I thoroughly enjoyed my morning's work, and went back very hungry, and
quite ready for the comfortable little dinner which Polly had prepared
for me. In the afternoon the light would be all wrong for my picture;
but I determined to sketch in the foreground, and prepare for my next
morning's work.
I was very busy upon this, when suddenly I became conscious of music, if
music it could be called. It was the most peculiar sound, and at first I
could not find out from whence it came. It was evidently not caused by a
wind instrument; I felt sure it was not a concertina or an accordion.
This sound would go on for a minute or two, and then stop suddenly, only
to begin again more loudly a few seconds later. At times I distinguished
a few bars of a tune, then only disjointed notes followed. Could it be a
child strumming idly on a harmonium? but no, it was not at all like an
instrument of that kind. It was an annoying, worrying sound, and it went
on for so long that I began to be vexed with it, and stamped my foot
impatiently when, after a short interval, I heard it begin again.
Pages:
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36