Maria's Favor

It was a beautiful April day, and after Maria finnaly got Matthew to go down for his nap she took a short walk. Just as Maria was passing by the church, she heard faint noises from somewhere within it. She couldn't imagine what they could be, but after a moment she decided to go in.

She entered as quietly as possible, for though she couldn't imagine that they could be anyone dangerous, she didn't feel like risking the impossible.

But all she found herself confronting were three very dangerous ruffians and someone she had been meaning to speak to for a while.

"Mrs. Bede! I beg pardon. Say hello, boys."

The three boys muttered something and shifted their feet. Maria realized she had forgotten the grammar school held it's music classes in the chapel.
"I'm sorry to interupt," she said after a brief moment. Then she said, carefully, "But since I found you here, Mr. Menzies, perhaps I might speak with you after your lesson ends?"
"It has just about ended now," he said, and this was all the three boys needed to fairly fly toward the door.

He looked at her somewhat expectantly, and Maria wondered how she might begin. After a moment she said,"Perhaps I might show you something?" She turned and went through the little side door that led to the upstairs gallery.

When she had reached the upstairs balcony, she went to the little stand to retrieve her papers.

"I thought you had dissapeared!" Mr. Menzies cried from below.

She laughed. "Not at all. I'll be right down."
"I suppose," she said once she had returned, "that you do this often yourself, and so I think you might understand. When I find a piece I really like,--a piece of music--I-I play with it, move it around a little."

She looked at him for some kind of recognition, but he only seemed surprised.

"I've been doing this for a while, Mr. Menzies," she said more quietly. "I-I just wanted to show them to someone. Perhaps you could, just..." She handed them to him, for she had nothing more to say.
For a moment the whole chapel hung in perfect silence as his eyes scanned the page. She wished she could read his expression.

"You did these yourself?" he asked suddenly.
"Well, I hardly have anyone to help me," she laughed nervously. "Some of them don't work--they sound wrong. I wondered if you knew why."
"Truly extrordinary, Mrs. Bede," he said.
"Are they so bad?" she said with something of a sinking feeling.

"I'm sure they're not-I'll have to play them. I just-" Maria didn't understand this, but James Menzies recognized in her a young student at Edinburg University who had suddenly discovered that banking was not his true passion after all.
"Would you? Just look at them?"

"Surely."
"My thanks. I-I must go. Zachary will be quite peeved if Matthew wakes up before I get home. Don't bother yourself about them if it's any trouble."
"None at all," he said, as he heard her leaving the church.