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set to the bold and blatant music which the people of England
loved dearly at the earlier part of the present century； and
which； whenever they can get it； they love dearly still。 〃The
Death of Marmion；〃 〃The Battle of the Baltic；〃 〃The Bay of
Biscay；〃 〃Nelson；〃 under various vocal aspects； as exhibited by
the late Brahamthese were the songs in which the roaring
concertina and strident tenor of Gustus Junior exulted together。
〃Tell me when you're tired； ladies and gentlemen；〃 said the
minstrel solicitor。 〃There's no conceit about _me。_ Will you have
a little sentiment by way of variety？ Shall I wind up with 'The
Mistletoe Bough' and 'Poor Mary Anne'？〃
Having favored his audience with those two cheerful melodies；
young Pedgift respectfully requested the rest of the company to
follow his vocal example in turn； offering； in every case； to
play 〃a running accompaniment〃 impromptu； if the singer would
only be so obliging as to favor him with the key…note。
〃Go on； somebody！〃 cried Mrs。 Pentecost； eagerly。 〃I tell you
again； I dote on music。 We haven't had half enough yet； have we；
Sammy？〃
The Reverend Samuel made no reply。 The unhappy man had reasons of
his ownnot exactly in his bosom； but a little lowerfor
remaining silent； in the midst of the general hilarity and the
general applause。 Alas for humanity！ Even maternal love is
alloyed with mortal fallibility。 Owing much already to his
excellent mother； the Reverend Samuel was now additionally
indebted to her for a smart indigestion。
Nobody； however； noticed as yet the signs and tokens of internal
revolution in the curate's face。 Everybody was occupied in
entreating everybody else to sing。 Miss Milroy appealed to the
founder of the feast。 〃Do sing something； Mr。 Armadale；〃 she
said； 〃I should so like to hear you！〃
〃If you once begin； sir；〃 added the cheerful Pedgift； 〃you'll
find it get uncommonly easy as you go on。 Music is a science
which requires to be taken by the throat at starting。〃
〃With all my heart；〃 said Allan； in his good…humored way。 〃I know
lots of tunes； but the worst of it is； the words escape me。 I
wonder if I can remember one of Moore's Melodies？ My poor mother
used to be fond of teaching me Moore's Melodies when I was a
boy。〃
〃Whose melodies？〃 asked Mrs。 Pentecost。 〃Moore's？ Aha！ I know Tom
Moore heart。〃
〃Perhaps in that case you will he good enough to help me； ma'am；
if my memory breaks down；〃 rejoined Allan。 〃I'll take the easiest
melody in the whole collection； if you'll allow me。 Everybody
knows it'Eveleen's Bower。' 〃
〃I'm familiar； in a general sort of way； with the national
melodies of England； Scotland； and Ireland；〃 said Pedgift Junior。
〃I'll accompany you； sir； with the greatest pleasure。 This is the
sort of thing； I think。〃 He seated himself cross…legged on the
roof of the cabin； and burst into a complicated musical
improvisation wonderful to heara mixture of instrumental
flourishes and groans； a jig corrected by a dirge； and a dirge
enlivened by a jig。 〃That's the sort of thing；〃 said young
Pedgift； with his smile of supreme confidence。 〃Fire away； sir！〃
Mrs。 Pentecost elevated her trumpet； and Allan elevated his
voice。 〃Oh； weep for the hour when to Eveleen's Bower〃 He
stopped； the accompaniment stopped； the audience waited。 〃It's a
most extraordinary thing；〃 said Allan； 〃I thought I had the next
line on the tip of my tongue； and it seems to have escaped me。
I'll begin again； if you have no objection。 'Oh； weep for the
hour when to Eveleen's Bower' 〃
〃 'The lord of the valley with false vows came；' 〃 said Mrs。
Pentecost。
〃Thank you； ma'am；〃 said Allan。 〃Now I shall get on smoothly。
'Oh； weep for the hour when to Eveleen's Bower； the lord of the
valley with false vows came。 The moon was shining bright' 〃
〃No！〃 said Mrs。 Pentecost。
〃I beg your pardon； ma'am；〃 remonstrated Allan。 〃 'The moon was。
shining bright' 〃
〃The moon wasn't doing anything of the kind；〃 said Mrs。
Pentecost。
Pedgift Junior； foreseeing a dispute； persevered _sotto voce_
with the accompaniment； in the interests of harmony。
〃Moore's own words； ma'am；〃 said Allan； 〃in my mother's copy of
the Melodies。〃
〃Your mother's copy was wrong；〃 retorted Mrs。 Pentecost。 〃Didn't
I tell you just now that I knew Tom Moore by heart？〃
Pedgift Junior's peace…making concertina still flourished and
groaned in the minor key。
〃Well； what _did_ the moon do？〃 asked Allan； in despair。
〃What the moon _ought_ to have done； sir； or Tom Moore wouldn't
have written it so；〃 rejoined Mrs。 Pentecost。 〃 'The moon hid her
light from the heaven that night； and wept behind her clouds o'er
the maiden's shame！' I wish that young man would leave off
playing；〃 added Mrs。 Pentecost； venting her rising irritation on
Gustus Junior。 〃I've had enough of himhe tickles my ears。〃
〃Proud； I'm sure； ma'am；〃 said the unblushing Pedgift。 〃The whole
science of music consists in tickling the ears。〃
〃We seem to be drifting into a sort of argument；〃 remarked Major
Milroy； placidly。 〃Wouldn't it be better if Mr。 Armadale went on
with his song？〃
〃Do go on； Mr。 Armadale！〃 added the major's daughter。 〃Do go on；
Mr。 Pedgift！〃
〃One of them doesn't know the words； and the other doesn't know
the music；〃 said Mrs。 Pentecost。 〃Let them go on if they can！〃
〃Sorry to disappoint you； ma'am；〃 said Pedgift Junior； 〃I'm ready
to go on myself to any extent。 Now； Mr。 Armadale！〃
Allan opened his lips to take up the unfinished melody where he
had last left it。 Before he could utter a note； the curate
suddenly rose； with a ghastly face； and a hand pressed
convulsively over the middle region of his waistcoat。
〃What's the matter？〃 cried the whole boating party in chorus。
〃I am exceedingly unwell；〃 said the Reverend Samuel Pentecost。
The boat was instantly in a state of confusion。 〃Eveleen's Bower〃
expired on Allan's lips； and even the irrepressible concertina of
Pedgift was silenced at last。 The alarm proved to be quite
needless。 Mrs。 Pentecost's son possessed a mother； and that
mother had a bag。 In two seconds the art of medicine occupied the
place left vacant in the attention of the company by the art of
music。
〃Rub it gently； Sammy；〃 said Mrs。 Pentecost。 〃I'll get out the
bottles and give you a dose。 It's his poor stomach； major。 Hold
my trumpet； somebodyand stop the boat。 You take that bottle；
Neelie； my dear； and you take this one； Mr。 Armadale； and give
them to me as I want them。 Ah； poor dear； I know what's the
matter with him！ Want of power _here；_ majorcold； acid； and
flabby。 Ginger to warm him； soda to correct him； sal volatile to
hold him up。 There； Sammy！ drink it before it settles； and then
go and lie down； my dear； in that dog…kennel of a place they call
the cabin。 No more music！〃 added Mrs。 Pentecost； shaking her
forefinger at the proprietor of the concertina〃unless it's a
hymn； and that I don't object to。〃
Nobody appearing to be in a fit frame of mind for singing a hymn；
the all…accomplished Pedgift drew upon his stores of local
knowledge； and produced a new idea。 The course of the boat was
immediately changed under his direction。 In a few minutes more；
the company found themselves in a little island creek； with a
lonely cottage at the far end of it； and a perfect forest of
reeds closing the view all round them。 〃What do you say； ladies
and gentlemen； to stepping on shore and seeing what a
reed…cutter's cottage looks like？〃 suggested young Pedgift。
〃We say yes； to be sure；〃 answered Allan。 〃I think our spirits
have been a little dashed by Mr。 Pentecos t's illness and Mrs。
Pentecost's bag；〃 he added； in a whisper to Miss Milroy。 〃A
change of this sort is the very thing we want to set us all going
again。〃
He and young Pedgift handed Miss Milroy out of the boat。 The
major followed。 Mrs。 Pentecost sat immovable as the Egyptian
Sphinx； with her bag on her knees； mounting guard over 〃Sammy〃 in
the cabin。
〃We must keep the fun going； sir；〃 said Allan； as he helped the
major over the side of the boat。 〃We haven't half done yet with
the enjoyment of the day。〃
His voice seconded his hearty belief in his own prediction to
such good purpose that even Mrs。 Pentecost heard him； and
ominously shook her head。
〃Ah！〃 sighed the curate's mother； 〃if you were as old as I am；
young gentleman； you wouldn't feel quite so sure of the enjoyment
of the day！〃
So； in rebuke of the rashness of youth； spoke the caution of age。
The negative view is notoriously the safe view； all the world
over； and the Pentecost philosophy is； as a necessary
consequence； generally in the right。
CHAPTER IX。
FATE OR CHANCE？
IT was close on six o'clock when Allan and his friends left the
boat； and the evening influence was creeping already； in its
mystery and its stillness； over the watery solitude of the
Broads。
The shore in these wild regions was not like the shore elsewhere。
Firm as it looked； the garden ground in front of the
reed…cutter's cottage was floating ground； that rose and fell and
oozed into puddles under the pressure of the foot。 The boatmen
who guided the visitors warned them to keep to the path； and
pointed through gaps in the reeds and pollards to grassy