‘It was all my fault,’ said she; ’I was vexed at Claude’s being waked, and that made me speak sharply to Phyllis, and set her roaring.’

‘I do not know which is the most inconsiderate of you,’ said William.

‘You cannot blame me more than I deserve,’ said Lily.  ’May I go to poor Claude?’

’I suppose so; but I do not see what good you are to do.  Quiet is the only thing for him.’

Lily, however, went, and Claude gave her to understand that he liked her to stay with him.  She arranged his blinds and curtains comfortably, and then sat down to watch him.  William went to the drawing-room to write a letter.  Just as he had sat down he heard a strange noise, a sound of sobbing, which seemed to come from the corner where the library steps stood.  Looking behind them, he beheld Phyllis curled up, her head on her knees, crying bitterly.

‘You there!  Come out.  What is the matter now?’

‘I am so very sorry,’ sighed she.

‘Well, leave off crying.’  She would willingly have obeyed, but her sobs were beyond her own control; and he went on, ’If you are sorry, there is no more to be said.  I hope it will be a lesson to you another time.  You are quite old enough to have more consideration for other people.’

‘I am very sorry,’ again said Phyllis, in a mournful note.

’Be sorry, only do not roar.  You make that noise from habit, I am convinced, and you may break yourself off it if you choose.’

Phyllis crept out of the room, and in a few minutes more the door was softly opened by Emily, returning from her walk.

‘I thought Claude was here.  Is he gone to bed?  Is his head worse?’

’Yes, the children have been doing their best to distract him.  Emily, I want to know why it is that those children are for ever in mischief and yelling in all parts of the house.’

‘I wish I could help it,’ said Emily, with a sigh; ’they are very troublesome.’

‘There must be great mismanagement,’ said her brother.

‘Oh, William!  Why do you think so?’

’Other children do not go on in this way, and it was not so in Eleanor’s time.’

‘It is only Phyllis,’ said Emily.

’Phyllis or not, it ought not to be.  What will that child grow up, if you let her be always running wild with the boys?’

’Consider, William, that you see us at a disadvantage; we are all unsettled by this illness, and the children have been from home.’

’As if they learnt all these wild tricks at Broomhill!  That excuse will not do, Emily.’

‘And then they are always worse in the holidays,’ pleaded Emily.

’Yes, there are reasons to be found for everything that goes wrong; but if you were wise you would look deeper.  Now, Emily, I do not wish to be hard upon you, for I know you are in a very difficult position, and very young for such a charge, but I am sure you might manage better.  I do not think you use your energies.  There is no activity, nor regularity, nor method, about this household.  I believe that my father sees that this is the case, but it is not his habit to find fault with little things.  You may think that, therefore, I need not interfere, but—­’