SPENCER HAMILTON
Thunderous applause of appreciation greeted Abou Shimshek, at the
conclusion of his interesting recital, and bowing right and left his
acknowledgements, with beaming countenance he retired to his seat
An intermezzo of mellifluent music in the interim was followed by
the celebrated "Dusky Quartette." This aggregation consisted of the
following members: Madam Celeste D'oumbalooloo, a south African soprano
of heavenly sweetness, and a beauty of "hippopotamic gracefulness;"
Miss Guza Mulomba, the Kaffir prodigy, with a contralto voice of
tremulous colorature; Signor Bombasto Reales, of Kabaloogan, a Filipino
tenor of high pitch and clearness, and the basso, Signor Dido Abazuza,
a Maori celebrity of thunderous profundity.
Indeed, under the felicitous protection of British and American
sovereignty, these colonies had made such rapid advancement toward
civilization, that they had produced an abundance of men and women of
extraordinary talent and capacity in art and music, so as to eclipse
their confreres of Hungarian and Polish origin, in days gone by.
The portfolio of their operatic creations was a revelation. Especially
did an operetta, called "Phantasie Senegambienne" arouse the enthusiasm
of the audience to such a high pitch of spirituelle tension that at the
conclusion--regardless of the (color line)--there was a simultaneous
rush of both sexes to where the singers stood. A scene of indescribable
osculatory battle raged, the sound of the contact of those luscious
thick lips of the Dusky Quartette echoing and reverberating to the
utmost recesses of the spacious hall. It took quite a long time before
this charming labial fusillade of musical appreciation subsided.
After another soothing interlude, giving the assemblage a chance
to recover their composure, a clamorous applause brought forth the
American violinist, to make his first debut in Bombay. As he stepped
forward, Spencer Hamilton instantly made a deep impression upon the
audience. His masterful technique and wonderful skill of execution,
when he rendered a new composition of his own, called "The Niagara,"
aroused anew the enthusiasm of the throng and, under pressure of
vociferous acclamation, he was obliged to render another selection.
With the appearance of this splendid young specimen of manhood upon
the platform there was created in the bosom of Aurora a strange
psychological condition. Although surrounded with many gallant
officers and youths of noble lineage, she was perceptibly affected
by the sight of this handsome young American musician. At a glance
at the violinist there sprang in her heart afresh the memories of
her college days in America.
A sudden sense of sadness swept over her, and her infatuation for her
chum Margaret, and the recollection of their solemn vows, flashed
vividly through her perplexed brain, evoking several deep sighs
from the depths of her constant heart. Notwithstanding the cringing
advances of many officers of position and wealth, as well as scions
of nobles, she had fallen desperately in love with the stranger at
first sight. He seemed to her as an ideal, her affinity, but alas! she
remembered her vow! Aurora was in a very disturbed frame of mind when
Spencer Hamilton came forward for the encore.
Spencer Hamilton, the violin virtuoso had, in the meantime, another
mission to perform in connection with his appearance as a musical
artist. He was no other than Margaret MacDonald herself, metamorphosed
by Hyder Ben Raaba into the virile, manly fellow who had assumed the
name of Spencer Hamilton and, as a violinist, had come to lay siege
to the heart of Aurora.
With his furtive glances now and then he was reading the soul of
Aurora, now full of perplexing emotions. He could hardly control his
own emotions and began to render as an encore a tune which he expected
would create a tumult in the breast of Aurora Cunningham.
Putting forth all his energy so as to make it his best effort in
execution, he played to one alone.
At first Aurora thought that the tune had some vague resemblance to
a musical production which she had heard before, but could not tell
when and where. As it proceeded it gradually dawned upon her that,
somehow there was a connection between the thought of Margaret and
the music. She became more and more agitated and was quite certain
now that this soul-stirring melody was the creation of her dear,
beloved friend and confidant, Margaret MacDonald. Then she realized
that the words were her own.
"Oh, the oath!" she gasped, her brain in a delirium of
intoxication. Realizing fully that the melody was nothing else than
the very composition of Margaret, and that she had written the words
at the Diana Seminary on the very eventful night of the moonlight
reception, she was unable to conceive how it had become a public
property. Was Margaret after all a capricious traitor, a recalcitrant,
who had forsaken her solemn vow and desecrated their covenant?
These and other thoughts drove Aurora to the verge of collapse, and
as Spencer Hamilton concluded the piece with a finale of deep pathos
that reached the pinnacle of tragic intensity, there was commotion
around where Aurora was enthroned, for she had lost consciousness.
Thinking that the intense interest and excitement of the occasion had
caused her faintness, she was gently removed to her apartment and the
program of the evening's festivities was completed with a brilliant
reception and dance. Hamilton himself, however, was so affected that
he left the reception at once and returned to his hotel and there
tried to regain strength for the ordeal that he was planning to carry
out next day.
The following morning, at the proper time for calling in India, he
left his hostelry and directed his steps toward the Viceregal palace
on the pretense of making inquiry concerning the health of Aurora,
but ostensibly to reveal the mysterious metempsychosis of himself
and to reassert his undying love for her.
Having arrived at the gate he learned that Aurora had been restored
to her normal state of health and spirits. He consequently sent in
his card and a few minutes later was summoned to the drawing-room of
the palace where, after a second's waiting, Aurora Cunningham appeared
on the threshold, somewhat flushed and agitated.
Hamilton, on seeing Aurora, came forward and, extending his hand,
inquired most anxiously for her health, and intimated that it would
give him extreme pleasure to explain certain circumstances which
would lead to the gratification of her own unspoken desires.
"I know," he said, "that the encore at last night's musicale affected
you very powerfully. I could intuitively read from your perturbed
countenance that you had become aware of the authorship of the
same. Aurora, Aurora, I am Margaret MacDonald! I am your confidant at
the Diana Seminary, whom you loved, and am now metamorphosed into a man
by the miraculous powers of the vivisectionist and re-incarnator--Hyder
Ben Raaba. I have come to claim you as my own. Aurora, I love you!"
Aurora, bewildered at this remarkable and dramatic declaration and
revelation, too spellbound to speak even a word, uttered a piercing
shriek and fell into the open arms of Spencer Hamilton. At the sound
of this cry of distress, which echoed throughout the palace, footsteps
were heard approaching from every direction. Soldiers, foot-guards,
servants, and the Viceroy Cunningham himself with his guests, rushed
into the drawing-room and beheld this highly surprising tableau of
romantic love.
Explanations of very delicate and discreet nature were promptly
given to the Viceroy by the two lovers, and consent to their union
was presently forthcoming.
POSTSCRIPT
After a triumphal bridal tour through England and America, Aurora
and Spencer Hamilton settled in the Central African Commonwealth,
and by the strenuous qualities inherent in both they had become
popular and prominent in civic affairs. Fifteen years later, in 1976,
through sheer merit of a public life of usefulness and rectitude,
Hamilton was gazetted as Viceroy to the African Commonwealth.
The year 1976 was indeed an epoch-making period. It was the two
hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and at the
same time the semi-centennial of the happy Anglo-American Alliance. The
double jubilee of these two nations, comprising nearly one-half of
the world's population, was celebrated wherever the English tongue
was spoken, with commensurate grandeur, enthusiasm and eclat, such
as absolutely to eclipse all the Durbars, Volksfests and celebrations
in the history of the world.
And none the less, the composite but flourishing African Commonwealth,
under the wise regime of Spencer Hamilton, was ablaze with prosperous
pride in unison with England and America, for this grand and felicitous
dual occasion.
[THE END]
NOTE
[1] The slang in vogue half a century ago may be found now in standard
dictionaries. Its use was considered in good form by the elite of
that day.
End of Project Gutenberg's An Anglo-American Alliance, by Gregory Casparian