“Don’t you utilize Mrs. Charnock? or is she not strong enough for early hours?”

“Poor Anne!  The truth is, I am afraid of her.  I fancy all her doctrine comes out of the Westminster Catechism.”

“Could Calvinism be put in at seven years old?  Would not it be a pouring of stiff glue into a narrow-necked phial?”

“Result—­nil.”

“A few pure drops might got in—­and you could give her books.”

“It had struck me that it might be wholesome work for her; but the children’s good must stand first.  And, timid and reserved as she seems, she insisted on preaching at the work-room, so that Cecil had to put a stop to it.”

“Are you certain about that preaching?”

“Rose heard of it from Cecil herself.”

“Did she ask what it amounted to?”

“I don’t know; perhaps I had better find out.  I remember it came after that ride to Sirenwood.  By the bye, Jenny, I wish Cecil could be hindered from throwing herself into that oak of Broceliande!”

“Are not you so suspicious that you see the waving arms and magic circles everywhere?”

“A friendship with any one here is so unnatural, that I can’t but think it a waving of hands boding no good.  And there is worse than friendship in that quarter too.”

“Oh, but Lenore is quite different!”

“A Vivienne still!” said Julius, bitterly.  “If she costs poor Frank nothing more than his appointment, it will be well.”

“I don’t understand!”

“She caught him in her toils two years ago at Rockpier; and now she is playing fast and loose with him—­withdrawing, as I believe; and at any rate keeping the poor foolish boy in such an agitation, that he can’t or won’t settle to his reading; and Driver thinks he will break down.”

“I can’t think it of Lenore.—­Oh! good morning, Raymond!”

“Good morning!  May I come to breakfast number one?  I have to go to Backsworth.”

“Yes,” said Jenny; “we told papa it was too bad to put you on the Prison Committee.  What does your wife say?”

“My wife has so many occupations, that she is very sufficient for herself,” said Raymond.  “I hope you will get on with her, Jenny.  If she could only be got to think you intellectual!”

“Me?  O, Raymond! you’ve not been telling her so?” exclaimed Jenny, laughing heartily.

“A very superior coach in divinity, &c.,” said Julius, in a tone half banter, half earnest.

But Jenny exclaimed in distress, “No, no, no; say nothing about that!  It would never do for Herbert to have it known.  Don’t let him guess that you know.”

“Quite right, Jenny; never fear,” said Julius; “though it is tempting to ask you to take Frank in hand at the same time.”

“Have you seen anything of the Vivians?” asked Raymond.

“Very little.  I hoped to see something of Eleonora from hence.”

“I can’t understand that young lady,” said Julius.  “She was very friendly when first we met her; but now she seems absolutely repellant.”