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"Signor Graziano, Miss Goneril Hamelyn," said Miss Prunty, rather severely. Goneril felt that the time had come for silence and good manners. She sat quite quiet over her embroidery, listening to the talk of Sontag, of Clementi, of musicians and singers dead and gone.
"Signorino," said Madame Petrucci, presently, "if you will accompany me we will perform one of your charming melodies." Signor Graziano rose a little stiffly and led the pretty, withered little diva to the piano. Goneril looked on, wondering, admiring.
Inside the carriage reclined a handsome middle-aged lady, with a stern profile turned towards the road; a young girl in pale pink cotton and a broad hat trudged up the hill at the side. "Goneril," said Miss Hamelyn, "let me beg you again to come inside the carriage." "Oh, no, Aunt Margaret; I'm not a bit tired." "But I have asked you; that is reason enough." "It's so hot!" cried Goneril.
"We expect the signorino," said Miss Prunty. "And is he going to stay here?" "Don't be a fool!" snapped that lady; and then she added, "Go into the kitchen and get some of the pasty and some bread and cheese there's a good girl." "All right!" said Goneril. Madame Petrucci stopped her vocalising. "You shall have all the better a dinner to compensate you, my Gonerilla!"
Signor Graziano rose, a little stiffly, and led the pretty withered little Diva to the piano. Goneril looked on, wondering, admiring.
The father, I learn, is from the state of New Jersey, where he possesses a good farm, and flocks and herds, to which this Goneril will succeed on his demise; hence it is that she looks upon his nurses with no love or gratitude. The poor old man, in hopes of augmenting her store, had quitted his pleasant possessions in Jersey, to seek wealth amongst the swamps of the Mississippi.
The edicts of each succeeding set of magistrates have, like those of Goneril and Regan, diminished this venerable band with the similar question, "What need we five-and-twenty? ten? or five?" And it is now nearly come to, "What need one?"
"The horse, probably," rejoined Miss Hamelyn, "does not suffer from malaria, neither has he kept his aunt in Florence nursing him till the middle heat of the summer." "True!" said Goneril. Then, after a few minutes, "I'll get in, Aunt Margaret, on one condition." "In my time young people did not make conditions."
Lear blessed himself in having such loving children, as he thought; and could do no less, after the handsome assurances which Regan had made, than bestow a third of his kingdom upon her and her husband, equal in size to that which he had already given away to Goneril.
"And very well sung, my Gonerilla!" cried the old lady. But the signorino went up to the piano and shook hands with her. "Little Mees Goneril," he said, "you have the makings of an artist." The two old ladies stared, for, after all, Goneril's performance had been very simple. You see, they were better versed in music than in human nature.
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