Here, at a certain passage of the song, she gathered herself up and pitched a nervous note, so shrewdly triumphing, that, as her voice sank to rest, her hearers could not restrain a deep murmur of admiration.
Then came an awkward moment.

The ladies did not wish to go, and they were not justified in stopping.

They were anxious to speak, and they could not choose the word to utter.

Mr.Pericles relieved them by moving forward and doffing his hat, at the same time begging excuse for the rudeness they were guilty of.
The fair singer answered, with the quickness that showed a girl: "Oh, stay; do stay, if I please you!" A singular form of speech, it was thought by the ladies.
She added: "I feel that I sing better when I have people to listen to me." "You find it more sympathetic, do you not ?" remarked Cornelia.
"I don't know," responded the unknown, with a very honest smile.

"I like it." She was evidently uneducated.