Wives and Daughters by Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn, 1810-1865

'Now, you must play a little, Molly,' said Mrs. Gibson; 'play us that beautiful piece of Kalkbrenner's,' my dear.'

Molly looked up at her stepmother with beseeching eyes, but it only brought out another form of request, still more like a command.

'Go at once, my dear. You may not play it quite rightly; and I know you are very nervous; but you're quite amongst friends.'

So there was a disturbance made in the little group at the piano, and Molly sate down to her martyrdom.

'Please, go away!' said she to Osborne, who was standing behind her ready to turn over. 'I can quite well do it for myself. And oh! if you would but talk!'

Osborne remained where he was in spite of her appeal, and gave her what little approval she got; for Mrs. Gibson, exhausted by her previous labour of counting her stitches, fell asleep in her comfortable sofa- corner near the fire; and Roger, who began at first to talk a little in compliance with Molly's request, found his tete-a-tete with Cynthia so agreeable, that Molly lost her place several times in trying to catch a sudden glimpse of Cynthia sitting at her work, and Roger by her, intent on catching her low replies to what he was saying.

'There, now I've done!' said Molly, standing up quickly as soon as she had finished the eighteen dreary pages; 'and I think I will never sit down to play again!'

Osborne laughed at her vehemence. Cynthia began to take some part in what was being said, and thus made the conversation general. Mrs Gibson wakened up gracefully, as was her way of doing all things, and slid into the subjects they were talking about so easily, that she almost succeeded in making them believe she had never been asleep at all.

CHAPTER XXV

HOLLINGFORD IN A BUSTLE

All Hollingford felt as if there was a great deal to be done before Easter this year. There was Easter proper, which always required new clothing of some kind, for fear of certain consequences from little birds, who were supposed to resent the impiety of those who do not wear some new article of dress on Easter-day.' And most ladies considered it wiser that the little birds should see the new article for themselves, and not have to take it upon trust, as they would have to do if it were merely a pocket-handkerchief, or a petticoat, or any article of under- clothing. So piety demanded a new bonnet, or a new gown; and was barely satisfied with an Easter pair of gloves. Miss Rose was generally very busy just before Easter in Hollingford. Then this year there was the charity ball. Ashcombe, Hollingford, and Coreham were three neighbouring towns, of about the same number of population, lying at the three equidistant corners of a triangle. In imitation of greater cities with their festivals, these three towns had agreed to have an annual ball for the benefit of the county hospital to be held in turn at each place; and Hollingford was to be the place this year.

It was a fine time for hospitality, and every house of any pretension was as full as it could hold, and flys were engaged long months before.