Page 231 - dubliners

Gradually as the last glasses were being filled the conversa-
tion ceased. A pause followed, broken only by the noise of
the wine and by unsettlings of chairs. The Misses Morkan,
all three, looked down at the tablecloth. Someone coughed
once or twice and then a few gentlemen patted the table
gently as a signal for silence. The silence came and Gabriel
pushed back his chair.
The patting at once grew louder in encouragement and
then ceased altogether. Gabriel leaned his ten trembling fin-
gers on the tablecloth and smiled nervously at the company.
Meeting a row of upturned faces he raised his eyes to the
chandelier. The piano was playing a waltz tune and he could
hear the skirts sweeping against the drawing-room door.
People, perhaps, were standing in the snow on the quay out-
side, gazing up at the lighted windows and listening to the
waltz music. The air was pure there. In the distance lay the
park where the trees were weighted with snow. The Welling-
ton Monument wore a gleaming cap of snow that flashed
westward over the white field of Fifteen Acres.
He began:
‘Ladies and Gentlemen,
‘It has fallen to my lot this evening, as in years past, to
perform a very pleasing task but a task for which I am afraid
my poor powers as a speaker are all too inadequate.’
‘No, no!’ said Mr. Browne.
‘But, however that may be, I can only ask you tonight to
take the will for the deed and to lend me your attention for
a few moments while I endeavour to express to you in words
what my feelings are on this occasion.

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