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reasonable　as　possible；　though　much　grieved　that　he　thought　she　could
not　be　present。

Ethel；　after　going　with　Meta　to　her　room　at　night；　returned　as　usual
to　talk　matters　over　with　him；　and　again　say　how　good　Meta　was。

〃And　I　think　Norman's　coming　did　her　a　great　deal　of　good；〃　said
Ethel。

〃Ha！　yes；〃　said　the　doctor　thoughtfully。

〃She　thinks　so　much　of　Mr。　Rivers　having　been　fond　of　him。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃he　was。　　I　find；　in　glancing　over　the　will；
which　was　newly　made　on　Flora's　marriage；　that　he　has　remembered
Normanleft　him　？00　and　his　portfolio　of　prints　by　Raffaelle。〃

〃Has　he；　indeed？how　very　kind；　how　much　Norman　will　value　it。〃

〃It　is　remarkable；〃　said　Dr。　May；　and　then；　as　if　he　could　not　help
it；　told　Ethel　what　Mr。　Rivers　had　said　of　his　wishes　with　regard　to
his　daughter。　　Ethel　blushed　and　smiled；　and　looked　so　much　touched
and　delighted；　that　he　grew　alarmed　and　said；　〃You　know；　Ethel；　this
must　be　as　if　it　never　had　been　mentioned。〃

〃What！　you　will　not　tell　Norman？〃

〃No；　certainly　not；　unless　I　see　strong　cause。　　They　are　very　fond　of
each　other；　certainly；　but　they　don't　know；　and　I　don't　know；　whether
it　is　not　like　brother　and　sister。　　I　would　not　have　either　of　them
guess　at　this；　or　feel　bound　in　any　way。　　Why；　Ethel；　she　has　thirty
thousand　pounds；　and　I　don't　know　how　much　more。〃

〃Thirty　thousand！〃　said　Ethel；　her　tone　one　of　astonishment；　while
his　had　been　almost　of　objection。

〃It　would　open　a　great　prospect；〃　continued　Dr。　May　complacently；
〃with　Norman's　talents；　and　such　a　lift　as　that；　he　might　be　one　of
the　first　men　in　England；　provided　he　had　nerve　and　hardness　enough；
which　I　doubt。〃

〃He　would　not　care　for　it；〃　said　Ethel。

〃No；　but　the　field　of　usefulness；　but　what　an　old　fool　I　am；　after
all　my　resolutions　not　to　be　ambitious　for　that　boy；　to　be　set　a…
going　by　such　a　thing　as　this！　　Still　Norman　is　something　out　of　the
common　way。　　I　wonder　what　Spencer　thinks　of　him。〃

〃And　you　never　mean　them　to　hear　of　it？〃

〃If　they　settle　it　for　themselves；〃　said　Dr。　May；　〃that　sanction　will
come　in　to　give　double　value　to　mine；　or　if　I　should　see　poor　Norman
hesitating　as　to　the　inequality；　I　might　smooth　the　way；　but　you　see；
Ethel；　this　puts　us　in　a　most　delicate　situation　towards　this　pretty
little　creature。　　What　her　father　wanted　was　only　to　guard　her　from
fortune…hunters；　and　if　she　should　marry　suitably　elsewherewhy；　we
will　be　contented。〃

〃I　don't　think　I　should　be；〃　said　Ethel。

〃She　is　the　most　winning　of　humming…birds；　and　what　we　see　of　her
now；　gives　one　double　confidence　in　her。　　She　is　so　far　from　the
petted；　helpless　girl　that　he；　poor　man；　would　fain　have　made　her！
And　she　has　a　bright；　brave　temper　and　elastic　spirits　that　would　be
the　very　thing　for　him；　poor　boy；　with　that　morbid　sensitivenesshe
would　not　hurt　her；　and　she　would　brighten　him。　　It　would　be　a　very
pretty　thingbut　we　must　never　think　about　it　again。〃

〃If　we　can　help　it；〃　said　Ethel。

〃Ah！　I　am　sorry　I　have　put　it　into　your　head　too。　　We　shall　not　so
easily　be　unconscious　now；　when　they　talk　about　each　other　in　the
innocent　way　they　do。　　We　have　had　a　lesson　against　being　pleased　at
match…making！〃　　But；　turning　away　from　the　subject；　〃You　shall　not
lose　your　Cocksmoor　income；　Ethel〃

〃I　had　never　thought　of　that。　　You　have　taken　no　fees　here　since　we
have　been　all　one　family。〃

〃Well；　he　has　been　good　enough　to　leave　me　？00；　and　Cocksmoor　can
have　the　interest；　if　you　like。〃

〃Oh；　thank　you；　papa。〃

〃It　is　only　its　due；　for　I　suppose　that　is　for　attendance。
Personally；　to　myself；　he　has　left　that　beautiful　Claude　which　he
knew　I　admired　so　much。　　He　has　been　very　kind！　　But；　after　all；　we
ought　not　to　be　talking　of　all　thisI　should　not　have　known　it；　if　I
had　not　been　forced　to　read　the　will。　　Well；　so　we　are　in　Flora's
house；　Ethel！　　I　wonder　how　poor　dear　little　Meta　will　feel　the　being
a　guest　here；　instead　of　the　mistress。　　I　wish　that　boy　were　three　or
four　years　older！　　I　should　like　to　take　her　straight　home　with　usI
should　like　to　have　her　for　a　daughter。　　I　shall　always　look　on　her
as　one。〃

〃As　a　Daisy！〃　said　Ethel。

〃Don't　talk　of　it！〃　said　Dr。　May　hastily；　〃this　is　no　time　for　such
things。　　After　all；　I　am　glad　that　the　funeral　is　not　hereFlora　and
Meta　might　be　rather　overwhelmed　with　these　three　incongruous　sets　of
relations。　　By　their　letters；　those　Riverses　must　be　quite　as　queer　a
lot　as　George's　relations。　　After　all；　if　we　have　nothing　else；
Ethel；　we　have　the　best　of　it；　in　regard　to　such　relations　as　we
have。〃

〃There　is　Lord　Cosham；〃　said　Ethel。

〃Yes；　he　is　Meta's　guardian；　as　well　as　her　brother；　but　he　could　not
have　her　to　live　with　him。　　She　must　depend　upon　Flora。　　But　we　shall
see。〃

Ethel　felt　confident　that　Flora　would　be　very　kind　to　her　little
sister…in…law；　and　yet　one　of　those　gleams　of　doubt　crossed　her；
whether　Flora　would　not　be　somewhat　jealous　of　her　own　authority。

Late　the　next　evening；　the　carriage　drove　to　the　door；　and　George　and
Flora　appeared　in　the　hall。　　Their　sisters　went　out　to　meet　them；　and
George　folded　Meta　in　his　arms；　and　kissing　her　again　and　again；
called　her　his　poor　dear　little　sister；　and　wept　bitterly；　and　even
violently。　　Flora　stood　beside　Ethel；　and　said；　in　a　low　voice；　that
poor　George　felt　it　dreadfully；　and　then　came　forward；　touched　him
gently；　and　told　him　that　he　must　not　overset　Meta；　and；　drawing　her
from　him；　kissed　her；　and　said　what　a　grievous　time　this　had　been　for
her；　and　how　sorry　they　had　been　to　leave　her　so　long；　but　they　knew
she　was　in　the　best　hands。

〃Yes；　I　should　have　been　so　sorry　you　had　been　over…tired。　　I　was
quite　well　off；〃　said　Meta。

〃And　you　must　look　on　us　as　your　home；〃　added　Flora。

〃How　can　she？〃　thought　Ethel。　　〃This　is　taking　possession；　and　making
Meta　a　guest　already！〃

However；　Meta　did　not　seem　so　to　feel　itshe　replied　by　caresses；
and　turned　again　to　her　brother。　　Poor　George　was　by　far　the　most
struck　down　of　all　the　mourners；　and　his　whole　demeanour　gave　his　new
relations　a　much　warmer　feeling　towards　him　than　they　could　ever　have
hoped　to　entertain。　　His　gentle　refined　father　had　softly　impressed
his　duller　nature；　and　his　want　of　attention　and　many　extravagances
came　back　upon　him　acutely　now；　in　his　changed　home。　　He　could　hardly
bear　to　look　at　his　little　orphan　sister；　and　lavished　every　mark　of
fondness　upon　her；　nor　could　he　endure　to　sit　at　the　bottom　of　his
table；　but　when　they　had　gone　in　to　dinner；　he　turned　away　from　the
chair　and　hid　his　face。　　He　was　almost　like　a　child　in　his　want　of
self…restraint；　and　with　all　Dr。　May's　kind　soothing　manner；　he　could
not　bring　him　to　attend　to　any　of　the　necessary　questions　as　to
arrangements；　and　was　obliged　to　refer　to　Flora；　whose　composed　good
sense　was　never　at　fault。

Ethel　was　surprised　to　find　that　it　would　be　a　great　distress　to　Meta
to　part　with　her　until　the　funeral　was　over；　though　she　would　hardly
express　a　wish　lest　Ethel　should　be　needed　at　home。　　As　soon　as　Flora
perceived　this；　she　begged　her　sister　to　stay；　and　again　Ethel　felt
unpleasantly　that　Meta　might　have　seen；　if　she　had　chosen；　that　Flora
took　the　invitation　upon　herself。

So；　while　Dr。　May；　with　George；　Norman；　and　Tom；　went　to　London；　she
remained；　though　not　exactly　knowing　what　good　she　was　doing；　unless
by　making　the　numbers　rather　less　scanty；　but　both　sisters　declared
her　to　be　the　greatest　comfort　possible；　and　when　Meta　shut　herself
up　in　her　own　room；　where　she　had　long　learned　to　seek　strength　in
still　communing　with　her　own　heart；　Flora　seemed　to　find　it　a　relief
to　call　her　sister　to　hers；　and　talk　over　ordinary　subjects；　in　a
tone　that　struck　on　Ethel's　ear　as　a　little　incongruousbut　then
Flora　had　not　been　here　from　the　first；　and　the　impression　could　not
be　as　strong。　　She　was　very　kind；　and　her　manner；　when　with　others；
was　perfect；　from　its　complete　absence　of　affectation；　but；　alone
with　Ethel；　there　was　a　little　complacency　sometimes　betrayed；　and
some　curiosity　whether　her　father　had　read　the　will。　　Ethel　allowed
what　she　had　heard　of　the　contents　to　be　extracted　from　her；　and　it
certainly　did　not　diminish　Flora's　secret　satisfaction　in　being
'somebody'。

She　told　the　whole　history　of　her　visits；　first；　how　cordial　Lady
Leonora　Langdale　had　been；　and　then；　how　happy　she　had　been　at
Glenbracken。　　The　old　Lord　and　Lady；　and　Marjorie；　all　equally
charming　in　their　various　ways；　and　Norman　Ogilvie　so　good　a　son；　and
so　highly　thought　of　in　his　own　country。

〃Did　I　tell　you；　Ethel；　that　he　desired　to　be　remembered　to　you？〃

〃Yes；　you　said　so。〃

〃What　has　Coralie　done　with　it？〃　continued　Flora；　seeking　in　her
dressing…case。　　〃She　must　have　put　it　away　with　my　brooches。　　Oh；　no；
here　it　is。　　I　had　been　looking　for　Cairngorm　specimens　in　a　shop；
saying　I　wanted　a　brooch　that　you　would　wear；　when　Norman　Ogilvie
came　riding　after　the　carriage；　looking　quite　hot　and　eager。　　He　had
been　to　some　other　place；　and　hunted　this　one　up。　　Is　it　not　a
beauty？〃

It　was　one　of　the　round　Bruce　brooches；　of　dark　pebble；　with　a　silver
fern…leaf　lying　across　it；　the　dots　of　small　Cairngorm　s