The Trial, Or, More Links of the Daisy Chain

tute rememb

ine thou hast

ite her merc

n thinke wher e

wounds suf

ke, and thinke

, for it maie

's 'Cour

rted at the head of Minster Street; and as she felt the quivering lingering pressure of his han

lost in the eager interchange of tidings too minute for correspondence, and in approval of the renovation of the drawing-room, which was so skilful that her first glance would have detected no alteration in the subdued tones of paper, carpet, and chintz, so complete was their loyalty to the spirit of perpetuity. Flora told no on

tment of his namesake grandson. Little Dickie stood before them, a true son of the humming-bird sprite, delicately limbed and featured, and with elastic springiness, visible even in th

been by Meta's pencil, and of Norman's child, and it chain

han he usually allowed to affect his voice, 'that picture is a hard trial to her. I caught her

rtain likeness to that poor little Leonora, a

is just the thing to cau

for Tom alone ever durst seriously touch on the undefin

in everything else, and the child gets more deplorable every year. She has got the look of deformity, and yet she is n

a mind to work on,

every one, and be as cross as she dares before her mother. Behind Flora's back, I don't know which she uses worst, her father or h

ent's thorough health or comfort! I always hope that

ways be a misfortune to he

good coming out

Mary is crazy about his sister, and the Doctor lunatic as

g Leonard capable

st his hands deep into his pockets, and philosophically observed,

Aubrey's as quinine from orange-peel, though properly used, it was a bracing tonic, such as she often found wholesome

ne suffered anxiety on his account. As Dr. Spencer said, he was as sure to fall on his legs as a sandy cat, and so nobody cared for him. At home he was sufficient to himself, properly behaved to his father, civil to Richard, unmerciful in ridicule, but merciful in dominion over the rest, except Ethel, whom he treated as an equal, able to retort in kind, reserving for her his most highly-flavoured sallies, and his few and distant appro

pread his microscope apparatus over the table, and claimed Mary's assistance in setting up objects; and she avoided his eye when M

banished her from the drawing-room, and we had mu

l, thinking this disloyal, remarked that those who disliked dogs in the h

r Mrs. Ernescliffe had been so kind. Mary, you must see how

ire on her 'capable of great things;' while Leonard drew up, and Averil coloured, deferring the

ge with papa,' Ethel said,

' said Leonard, 'but he s

nd dreading that Leonard should discover and resent his mood, she said, 'We think

olroom, where Aubrey's fossils, each in its private twist of paper, lay in confusion o

he disorder with as

e to have a regular cabinet, when Richard has time,

does a cab

n deal one for about fiv

, disconsolately. 'Ave is going to make a pl

t my conscience to guard them from the house-maid, and i

ne expects t

s a provision of Nature that there should be s

great deal le

f we had our own way. Never mind, Leonard, we mak

ure I h

do it on purpose. Even unconsciously, we plague the spirits of or

y what one may do or not in the dra

depe

other spread his thi

f this were Richard's house, and he did not like it. D

the boy. 'How was one to reckon on a man setti

sh; I ought to have reminded you to

no one whose leave to ask,' said Leona

ur brother has a right to your compliance, and if you do not all give

other; yes, t

l in the house' said Ethel. 'It is a real instance of kindness,

e is an awful bother, and poor Ave gets the worst of

el; 'and if you teach Ave to be loyal to the head of your family, you will

te such nonse

point is, that if you are to hold together, Leonard, it must be

ing that I shall be

Leonard, tell me,' and she looked kindly at him, 'h

n't think I should have minded the

ave Sunday

poor girl. She knows better what it is now, and she was glad to h

n be so much t

mother's hair. And they have given me a photograph of my mother's picture; Henry had it done long ago, but tho

ver can guess, even when one

always know the thin

r people's nonsense-the only way to show we did not all spoil each other at Coombe. Now, here is Woodstock fo

ading the way back to the drawing-room, when he exc

, the cric

land, on St. Matthew's Day, s

' returned Ethel. 'George Larkins has been over here canvassing Tom and Aubrey.

they can't make up a decent eleven without me. You will come and see us, Miss M

the meads ages before

never came to

n Norman was cricket mad, and Harry after him, and my fathe

. 'You will, won't you now, Miss May? I didn't think you kne

ed, and hal

t little time there, for Dr. May made her walk about with him as he exchanged greetings with each and all, while Gertrude led Richard about at her will, and Mary consorted with the Ward girls. With no one on her mind, Ethel co

either in full practice or with public school training; and the veteran spectators were mourning the decay of cricket, and talking of past triumphs. The school had the first innings, which resulted in the discomfiture of Fielder, one of

s soon as in, and in his misery of shame and despair felt like the betrayer of his cause. But in due time, with the sun declining, and the score still low, Tom May came forward, as the

ement; and Aubrey, out of tone and unable to watch for the crisis, fairly fled from the sight, rushed through the cloister door, and threw himself

gestures of Stoneborough, and the crestfallen air of his own side, and heard the words, 'Folli

one who would defeat Tom. Noting, however, the flitting colour, fluttering breath, and trembling limbs, that showed the effect of the day's fatigue and of the final exertion, he signed back the boys, and t

eonard, leaning against the do

. Keep him

lads who were clamouring for the hero of their cause; while Leo

on with your last gasp,' sai

n't know how I did it. I couldn't fail wi

ce,' he pronounced with the utmost zest, 'that is, as soon as you are rested. My father says you must not think of the supper, unless

for such festivities, and the gratification of being superior

his or his exhaustion must have made him resign himself to

it exceeded that at home, for the Doctor thought himself bound to make up for the loss to Leonard, put forth all h

She was more visibly triumphant than was Leonard, and had been much gratified by a request from the Bankside curate that she would entirely undertake the harmonium at the chapel. She had

apt to be like Aubrey's compromise between wal

,' said Averil. 'I shall have nothing to do with my choir o

train the choir to

, they have such a horrid set of tunes, Mr. Scudamour gave me leave to chan

with such a genuine sigh, that Ave

nly one conservative enough t

New Version?' cried Averil, recov

s. 'I know it all; but the singing psalms are the singing psa

those beautiful hymns that w

wasn't it a treat when I got over to Woodside Church the other day, and foun

hymn,' said Averil. 'I can sin

e and Brady, not your "O Sanctissma, O Puriss

h any whim of his; though too young to understand the associations th

te made her singing very different from that which adorned most dinner-parties. Dr. May intensely enjoyed, and was b

moment the song ceased, then turning round with winning apologies, and hopes that he was not interrupting; b

ed; but the spirit and animation were gone, and she had no sooner finished t

o bed?' said Tom, yawning, as if injured

does not equal

r will,'

emphatically that she

patients. I wouldn't have them and their whole

ary, bursting out in the wra

which rag, and which bo

ily closing the discussion, but it wa

not have her too often in the evening, Mary, without

urmured Tom, with a gest

till quite late, papa,'

d to have found her away, and let me tell you, young woman, it is hard on a man who

is approach to reproof, and

l, while you exchange confidence with your bosom friend. I shall be gone in anot

hat the evening he

r, 'that the cricket match has not done for

nt, and has the most terrible bruised face. Ave c

his two sons bu

her grieved, 'that those thi

ch is it?' said Tom, 'is turning out

who has muscles, or one who t

ter than an Etonian

t Eton's glory was untarnished, and the de

oment, 'was this a fight in a good cause? for

of dissuasion, en

nothing I should be sorry

ikeness of Ethel's imitation of an orc

Ethel, 'so I will rest on your assura

ved at the failure of his imitation. 'You d

! None

nd they had no end of a shindy, better than any, they say, since Lake and Benson fifteen years ago; but Ward was in too great a passion, or he would have done for Fielder long before old Hoxton wa

l. 'What, for making me the

hat seat for you, and papa sent him away with you. They only meant to poke fun, and it was his caring

e to be made

, and shall not,' eag

aid she, with

nk you so handsome, and it is very hard that you should be affr

ng, 'one likes generosity in any sort of a cause

sure that her eyes were full of tears; and after mature consideration he decided that he should on

r me in my old age, and I have heard say that a little raving for a grown-up woman is a wholesome sort of delusi

his admiration expended itself in the battle for her charms, there was no knowing. All that was certain was, that the Wards seldom appeared at Dr. May's, although elsewhere Mary and Aubrey saw a great deal of their respective friends, and through both, Ethel heard from time to time of Leonard, chiefly