Very pleasant evenings now passed at Brookfield, which were not at all disturbed by the wonder expressed from time to time by Mr. Pole, that he had not heard from Martha, meaning Mrs. Chump.  “You have Emilia,” the ladies said; this being equivalent to “She is one of that sort;” and Mr. Pole understood it so, and fastened Emilia in one arm, with “Now, a kiss, my dear, and then a toon.”  Emilia readily gave both.  As often as he heard instances of her want of ladylike training, he would say, “Keep her here; we’ll better her.”  Mr. Barrett assisted the ladies to see that there was more in Emilia than even Mr. Pericles had perceived.  Her story had become partially known to them; and with two friendly dependents of the household, one a gentleman and the other a genius, they felt that they had really attained a certain eminence, which is a thing to be felt only when we have something under our feet.  Flying about with a desperate grip on the extreme skirts of aristocracy, the ladies knew to be the elevation of dependency, not true eminence; and though they admired the kite, they by no means wished to form a part of its tail.  They had brains.  A circle was what they wanted, and they had not to learn that this is to be found or made only in the liberally-educated class, into the atmosphere of which they pressed like dungeoned plants.  The parasite completes the animal, and a dependent assures us of our position.  The ladies of Brookfield, therefore, let Emilia cling to them, remarking, that it seemed to be their papa’s settled wish that she should reside among them for a time.  Consequently, if the indulgence had ever to be regretted, they would not be to blame.  In their hearts they were aware that it was Emilia who had obtained for them their first invitation to Lady Gosstre’s.  Gratitude was not a part of their policy, but when it assisted a recognition of material facts they did not repress it.  “And if,” they said, “we can succeed in polishing her and toning her, she may have something to thank us for, in the event of her ultimately making a name.”  That event being of course necessary for the development of so proper a sentiment.  Thus the rides with Wilfrid continued, and the sweet quiet evenings when she sang.

CHAPTER VIII

The windows of Brookfield were thrown open to the air of May, and bees wandered into the rooms, gold spots of sunshine danced along the floors.  The garden-walks were dazzling, and the ladies went from flower-bed to flower-bed in broad garden hats that were, as an occasional light glance flung at a window-pane assured Adela, becoming.  Sunshine had burst on them suddenly, and there was no hat to be found for Emilia, so Wilfrid placed his gold-laced foraging-cap on her head, and the ladies, after a moment’s misgiving, allowed her to wear it, and turned to observe her now and then.  There was never pertness in Emilia’s look, which on the contrary was singularly large and calm when it reposed:  perhaps her dramatic instinct prompted her half-jaunty manner of leaning against the sunny corner of the house where the Chinese honeysuckle climbed.  She was talking to Wilfrid.  Her laughter seemed careless and easy, and in keeping with the Southern litheness of her attitude.