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 Chapter VII

 Lyon 'Y' And A Countess


The door stood a little ajar and Lucia, having
difficulty in stifling her sobs, suddenly rose and
ran toward it, to close it, as Betty guessed.
Lucia had merely pushed it to before they had
cuddled down in the cushions. But as she
grasped the ornate bronze handle, the first notes
of something beautiful sounded upon the piano
below. Lucia stopped, caught her breath as one
does after crying, mopped her eyes again and
stood still to listen. After a sparkling prelude,
a voice began to sing.

Betty sat up at once. "Oh, that lovely voice,
Lucia. Who is it?" Betty had in mind the
ladies who were around that dinner table. This
was a clear soprano voice, haunting and full of
feeling as the song went on.

Lucia turned and softly said, "My Mother."
She waited a few moments and then ran into
her bathroom to bathe her tear-stained face.
But Betty went over to the door to listen till
the song was over. It was nothing that she


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