EXPRESSION IN MUSIC. 199 



with the cap and bells, who began pianissimo, then exchanging 

 from andante to allegretto, until at last he was obliged to loosen 

 his cravat, from the fear of suffocation. " These are the groans of 

 the dying," said Miss Tibbs. " Shocking ! delightful ! poor crea- 

 tures !" murmured the ladies ; while Dr. Mellitung entered into a 

 long harangue on the necessity for pensioners. This was a highly 

 satisfactory performance, and was much applauded. The interest 

 was awakened, the sympathies were warm; Mr. Crook, quite at home, 

 broke forth into the tune of " Lo ! he comes, in clouds descending," 

 in which the whole audience joined, not aware that it was the Alge- 

 rine hymn from the Dey's seraglio : the mistake was natural. 

 "Where could they have learnt that tune?" said Miss Crump. 

 " Of course, in Shipney Church," said Mr. Crook. " How singu- 

 lar !" said Miss Crump. 



Miss Tibbs began to look rather blue at having hitherto had so 

 little to do : she settled herself before the piano ; in one wild run 

 she swept the trembling keys — octave after octave, semitones, demi- 

 semitones, quavers — most brilliantly ; and Peregrine, wishing to 

 shew that he understood it, kept time with his fiddle. The English 

 then take the city to the tune of Drops of Brandy, when the whole 

 band-struck up a voluntary for the shout of victory. There was no 

 mistaking the result — piano, horn, violin, drum, triangle, clarinet, 

 rung forth the wild hurrah ! A deafening applause followed. Miss 

 Tibbs was so delighted that she would have had the finale repeated, 

 but that it struck her she had not of late seen the ugly hungry faces 

 of the itinerants obtruded from behind the screen. She therefore 

 desired Mr. Peregrine to bid them prepare. She touched the keys, 

 — " What 's the matter ? — Gone ! The rascals !" screamed Miss 

 Tibbs. " Gone !" echoed the surprised assembly. " Yes, gone !" 

 screamed Miss Tibbs from behind the screen ; " Oh my silver spoons ! 

 Oh my silver baskets ! Oh my silver fruit knives ! Oh, Oh !" ^' You 

 don't say so !" said Mr. Acteon Snaggs. " Oh that I should be 

 such a fool !'* cried the bereaved Miss Tibbs, wringing her hands 

 over the sad remnant of knives, forks, and plates. '* Concert in- 

 deed !" " Calm yourself, my dear Miss Tibbs," said the soothing 

 voice of Dr. Mellitung. " Don't dear me," said the infuriated IVIiss 

 Tibbs ; " you ! you ! why don't you all run after the villains, and 

 not stand staring there ? I am ruined, totally." As the disconso- 

 late lady gave utterance to her griefs. Professor Peregrine Peascod 

 slunk out of the room, the ladies hastily departed, the gentlemen fled. 



The morrow's sun smiled in vain on the fallen hopes of Peregrine : 

 he felt, like Francis, that all was lost save his honour. In vain he 



