"Oh," cried Florence, "Old Folks at Home." The scene through which
she had gone with the Captain had awakened deep emotions, and her
voice was in the temperamental condition to give a sadly-weird effect
to the lines of the chorus. When she sang
"Oh, my heart is sad and weary"
the Lady Elfrida turned to Mrs. Ellice, the Rector's wife, and
remarked, "There was a rumour that Captain Hornaby was greatly
interested in Miss Sawyer, but from something she told me to-night I
do not think it will be a match."
"Why, what did she say?" asked Mrs. Ellice with natural feminine
curiosity as regards love affairs.
"I hardly feel warranted in repeating it," said the Lady Elfrida, "as
it was given to me in confidence."
Later in the evening the Lady Elfrida sought Captain Hornaby. "My
dear Captain, don't you think Miss Sawyer sings divinely?"
The Captain, with his mind on Col. Spencer and the tenfold check,
replied, rather brusquely, "I'm not a great lover of negro melodies."
The Lady Elfrida felt sure that Captain Hornaby was still an
"eligible," but she reflected that he was a fourth son and dependent
upon the bounty of his father and elder brother, and that her dowry
must come from her brother who, in her opinion, had a very
extravagant wife--but none of those American girls had any idea of
economy.
The next morning, Captain Hornaby went to London in search of Colonel
Spencer.
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