Melbourne House Part 119

"Contributions, Preston?"

"Of people, Daisy. People for the tableaux, We must have all we can muster."

"I can't see how you will make Theresa Stanfield look like that."

"I cannot," said Preston, laughing, ? "but Mrs. Sandford will do part, and Theresa herself will do the other part. She will bring her face round, you will see. The thing is, who will be that ugly old woman who is looking at the queen with such eyes of coa.r.s.e fury ? I think I shall have to be that old woman."

"You, Preston!" And Daisy went off into a fit of amus.e.m.e.nt.

"Can you make your eyes look with coa.r.s.e fury?"

"You shall see. That's a good part. I should not like to trust it to anybody else. Alexander and Hamilton Rush will have to be the Queen's guards ? how we want Ransom! Charley Linwood is too small. There's George, though."

"What does that woman look at the queen so for?"

"Wants to see her head come down ? which it did soon after."

"Her head come down?"

"It had come down pretty well then, when the proud, beautiful queen was exposed to the looks and insults of the rabble. But they wanted to see it come down on the scaffold."

"What had she been doing, to make them hate her?"

"She had been a queen; ? and they had made up their minds that n.o.body ought to be queen, or anything else but rabble; so her head must come off. A great many other heads came off; for the same reason."

"Preston, I don't think the poor would hate that kind of thing so, if the rich people behaved right."

"How do you think rich people ought to behave." said Preston, gravely, turning over the engravings.

Daisy's old puzzle came back on her; she was silent.

"Common people always hate the uncommon, Daisy. Now what next?

? Ah! here is what will do. This is beautiful."

"What is it?"

"Portia and Ba.s.sanio. He has just got that letter, you know."

"What letter?"

"Why, Antonio's letter. Oh, don't you know the story? Ba.s.sanio was Antonio's friend, and ? Oh, dear, it is a long story, Daisy. You must read it."

"But what is the picture about?"

"This: Ba.s.sanio has just this minute been married to Portia, ? the loveliest lady in all the world; that he knew of; and now comes a letter, just that minute, telling him that his dear friend Antonio is in great danger of being cut to pieces through the wickedness of a fellow that he had borrowed money from. And the money had been borrowed for Ba.s.sanio, to set him up for his courts.h.i.+p ? so no wonder he feels rather bad."

"Does she know?"

"No; she is just asking what is the matter. That will be a capital picture."

"But you couldn't stand and look like that," said Daisy.

"I shall not," said Preston, "but Hamilton Rush will. I shall give it to him. And ? let me see ? for Portia ? that Fish girl cannot do it, she is not clever enough. It will have to be Theresa Stanfield."

"I should like to see anybody look like _that_," said Daisy.

"Well, you will. We shall have to go to another book of engravings. ? Hollo! here you are again, Daisy. This will do for you exactly. ? Exactly!"

"What is it?"

"Why, Daisy, these are two old Puritans; young ones, I mean, of course; and they are very fond of each other, you know, but somehow they don't know it. Or one of them don't, and he has been goose enough to come to ask Priscilla if she will be his friend's wife. Of course she is astonished at him."

"She does not look astonished."

"No, that is because she is a Puritan. She takes it all quietly, only she says she has an objection to be this other man's wife. And then John finds what a fool he is. That's capital. You shall be Priscilla; you will do it and look it beautifully."

"I do not think I want to be Priscilla," ? said Daisy, slowly.

"Yes, you do. You will. It will make such a beautiful picture.

I reckon Alexander Fish will make a good John Alden ? he has nice curly hair."

"So have you," said Daisy; "and longer than Alexander's, and more like the picture."

"I am manager, Daisy. That wouldn't do."

"I shall not be in that picture if Alexander is the other one," said Daisy.

"Well ? we will see. But Daisy, it is only playing pictures, you know. It will not be Daisy and Alexander Fish ? not at all ? it will be Priscilla and John Alden."

"_I_ should think it was Alexander Fish," said Daisy.

Preston laughed.

"But Preston, what is that word you said just now? what is a Puritan?"

"I don't know. I think you are one. I do not know another."

"You said these were Puritans?"

"Yes, so they were. They were very good people, Daisy, that liked wearing plain dresses. We shall have to have a stuff dress made for you ? I reckon you have not one of anything like a Puritan cut."

"Then, how am I a Puritan, Preston?"

"Sure enough. I mean that you would be one, if you got a chance. How many pictures have we chosen out? Six? That is not half enough."

The search went on, through other books and portfolios. There was good store of them in Mr. Randolph's library, and Daisy and Preston were very busy the whole morning till luncheon- time. After Daisy's dinner, however, her mind took up its former subject of interest. She went to Joanna, and was furnished with a nice little sponge-cake and a basket of sickle pears for Molly Skelton. Daisy forgot all about tableaux. This was something better. She ordered the pony- chaise and got ready for driving.

"Hollo, Daisy!" said Preston, as she came out upon the piazza; ? "what now?"