Beulah - Page 125/348

A knock at the door startled her, and, in answer to her "Come in,"

Clara Sanders entered. She walked slowly, and, seating herself

beside Beulah, said, in a gentle but weary tone: "How do you like your room? I am so glad it opens into mine."

"Quite as well as I expected. The view from this window must be very

fine. There is the tea-bell, I suppose. Are you not going down? I am

too much fatigued to move."

"No; I never want supper, and generally spend the evenings in my

room. It is drearily monotonous here. Nothing to vary the routine

for me, except my afternoon walk, and recently the warm weather has

debarred me even from that. You are a great walker, I believe, and I

look forward to many pleasant rambles with you when I feel stronger

and autumn comes. Beulah, how long does Dr. Hartwell expect to

remain at the North? He told me, some time ago, that he was a

delegate to the Medical Convention."

"I believe it is rather uncertain; but probably he will not return

before October."

"Indeed! That is a long time for a physician to absent himself."

Just then an organ-grinder paused on the pavement beneath the window

and began a beautiful air from "Sonnambula." It was a favorite song

of Beulah's, and, as the melancholy tones swelled on the night air,

they recalled many happy hours spent in the quiet study beside the

melodeon. She leaned out of the window till the last echo died away,

and, as the musician shouldered his instrument and trudged off, she

said abruptly: "Is there not a piano in the house!"

"Yes; just such a one as you might expect to find in a boarding

house, where unruly children are thrumming upon it from morning till

night. It was once a fine instrument, but now is only capable of

excruciating discords. You will miss your grand piano."

"I must have something in my own room to practice on. Perhaps I can

hire a melodeon or piano for a moderate sum. I will try to-morrow."

"The Grahams are coming home soon, I hear. One of the principal

upholsterers boards here, and he mentioned this morning at breakfast

that he had received a letter from Mr. Graham, directing him to

attend to the unpacking of an entirely new set of furniture.

Everything will be on a grand scale. I suppose Eugene returns with

them?"

"Yes; they will all arrive in November."