Scenes and Characters | Page 8

confess that Emily is a much more engaging
person,' said Lily.
'Certainly, I had rather talk nonsense to her,' said Claude.
'You feel it, though you will not allow it,' said Lily. 'Now think of
Emily's sympathy, and gentleness, and sweet smile, and tell me if she is
not a complete personification of love. And then Eleanor,
unpoetical--never thrown off her balance by grief or joy, with no ups
and downs--no enthusiasm--no appreciation of the beautiful--her
highest praise "very right," and tell me if there can be a better image of
duty.'
Claude might have had some chance of bringing Lily to her senses, if
he had allowed that there was some truth in what she had said; but he
thought the accusation so unjust in general, that he would not agree to
any part of it, and only answered, 'You have very strange views of duty
and of Eleanor.'
'Well!' replied Lily, 'I only ask you to watch; Emily and I are
determined to act on the principle of love, and you will see if her
government is not more successful than that of duty.'
Such was the principle upon which Lily intended her sister to govern
the household, and to which Emily listened without knowing what she
meant much better than she did herself. Emily's own views, as far as
she possessed any, were to get on as smoothly as she could, and make
everybody pleased and happy, without much trouble to herself, and also
to make the establishment look a little more as if a Lady Emily had
lately been its mistress, than had been the case in Eleanor's time. Mr.
Mohun's property was good, but he wished to avoid unnecessary
display and expense, and he expected his daughters to follow out these
views, keeping a wise check upon Emily, by looking over her accounts
every Saturday, and turning a deaf ear when she talked of the age of the
drawing-room carpet, and the ugliness of the old chariot. Emily had a
good deal on her hands, requiring sense and activity, but Lilias and
Jane were now quite old enough to assist her. Lily however, thought fit
to despise all household affairs, and bestowed the chief of her attention
on her own department--the village school and poor people; and she
was also much engrossed by her music and drawing, her German and

Italian, and her verse writing.
Claude had more power over her than any one else. He was a gentle,
amiable boy, of high talent, but disposed to indolence by ill health. In
most matters he was, however, victorious over this propensity, which
was chiefly visible in his love of easy chairs, and his dislike of active
sports, which made him the especial companion of his sisters. A
dangerous illness had occasioned his removal from Eton, and he had
since been at home, reading with his cousin Mr. Devereux, and sharing
his sisters' amusements.
Jane was in her own estimation an important member of the
administration, and in fact, was Emily's chief assistant and deputy. She
was very small and trimly made, everything fitted her precisely, and
she had tiny dexterous fingers, and active little feet, on which she
darted about noiselessly and swiftly as an arrow; an oval brown face,
bright colour, straight features, and smooth dark hair, bright sparkling
black eyes, a little mouth, wearing an arch subdued smile, very white
teeth, and altogether the air of a woman in miniature. Brisk, bold, and
blithe--ever busy and ever restless, she was generally known by the
names of Brownie and Changeling, which were not inappropriate to her
active and prying disposition.
Excepting Claude and Emily, the young party were early risers, and
Lily especially had generally despatched a good deal of business before
the eight o'clock breakfast.
At nine they went to church, Mr. Devereux having restored the custom
of daily service, and after this, Mr. Mohun attended to his
multitudinous affairs; Claude went to the parsonage,--Emily to the
storeroom, Lily to the village, the younger girls to the schoolroom,
where they were presently joined by Emily. Lily remained in her own
room till one o'clock, when she joined the others in the schoolroom,
and they read aloud some book of history till two, the hour of dinner
for the younger, and of luncheon for the elder. They then went out, and
on their return from evening service, which began at half-past four, the
little ones had their lessons to learn, and the others were variously
employed till dinner, the time of which was rather uncertain but always
late. The evening passed pleasantly and quickly away in reading, work,
music, and chatter.
As Emily had expected, her first troubles were with Phyllis; called, not

the neat handed, by her sisters; Master Phyl, by her brothers; and Miss