儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Stolen Music CHAPTER 7 Violet’s Lesson

At lunchtime, the orchestra 1 stopped practicing. Most of the members went back to the hotel. Bob Weldon suggested that he and Victor make one last search for the score. The Aldens looked for Melody 2 to ask her to have lunch with them, but she had disappeared.



They walked to a nearby coffee shop.



After they had placed their orders, Violet said, “Melody looked upset when Victor corrected her.”



“You mean about the violins coming in late?” Henry asked.



Violet nodded. “Maybe that’s why she disappeared like she did after the rehearsal 3.”



“But Victor corrected everyone,” Soo Lee piped up.



“Right,” Benny agreed. “If they all got upset about it, the whole orchestra would have disappeared.”



“Benny’s right. Something else is bothering Melody,” Jessie said. “If only we could figure out what it is.”



Just then, the waiter brought their lunches, big sandwiches with potato chips on the side. Although Benny’s sandwich was larger than the others, he was the first one finished.



“Let’s go,” he said as he wiped his chin.



“We have plenty of time,” Henry told him. “The workshop won’t start for half an hour.”



“But it might be filled up if we don’t get there early,” Benny said.



He had a point. The auditorium 4 had been nearly full during rehearsal.



The Aldens finished their lunches and hurried back to the Civic 5 Center.



Abner Medina, the percussionist 6 they’d seen the day before, was in charge of the Make Your Own Instruments workshop. “I’m very happy to see so many eager faces,” he said.



He went on to demonstrate some home-made instruments. He showed them a harmonica made from a comb and wax paper; a cigar box guitar; paper plate tambourines 7; and drinking glass chimes.



“You can even make music with a rubber band,” he said and looped a rubber band over two fingers. He spread them wide and strummed the rubber band with the fingers of his other hand.



“How about drums?” Benny asked. “I want to make drums.”



Abner Medina looked pleased. “Everything you need is on this table,” he said. “Get to work. Use your imaginations. See what you can come up with.”



Violet was selecting her materials when Melody came into the room. Smiling warmly, she no longer seemed upset.



“Violet,” she said, “why don’t you come back to the hotel with me now? I’d like to hear you play.”



Violet was thrilled by the invitation. At the same time, she was nervous about it. What if she froze and couldn’t play? What if Melody didn’t think she played well?



“Oh, I’d love to,” she said, “but I didn’t bring my violin.”



“I’m sure I can find one for you,” Melody told her. “I’ll go see what I can do and meet you in the lobby 8. How’s that sound?”



It sounded wonderful. “All right,” Violet said.



Melody turned to the Aldens’ new cousin. “Would you like to come along, Soo Lee?” she asked.



“Oh, yes,” Soo Lee answered.



Saying, “Give me five minutes,” Melody left the room.



“She’s being awfully 9 nice,” Jessie commented.



“She is nice,” Violet said.



“But this morning when we came back from the hotel, she hardly said a word to us,” Henry reminded his sister.



“She was upset about Victor,” Violet said. “We already decided 10 that.”



“Maybe we were wrong,” Benny said. “Maybe she did take the music, and she’s being nice now because she’s afraid we suspect her.”



“That isn’t true!” Violet cried. Taking Soo Lee’s hand, she hurried out to the lobby.



Except for the decorating, Melody’s hotel room was much like Victor’s. Violet and Soo Lee liked this room better. It was done in shades of purple.



“Try this for size,” Melody said as she handed Violet a violin.



Violet secured the instrument between her left shoulder and her chin. “It seems fine,” she said.



“It looks fine, too.” Melody handed Violet a bow. “Now let’s hear how it sounds.” She sat down beside Soo Lee on the small couch 11.



Violet ran the bow across the strings 12. The violin squeaked 14. She lifted the bow. “I’m sorry,” she said. “That’s an awful sound.”



“I make sounds like that all the time,” Soo Lee said.



Melody laughed. “Don’t feel bad,” she said. “Even the best violinists manage a squeak 13 now and then.”



Violet tried again. This time the sound was not noise but music. At the end of the piece, Melody came to stand beside her. She adjusted Violet’s hand on the bow.



“Relax your wrist, Violet,” she instructed. “There. That’s much better. Now play another — ”



The telephone rang. Melody picked it up. “Hello.” After a few seconds, she said, “Oh — uh — yes, I’m glad you called, but” — She turned her back on the girls and lowered her voice — “I — uh — can’t talk now … As I said this morning, we should meet … About what we discussed, yes …”



Violet felt uncomfortable. She knew she and Soo Lee shouldn’t be hearing this conversation, but they couldn’t help it. She motioned her cousin over to the far window, where they stood looking out on Greenfield’s Main Street.



“The sooner the better,” Melody was saying. “The whole thing makes me nervous … But what if someone finds out?”



A wave of doubt washed over Violet. Could her sister and brothers be right? Was Melody the thief?



Lowering her voice until it was almost a whisper, Melody said, “Yes, all right. The town square. Eight-thirty tomorrow morning…. Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be there.”



Melody hung up and turned around. She took a deep breath. “All right,” she said, smiling uneasily 15. “Let’s get back to our lesson.”