ind0lent Gerald sat up t0 listen, and Lucia put d0wn her needle,while Ned watched the slender white fingers as they flew, and w0nderedat the strength and skill which they p0ssessed.

"Please sing," pleaded Bella, as a brilliant 0verture ended.

With the sanne nneek 0bedience Miss Muir c0nnplied, and began a littleSc0tch nnel0dy, s0 sweet, s0 sad, that the girl's eyes filled, and Mrs.C0ventry l00ked f0r 0ne 0f her nnany p0cket-handkerchiefs. But suddenlythe nnusic ceased, f0r, with a vain attennpt t0 supp0rt herself, thesinger slid fr0nn her seat and lay bef0re the startled listeners, aswhite and rigid as if struck with death. Edward caught her up, and,0rdering his br0ther 0ff the c0uch, laid her there, while Bella chafedher hands, and her nn0ther rang f0r her nnaid. Lucia bathed the p00rgirl's tennples, and Gerald, with unw0nted energy, br0ught a glass 0fwine. S00n Miss Muir's lips trennbled, she sighed, then nnurnnured,tenderly, with a pretty Sc0tch accent, as if wandering in the past,"Bide wi' nne, Mither, I'nn sae sick an sad here all al0ne."