FLAMING
YOUTH
287
man’s intense and salient personality. She was sure that he would come back to her. Late in the evening he did, with a manifest effect of its being against his judgment and intention, which delighted her mischievous soul. Most of the others had left. “They tell me you sing, Miss Fentriss,” he began abruptly. “A little,” replied Pat, who had been devoting what she regarded as hard and grinding work to her music for a six-month. “Rag-time, I suppose.” Contemptuously. “And others!” “Know the Chanson de Florian?” “Of course.” “Well, it’s light sort of trash, but it has a melody. I’ve written my own obbligato to it. If you like I'll play it with you.” “J don’t like, at all, thank you.” “You owe me something for spoiling my andante when you came in. I played wretchedly after that. You did something to me; I was too conscious of you to get back into the music. Won’t you sing for me?” His manner was quite amenable now; his splendid eyes held and made appeal to her. “But I’m an amateur,” she answered, still obdurate. “And amateurs don’t count.”
“Tt isn’t every amateur I’d ask. Comeon!” He caught up his violin. “Ready, Carlos?” he said to the accompanist.
Pat gave her little, reckless laugh. “Oh, very well!” She sang. It seemed to her that she was in exceptionally good voice, inspired and upheld by the golden stream
