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To-night, after supper, the girls flew through their share of clearing-up. It never weighed very heavily upon them; they usually began the process of piling and scraping dishes before they left the table, Rose whisking the tablecloth into its drawer as Norma bumped through the swinging door with the last dishes, and Kate halfway through the washing even then.
"Norma, I hope it won't!" he interrupted himself to say, bitterly. "I try to hope it won't! I try to hope that you will come to love him, my dear, and forget me!
Thus I managed to furnish with the utmost completeness the specially strong orchestral accompaniment demanded by the score of Bellini's Norma, and was able to dispose of a body of male voices for the impressive unison portion of the male chorus in the introduction of that work such as even the greatest theatres could rarely command.
Annie had been to a luncheon, and was to appear at two teas, a dinner, and the theatre, and she was making the most of an interval at home. She looked indescribably hideous, as she stretched a friendly hand toward Norma, and nodded toward a chair. "Look at the child's colour Heavens! what it is to be young," said Annie. "Sit down, Norma. How's Alice?" "Lovely!" Norma said, pulling off her gloves.
Once or twice she had whispered "I know I know!" as if to herself, but she did not interrupt him, and when he paused he saw that she was choked with tears, and could not speak. "The mad and wonderful sacrifice you made I can't talk about, Norma," he said. "Only an ignorant, noble-hearted little girl like you could have done that! But that's all over, now.
And you know, I'm not going to a university or anything of that sort. I'm just at the 'Prep' and taking up special branches outside with Mr. Howard." "What kind of branches?" queried Norma. "Oh, science, and physics, but specially entomology and forestry. He's in government service, you know." "He doesn't act a bit important or dignified, does he?" Norma said thoughtfully.
About one o'clock, he went down to stables, and caressed, with an air of sadness, his favorite mare, Norma. Stroking her neck, he said, "Poor creature! poor old girl!" At three o'clock, a messenger arrived with a letter. The viscount took it, and opened it hastily. He was then near the flower-garden. Two footmen distinctly heard him say, "She cannot resist."
She told them, over the meal, of Mary and Katrina, in whom their interest was of a simple and amazed quality that Norma resented, and of Chris's prospect, which did awaken some comment from Mrs. Sheridan. They were a clever family, she said. But now Wolf, bursting with long suppression, suddenly took the floor with his own great news.
Norma and Alice were the last to arrive, and when they did come they mystified their friends by prancing in silently and waltzing gaily about the room. "Oh, girls!" they chortled when they had tired of this performance, "what do you think?" "We couldn't help hearing," said Norma deprecatingly. "Laura Bennett called us in," declared Alice. "Don't sing a duet," commanded Bobby sternly.
It takes them away from the place of his disgrace and away from temptation. Oh, I don't wonder Norma kissed you." "She told you that, too, did she?" "Yes. I should have done it, too, in her place." He glanced round placidly. "It's a right public place here, but " "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to." And before she disappeared within the portals of the department store she gave him one last thrust.
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