"It is very kind of you to ask me," said Ida; "but I think I would

rather stay at home."

"I thought you were fond of music," Joseph remarked, beginning to look

sullen. "We shall go quite quietly, and no one need know anything about

it, for I got tickets for the upper circle and not the stalls on

purpose; and they're in a back row. I thought you'd enjoy this concert,

and if you don't go I shall tear up the tickets."

"Oh, do let us go, Ida!" pleaded Isabel. "A sacred concert isn't as

good as a theatre, but it will be a break in the monotony; besides,

Joseph must have had a lot of trouble to get the tickets, for I read in

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the paper that there was a regular rush for them. Don't be selfish,

Ida, and spoil our enjoyment."

"I wish you would go without me," said Ida, with a sigh; but ultimately

she yielded.

Mrs. Heron, of course, knew that they were going, but she was not told

in so many words, that she might deny all knowledge of it if the outing

came to Mr. Heron's ears; and she watched them with a peevish and

suspicious expression on her face as they started for the train. They

went up second-class, and Mr. Joseph, who was in the best of humours,

and wore a new pair of patent-leather boots and a glossy hat, to say

nothing of a dazzling tie, enlivened the journey by whispering

facetious remarks on their fellow-passengers to Ida, who in vain leant

away from him, as far as possible, in her corner of the carriage, and

endeavoured to concentrate her attention on the programme. But though

her eyes were fixed on it and she could not entirely shut out Joseph's

ill-bred jokes, her thoughts were wandering back to a certain afternoon

when she had sat beside the Heron stream and listened to Stafford

planning out their future. He had been telling her something of the

great world of which she knew nothing, but into which he was going to

take her, hand in hand, as it were; he was going to take her to the

theatres and the concerts and the dances of which she had read and

heard, but of which she knew nothing by experience. Now, she was going

to her first concert with Mr. Joseph Heron.

There was a larger crowd than usual outside Queen's Hall that evening,

for the concert was really an important one for which some of the

greatest singers had been engaged. In addition to Patti, Santley,

Edward Lloyd, and other famous professionals, some distinguished

amateurs were to perform, and royalty, as represented by the

ever-popular and amiable prince, had promised to patronise the affair.




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