Barry Pain

“ Mrs. Cheeseman slept easily, and, with cotton-wool in her ears, was not at all disturbed. Downstairs in the drawing-room Mr. Cheeseman manfully plugged on. The Musicianette now took to skipping a phrase and he wondered if the bearings had become heated.
At twelve he was in a state of extreme exhaustion, but he never gave way—never relaxed except to change the roll of music. ”

“ Cheeseman's first thought was that on no account must anything be said about this to Mrs. Cheeseman.
At breakfast he appeared in the best of spirits, but refused to have the Mechanical Musicianette moved back again to the decent retirement of the attic. "You see," he said explanatorily, "you never know. It's, not likely, but it is just possible that a second intimation will have to be given. If it is, I am prepared to do it. I'm getting into splendid training. I don't know that I shan't take up the bicycle again." ”

“ Cheeseman. "But don't hurry it. People like to get settled down first. In a week or ten days will be quite soon enough."
But before that period had elapsed, a distressing incident happened.
Of course, Mrs. Cheeseman's watchful eye had detected that "Mon Repos" had a cottage piano, but it had aroused no suspicions in her. She had a piano herself, and it was never used. They did possess a Mechanical Musicianette—an antiquated and imperfect form of piano-player—but they themselves had been unable to stand it, and it had been relegated to an attic. ”