It was the talking of the violins.
They were human voices, and they spoke a language Elnora understood. It
seemed to her that she must climb up on the stage, take the instruments
from the fingers of the players and make them speak what was in her
heart.
That night she said to her mother, "I am perfectly crazy for a violin. I
am sure I could play one, sure as I live. Did any one----" Elnora never
completed that sentence.
"Hush!" thundered Mrs. Comstock. "Be quiet! Never mention those things
before me again--never as long as you live! I loathe them! They are a
snare of the very devil himself! They were made to lure men and women
from their homes and their honour. If ever I see you with one in your
fingers I will smash it in pieces."
Naturally Elnora hushed, but she thought of nothing else after she had
finished her lessons. At last there came a day when for some reason the
leader of the orchestra left his violin on the grand piano. That morning
Elnora made her first mistake in algebra. At noon, as soon as the
building was empty, she slipped into the auditorium, found the side door
which led to the stage, and going through the musicians' entrance she
took the violin. She carried it back into the little side room where the
orchestra assembled, closed all the doors, opened the case and lifted
out the instrument.
She laid it on her breast, dropped her chin on it and drew the bow
softly across the strings.
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