Never had Harry Thornhill dressed so quickly; and when, in his gay
costume of flowered silk and ruffles, tied wig and buckled shoes, he
tapped at Miss Burgoyne's door and entered, he found that this young
lady was still in the curtained apartment, though she had sent out Jane
to see that her two visitors were being looked after. Lionel, too,
helped himself to some tea; and it was with a singular feeling of relief
that he discovered, as he presently did, that both Lady Cunyngham and
her daughter were quite charmed with the piece, so far as they had seen
it. They appeared to put the farcicality altogether aside, and to have
been much impressed by the character of the music.
"What a pretty girl that Miss Ross is!" said the younger of the two
ladies, incidentally. "But she is not English, is she? I thought I
could detect a trace of foreign accent here and there."
"No, she is Italian," Lionel made answer. "Her name is really
Rossi--Antonia Rossi--but her intimate friends call her Nina."
"What a beautiful voice she has!" Miss Honnor continued. "So fresh and
pure and sweet. I think she has a far more beautiful voice than--"
He quickly held up his hand, and the hint was taken.
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