that he has acted from love, for it was as much his duty to take pains while Harry was alive, as afterwards."

66

"Certainly," said Miss Weston, "but what does he say himself ?”

“Oh ! he never will talk of himself," said Lily.

"Have you not overlooked one thing which may be the truth,” said Alethea, as if she was asking for information, "that duty and love may be identical. Is not St. Paul's description of charity very like the duty to our neighbour?"

"The practice is the same, but not the theory," said Lily.

66

Now, what is called duty, seems to me to be love doing unpleasant work," said Miss Weston, "love disguised under another name, when obliged to act in a way which seems, only seems, out of accordance with its real title."

"That is all very well for those who have love," said Lily. "Some have not who do their duty conscientiously-another word which I hate, by the bye." "They have love in a rough coat, perhaps," said Alethea," and I should expect it soon to put on a smoother one."

F

CHAPTER VII.

SIR MAURICE.

"Small thought was his, in after time,
Thus to be hitched into a rhyme;
The simple sire could only boast

That he was loyal to his cost,

The banished race of kings revered,
And lost his land."

THE holidays arrived, and with them the three brothers, for during the first few weeks of the Oxford vacation, Claude accompanied Lord Rotherwood on visits to some college friends, and only came home the same day as the younger ones.

Maurice did not long leave his sisters in doubt as to what was to be his reigning taste, for, as soon as dinner was over, he made Jane find the volume of the Encyclopædia containing Entomology, and with his elbows on the table, proceeded to study it so intently, that the young ladies gave up all hopes of rousing him from it. Claude threw himself down on the sofa to enjoy the luxury of a desultory talk with his sisters; and Reginald, his head on the floor, and his heels on a chair, talked loud and fast enough

for all three, with very little regard to what the damsels might be saying.

"Oh! Claude," said Lily, "you cannot think how much we like Miss Weston, she lets us call her Alethea, and-"

Here came an interruption from Mr. Mohun, who perceiving the position of Reginald's dusty shoes, gave a loud "Ah-h!" as if he was scolding a dog, and ordered him to change them directly.

"Here, Phyl!" said Reginald, kicking off his shoes, "just step up and bring my slippers, Rachel will give them to you.”

Away went Phyllis, well pleased to be her brother's fag.

"Ah! Redgie does not know the misfortune that hangs over him," said Emily.

"What?" said Reginald, "will not the Baron let Viper come to the house ?"

"Worse," said Emily, "Rachel is going away." "Rachel ?" cried Claude, starting up from the sofa. "Rachel ?" said Maurice, without raising his eyes. "Rachel ! Rachel ! botheration !" roared Reginald, with a wondrous caper.

66

'Yes, Rachel," said Emily, "Rachel, who makes so much of you, for no reason that I could ever discover, but because you are the most troublesome."

"You will never find any one to mend your jackets, and dress your wounds like Rachel," said Lily, “and make a baby of you instead of a great school-boy. What will become of you, Redgie ?"

"What will become of any of us?" said Claude,

"I thought Rachel was the main-spring of the house."

"Have you quarrelled with her, Emily?" said Reginald.

66

Nonsense," said Emily. "it is only that her brother has lost his wife, and wants her to take care of his children."

"Well," said Reginald, "her master has lost his wife, and wants her to take care of his children."

"I cannot think what I shall do," said Ada, “I about it every night when I go to bed. What is to be done ?"

cry

"Send her brother a new wife," said Maurice. "Send him Emily," said Reginald, "we could spare her much better."

"Only I don't wish him joy," said Maurice.

66

Well, I hope you wish me joy of my substitute," said Emily, "I do not think you would ever guess, but Lily, after being in what Rachel calls quite a way, has persuaded every one to let us have Esther Bateman."

"What, the Baron ?" said Claude, in surprise.

Yes," said Lily, "is it not delightful? He said at first, Emily was too inexperienced to teach a young servant; but then we settled that Hannah should be upper servant, and Esther will only have to wait upon Phyl and Ada. Then he said Faith Longley was of a better set of people, but I am sure it would give one the nightmare to see her lumbering about the house, and then he talked it over with Robert and with Rachel."

"And was not Rachel against it, or was she too kind to her young ladies ?"

"Oh! she was cross when she talked it over with us," said Lily, "but we coaxed her over, and she told the Baron it would do very well."

"And Robert ?"

"He was quite with us, for he likes Esther as much as I do," said Lily.

"Now, Lily," said Jane, "how can you say he was quite with you, when he said he thought it would be better if she was further from home, and under some older person."

"Yes, but he allowed that she would be much safer here than at home," said Lily.

"But I thought she used to be the head of all the ill behaviour in school," said Claude.

"Oh! that was in Eleanor's time," said Lily, "there was nothing to draw her out, she never was encouraged; but since she has been in my class, and has found that her wishes to do right are appreciated and met by affection, she has been quite a new creature."

"Since she has been in my class," Claude repeated.

"Well,” said Lily, with a slight blush, “it is just what Robert says. He told her when he gave her her prize Bible on Palm Sunday, that she had been going on very well, but she must take great care when removed from those whose influence now guided her, and who could he have meant but me? And now she is to go on with me always. She will be quite one of the old sort of faithful servants, who feel that they owe every thing to their masters, and will it not