Читать книгу Judith Paris. A Novel онлайн

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Seemèd to see, but could not tell

Her feature or her fashion.

But ev'n as babes in dreams do smile,

And sometimes fall a-weeping,

So I awaked as wise this while

As when I fell a-sleeping:

Hey nonny nonny O!

Hey nonny nonny!

The beauty of the words, of the voice, seemed for a moment to sober them.

Hey nonny nonny O!

Hey nonny nonny!

they sang, and down the fat cheeks of Dick Conyngham drunken tears were coursing.

No one appeared to think it strange that the child should be there. Most of them knew her; she seemed to belong to the place, and for many of them that happy time was now approaching when nothing anywhere seemed strange, when the candles on their silver stalks swam like gold roses in a shimmering haze, and the moon, now delicately rising beyond the uncurtained windows, was quadrupled in its pure serenity; now, through the open door, the dogs were coming in to pick up what trifles they might from the scattered floor, and a thousand clocks were ticking their friendly chatter on a thousand walls. No one thought of the child, not even Gauntry himself; only Clara, the spaniel bitch, coming in with the rest, had found her and was sitting behind her chair.