Well，lastnightthecountergotasorethroatandcouldn’tmakeanote。Sotheysentforme。JacobButterworthhadsaidagoodwordforme，andtheyaskedmewouldIsing？YoumaythinkIwasfrightened，butIthoughtnowornever，andsaidI’ddomybest。SoItriedo’erthesongswi’th’lecturer，andthenth’managerstoldmeIweretomakemyselfdecentandbetherebyseven。““Andwhatdidyouputon？“askedMary。“Oh，whydidn’tyoucomeinformyprettypinkgingham？““Ididthinkon’t；butyouhadnacomehomethen。No!Iputonmymerino，aswasturnedlastwinter，andmywhiteshawl，anddidmyhairprettytidy；
itdidwellenough。Well，butasIwassaying，Iwentatseven。Icouldn’tseetoreadmymusic，butItookth’paperinwi’me，toha’somethingtodowi’myfingers。Th’folks’headsdanced，asIstoodasrightafore’emallasifI’dbeengoingtoplayatballwi’’em。YoumayguessIfeltsqueamish，butmineweren’tthefirstsong，andth’musicsoundedlikeafriend’svoicetellingmetotakecourage。So，tomakealongstoryshort，whenitwereallo’erth’lecturerthankedme，andth’managerssaidashowthereneverwasanewsingersoapplaudedforthey’dclappedandstampedafterI’ddone，tillIbegantowonderhowmanypairo’shoesthey’dgetthroughaweekatthatrate，letalonetheirhands。SoI’mtosingagaino’Thursday；andIgotasovereignlastnight，andamtohavehalf-a-sovereigneverynightth’lecturerisatth’Mechanics’。““Well，Margaret，I’mrightgladtohearit。““AndIdon’tthinkyou’veheardthebestbityet。Nowthatawayseemedopentome，ofnotbeingaburdentoanyone，thoughitdidpleaseGodtomakemeblind，IthoughtI’dtellgrandfather。Ionlytell’dhimaboutthesingingandthesovereignlastnight，forIthoughtI’dnotsendhimtobedwi’aheavyheart；butthismorningItelledhimall。““Andhowdidhetakeit？““He’snotamanofmanywords；andittookhimbysurpriselike。““Iwonderatthat；I’venoticeditinyourwayseversinceyoutelledme。“Aye，that’sitIIfI’dnottelledyou，andyou’dseenmeeveryday，you’dnotha’noticedthelittlemiteo’differencefra’daytoday。““Well，butwhatdidyourgrandfathersay？““Why，Mary，“saidMargaret，halfsmiling，“I’mabitloathtotellyo，forunlessyoknewgrandfather’swayslikeme，yo’dthinkitstrange。Hewastakenbysurprise，andhesaid：’Damnyo!’Thenhebeganlookingathisbookasitwere，andwereveryquiet，whileItelledhimallaboutit；howI’dfeared，andhowdowncastI’dbeen；andhowIwerenowreconciledtoit，ifitwereth’Lord’swill；andhowIhopedtoearnmoneybysinging；
andwhileIweretalking，Isawgreatbigtearscomedroppingonth’book；
butincourseIneverletonthatIsaw’em。DeargrandfatherIandalldaylonghe’sbeenquietlymovingthingsouto’myway，ashethoughtmighttripmeup，andputtingthingsinmywayashethoughtImightwant；neverknowingIsawandfeltwhatheweredoing；for，yoseehethinksI’moutandoutblind，Iguess——asIshallbesoon。“Margaretsighedinspiteofhercheerfulandrelievedtone。ThoughMarycaughtthesigh，shefeltitwasbettertoletitpasswithoutnotice，andbegan，withthetactwhichtruesympathyrarelyfailstosupply，toaskavarietyofquestionsrespectingherfriend’smusicaldebut，whichtendedtobringoutmoredistinctlyhowsuccessfulithadbeen。“Why，Margaret，“atlengthsheexclaimed，“thou’ltbecomeasfamous，maybe，asthatgrandladyfra’London，aswesee’donenightdrivinguptoth’concertroomdoorinhercarriage。““Itlooksverylikeit，“saidMargaret，withasmile。“Andbesure，Mary，I’llnotforgettogivetheealiftnowan’thenwhenthatcomesabout。
Nay，whoknows，ifthou’rtagoodgirl，butmayhappenImaymaketheemylady’smaidIWouldn’tthatbenice？SoIe’ensingtomysel’th’beginningo’oneo’mysongs，’An’yeshallwalkinsilkattire，An’sillerhaetospare。’“Nay，don’tstop；orelsegivemesomethingrathermorenew，forsomehowIneverquitelikedthatpartaboutthinkingo’Donaldmair。““Well，thoughI’mabittir’d，Idon’tcareifIdo。BeforeIcome，IwerepractisingwellnighupontwohoursthisonewhichI’mtosingo’Thursday。