'When you did, I suppose,' said Jane, blushing.
'You did, did you?' said Claude. 'I feel convinced, if so, that you must really be what you are so often called, a changeling. I heard it, or rather read it first at Oxford, where the Baron desired me to make inquiries about him. You were, doubtless, looking over my shoulder at the moment. This is quite a discovery. We shall have to perform a brewery of egg-shells this evening, and put the elf to flight with a red-hot poker, and what a different sister Jane we shall recover, instead of this little mischief-making sprite, so quiet, so reserved, never intruding her opinion, showing constant deference to all her superiors-yes, and to her inferiors, shutting her eyes to the faults of others, and when they come before her, trying to shield the offender from those who regard them as merely exciting news.'
Claude's speech had become much more serious than he intended, and he felt quite guilty when he had finished, so that it was not at all an undesirable interruption when Phyllis and Adeline asked for the story of the brewery of egg-shells.
Emily and Lilias kindly avoided looking at Jane, who, after fidgeting on her chair and turning very red, succeeded in regaining outward composure. She resolved to let the matter die away, and think no more about it.
When Mr. Mohun and William came home, they brought the news that Lady Rotherwood had invited the whole party to dinner.
'I am very glad we are allowed to see them,' said Emily, 'I am quite tired of being shut up.'
'If it was not for the Westons we might as well live in Nova Zembla,' said Jane.
'I am glad you damsels should know a little more of Florence,' said Mrs. Mohun.
'Yes,' said Claude, 'cousins were made to be friends.'
'In that case one ought to be able to choose them,' said William.
'And know them,' said Emily. 'We have not seen Florence since she was eleven years old.'
'Cousin or not,' said Lilias, 'Florence can hardly be so much my friend as Alethea.'
'Right, Lily,' said William, 'stand up for old friends against all the cousins in the universe.'
'Has Alethea a right to be called an old friend?' said Emily; 'does three quarters of a year make friendship venerable?'
'No one can deny that she is a tried friend,' said Lilias.
'But pray, good people,' said Claude, 'what called forth those vows of eternal constancy? why was my innocent general observation construed into an attack upon Miss Weston?'
'Because there is something invidious in your tone,' said Lily.
'What kind of girl is that Florence?' asked William.
'Oh! a nice, lively, pleasant girl,' said Claude.
'I cannot make out what her pursuits are,' said Lily; 'Rotherwood never talks of her reading anything.'
'She has been governessed and crammed till she is half sick of all reading,' said Claude, 'of all study-ay, and all accomplishments.'
'So that is the friend you recommend, Lily!' said William.
'Well, Claude, that is what I call a great shame,' said Emily.
'Stay,' said Claude, 'you have heard but half my story, I say that this is the reaction. Florence has no lack of sense, and if you young ladies are wise, you may help her to find the use of it.'
Claude's further opinion did not transpire, as dinner was announced, and nothing more was said about Lady Florence till the girls had an opportunity of judging for themselves. She had a good deal of her brother's vivacity, with gentleness and grace, which made her very engaging, and her perfect recollection of the New Court, and of childish days, charmed her cousins. Lady Rotherwood was very kind and affectionate, and held out hopes of many future meetings. The next day Maurice and Reginald came home from school, bringing a better character for diligence than usual, on which they founded hopes that the holidays would be left to their own disposal. They were by no means pleased with the arrangement made with Mr. Stevens and most unwillingly did they undertake the expedition to Stony Bridge, performing the journey in a very unsociable manner. Maurice was no horseman, and chose to jog on foot through three miles of lane, while Reginald's pony cantered merrily along, its master's head being intent upon the various winter sports in which William and Lord Rotherwood allowed him to share. Little did Maurice care for such diversions; he was, as Adeline said, studying another 'apology.' This time it was phrenology, for which the cropped heads of Lilias and Jane afforded unusual facility. There was, however, but a limited supply of heads willing to be fingered, and Maurice returned to the most abiding of his tastes, and in an empty room at the Old Court laboured assiduously to find the secret of perpetual motion.
A few days before Christmas Rachel Harvey again took leave of Beechcroft, with a promise that she would make them another visit when Eleanor came home. Before she went she gave Emily a useful caution, telling her it was not right to trust her keys out of her own possession. It was what Miss Mohun never would have done, she had never once committed them even to Rachel.
'With due deference to Eleanor,' said Emily, with her winning smile, 'we must allow that that was being over cautious.'
Rachel smiled, but her lecture was not averted by the compliment.
'It might have been very well since you have known me, Miss Emily, but I do not know what would have come of it, if I had been too much trusted when I was a giddy young thing like Esther; that girl comes of a bad lot, and if anything is to be made of her, it is by keeping temptation out of her way, and not letting her be with that mother of hers.'
Rachel had rather injured the effect of her advice by behaving too like a mistress during her visit; Emily had more than once wished that all servants were not privileged people, and she was more offended than convinced by the remonstrance.
CHAPTER XIV-CHRISTMAS
'Slee, sla, slud,
Stuck in the mud,
O! it is pretty to wade through a flood,
Come, wheel round,
The dirt we have found,
Would he an estate at a farthing a pound.'
Lily's illness interrupted her teaching at the village school for many weeks, and she was in no great haste to resume it. Alethea Weston seemed to enjoy doing all that was required, and Lily left it in her hands, glad to shut her eyes as much as possible to the disheartening state the parish had been in ever since her former indiscretion.
The approach of Christmas, however, made it necessary for her to exert herself a little more, and her interest in parish matters revived as she distributed the clothing-club goods, and in private conference with each good dame, learnt the wants of her family. But it was sad to miss several names struck out of the list for non-attendance at church; and when Mrs. Eden came for her child's clothing, Lily remarked that the articles she chose were unlike those of former years, the cheapest and coarsest she could find.
St. Thomas's day was marked by the custom, called at Beechcroft 'gooding.' Each mother of a family came to all the principal houses in the parish to receive sixpence, towards providing a Christmas dinner, and it was Lily's business to dispense this dole at the New Court. With a long list of names and a heap of silver before her, she sat at the oaken table by the open chimney in the hall, returning a nod or a smiling greeting to the thanks of the women as they came, one by one, to receive the little silver coins, and warm themselves by the glowing wood fire.