To a chorus of resonant barking, the instruments proceeded to adjust themselves into tune. A billy-goat, alarmed, aroused his harem, and distantly a muffled lowing broke out.
Philippa said, 'Oh dear. It must have cost a fortune. Did Gideon ever do this to you?'
Kate thought. 'No, but I did it to him. He hadn't called to see me for a week, so I sent eight bell ringers to serenade him at cock-crow and his mother's parrot dropped dead, quoting Luther.'
'What did it say?' Philippa said. Sitting on the sill, with her long brown hair falling over her night robe, she looked, in the darkness, like the daughter who had come back from Turkey: calm and smiling and soignée.
'Music is a fair and lovely gift of God, and deserves to be extolled as the mistress and governess of the feelings of the human heart,' said Kate, surprised.
Philippa said, 'Oh dear. It must have cost a fortune. Did Gideon ever do this to you?'
Kate thought. 'No, but I did it to him. He hadn't called to see me for a week, so I sent eight bell ringers to serenade him at cock-crow and his mother's parrot dropped dead, quoting Luther.'
'What did it say?' Philippa said. Sitting on the sill, with her long brown hair falling over her night robe, she looked, in the darkness, like the daughter who had come back from Turkey: calm and smiling and soignée.
'Music is a fair and lovely gift of God, and deserves to be extolled as the mistress and governess of the feelings of the human heart,' said Kate, surprised.
( Dorothy Dunnett )
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