not be at home in time to dress and receive her guests.  They did, however, reach the house before Lilias, who had been walking with Miss Weston, came in, and when she went upstairs, she found Emily full of complaints at the inconvenience of having no Rachel to assist her in dressing, and to see that everything was in order, and that Phyllis was fit to appear when she came down in the evening; but, by the assistance of Lily and Jane, she got over her troubles, and when she went into the drawing-room, she was much relieved to find her two gentlemen quite safe and dressed.  She had been in great fear of Lord Rotherwood’s straying away to join in some of Reginald’s sports, and was grateful to the Irish book for keeping him out of mischief.

Emily was in her glory; it was the first large dinner-party since Eleanor had gone, and though she pitied herself for having the trouble of entertaining the people, she really enjoyed the feeling that she now appeared as the mistress of New Court, with her cousin, the Marquis, by her side, to show how highly she was connected.  And everything went off just as could be wished.  Lord Rotherwood talked intelligibly and sensibly, and Mr. Mohun’s neighbour at dinner had a voice which he could hear.  Lily’s pleasure was not less than her sister’s, though of a different kind.  She delighted in thinking how well Emily did the honours, in watching the varied expression of Lord Rotherwood’s animated countenance, in imagining Claude’s forehead to be finer than that of any one else, and in thinking how people must admire Reginald’s tall, active figure, and very handsome face.  She was asked to play, and did tolerably well, but was too shy to sing, nor, indeed, was Reginald encouraging.  ’What is the use of your singing, Lily?  If it was like Miss Weston’s, now—­’

Reginald had taken a great fancy to Miss Weston; he stood by her all the evening, and afterwards let her talk to him, and then began to chatter himself, at last becoming so confidential as to impart to her the grand object of his ambition, which was to be taller than Claude!

The next morning Lord Rotherwood left Beechcroft, somewhat to Emily’s relief; for though she was very proud of him, and much enjoyed the dignity of being seen to talk familiarly with him, yet, when no strangers were present, and he became no more than an ordinary cousin, she was worried by his incessant activity, and desire to see, know, and do everything as fast and as thoroughly as possible.  She could not see the use of such vehemence; she liked to take things in a moderate way, and as Claude said, much preferred the passive to the active voice.  Claude, on the contrary, was ashamed of his constitutional indolence, looked on it as a temptation, and struggled against it, almost envying his cousin his unabated eagerness and untiring energy, and liking to be with him, because no one else so effectually roused him from his habitual languor.  His indolence was, however, so much the effect of ill health, that exertion was sometimes scarcely in his power, especially in hot weather, and by the time his brothers’ studies were finished each day, he was unfit for anything but to lie on the grass under the plane-tree.