like a man who was well used to verbal inundation from that quarter. "If
I am to be allowed my choice of amusements next time," said the worthy
gentleman, "I think a play will suit me better than a concert. The girls
enjoyed themselves amazingly, my dear," he continued, addressing his
wife. "More than I did, I must say. It was altogether above my mark.
They played one piece of music which lasted forty minutes. It stopped
three times, by-the-way; and we all thought it was done each time, and
clapped our hands, rejoiced to be rid of it. But on it went again, to
our great surprise and mortification, till we gave it up in despair, and
all wished ourselves at Jericho. Norah, my dear! when we had crash-bang
for forty minutes, with three stoppages by-the-way, what did they call
it?"

"A symphony, papa," replied Norah.

"Yes, you darling old Goth, a symphony by the great Beethoven!" added
Magdalen. "How can you say you were not amused? Have you forgotten the
yellow-looking foreign woman, with the unpronounceable name? Don't you
remember the faces she made when she sang? and the way she courtesied
and courtesied, till she cheated the foolish people into crying encore?
Look here, mamma--look here, Miss Garth!"

She snatched up an empty plate from the table, to represent a sheet of
music, held it before her in the established concert-room position,
and produced an imitation of the unfortunate singer's grimaces and
courtesyings, so accurately and quaintly true to the original, that
her father roared with laughter; and even the footman (who came in
at that moment with the post-bag) rushed out of the room again, and
committed the indecorum of echoing his master audibly on the other side
of the door.