She thought they looked very much like
exceedingly pointed slippers set upright upon their toes. She fancied
they were slippers belonging to the glorious angels who, Telemacho
said, always came to earth at Christmas-tide to sing heavenly anthems
for the Festa del Gesu Bambino, and to distribute blessings to those
who were worthy.
Perhaps they had trod upon the ice outside, and had wet the soles of
their slippers, so that they had been forced to set them up on end to
dry. She had no doubt they would be gone in the morning.
The tremulous voice had ceased some time ago, and now the organ was
sending forth deep, heavy chords that made the air thrill and vibrate.
The pew in which Nina sat quite shook with the sounds, and she shrank
away from the wooden back, and cuddled down upon the cushion in the
seat, feeling very mysterious and awestruck, but withal quite warm and
happily expectant.
"Ah, ah!" she thought, "they are coming,--the angels are coming. That
is why the seat trembles so. There are so many of them that though
they step very lightly it shakes the ground. He, up there, is playing
their march music for them. Oh, I know! I know! I have seen the
soldiers in the streets; and when they came one could feel the ground
tremble, and they had music, too,--they kept step to it. I 'll lie
very still and not move, and maybe I can even get a glimpse of the Gesu
Bambino himself, and if I should--ah! _if_ I should, then I know I 'd
never be tired nor cold nor sad-hearted any more.
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