Scenes and Characters Read online

  'A demoiselle dragon-fly,' said Lily; 'what a beauty! what are you going to do with it?'

  'Put it into my museum,' said Maurice. 'Here, Jane, put it under this flower-pot, and take care of it, while I fetch something to kill it with.'

  'Oh, Maurice, do not!' said Emily.

  'One good squeeze,' said Reginald. 'I will do it.'

  'How came you be so cruel?' said Lily.

  'No, a squeeze will not do,' said Maurice; 'it would spoil its beauty; I must put it ever the fumes of carbonic acid.'

  'Maurice, you really must not,' said Emily.

  'Now do not, dear Maurice,' said Ada, 'there's a dear boy; I will give you such a kiss.'

  'Nonsense; get out of the way,' said Maurice, turning away.

  'Now, Maurice, this is most horrid cruelty,' said Lily; 'what right have you to shorten the brief, happy life which-'

  'Well,' interrupted Maurice, 'if you make such a fuss about killing it, I will stick a pin through it into a cork, and let it shift for itself.'

  Poor Phyllis ran away to the other end of the garden, sat down and sobbed, Ada screamed and argued, Emily complained, Lily exhorted Claude to interfere, while Reginald stood laughing.

  'Such useless cruelty,' said Emily.

  'Useless!' said Maurice. 'Pray how is any one to make a collection of natural objects without killing things?'

  'I do not see the use of a collection,' said Lily; 'you can examine the creatures and let them go.'

  'Such a young lady's tender-hearted notion,' said Reginald.

  'Who ever heard of a man of science managing in such a ridiculous way?'

  'Man of science!' exclaimed Lily, 'when he will have forgotten by next Christmas that insects ever existed.'

  It was not convenient to hear this speech, so Maurice turned an empty flower-pot over his prisoner, and left it in Jane's care while he went to fetch the means of destruction, probably choosing the lawn for the place of execution, in order to show his contempt for his sisters.

  'Fair damsel in boddice blue,' said Lily, peeping in at the hole at the top of the flower-pot, 'I wish I could avert your melancholy fate. I am very sorry for you, but I cannot help it.'

  'You might help it now, at any rate,' muttered Claude.

  'No,' said Lily, 'I know Monsieur Maurice too well to arouse his wrath so justly. If you choose to release the pretty creature, I shall be charmed.'

  'You forget that I am in charge,' said Jane.

  'There is a carriage coming to the front gate,' cried Ada. 'Emily, may I go into the drawing-room? Oh, Jenny, will you undo my brown holland apron?'

  'That is right, little mincing Miss,' said Reginald, with a low bow; 'how fine we are to-day.'

  'How visitors break into the afternoon,' said Emily, with a languid turn of her head.

  'Jenny, brownie,' called Maurice from his bedroom window, 'I want the sulphuric acid.'

  Jane sprang up and ran into the house, though her sisters called after her, that she would come full upon the company in the hall.

  'They shall not catch me here,' cried Reginald, rushing off into the shrubbery.

  'Are you coming in, Claude?' said Emily.

  'Send Ada to call me, if there is any one worth seeing,' said Claude

  'They will see you from the window,' said Emily.

  'No,' said Claude, 'no one ever found me out last summer, under these friendly branches.'

  The old butler, Joseph, now showed himself on the terrace; and the young ladies, knowing that he had no intention of crossing the lawn, hastened to learn from him who their visitors were, and entered the house. Just then Phyllis came running back from the kitchen garden, and without looking round, or perceiving Claude, she took up the flower-pot and released the captive, which, unconscious of its peril, rested on a blade of grass, vibrating its gauzy wings and rejoicing in the restored sunbeams.

  'Fly away, fly away, you pretty creature,' said Phyllis; 'make haste, or Maurice will come and catch you again. I wish I had not given you such a fright. I thought you would have been killed, and a pin stuck all through that pretty blue and black body of yours. Oh! that would be dreadful. Make haste and go away! I would not have caught you, you beautiful thing, if I had known what he wanted to do. I thought he only wanted to look at your beautiful body, like a little bit of the sky come down to look at the flowers, and your delicate wings, and great shining eyes. Oh! I am very glad God made you so beautiful. Oh! there is Maurice coming. I must blow upon you to make you go. Oh, that is right-up quite high in the air-quite safe,' and she clapped her hands as the dragon-fly rose in the air, and disappeared behind the laurels, just as Maurice and Reginald emerged from the shrubbery, the former with a bottle in his hand.

  'Well, where is the Libellulla?' said he.

  'The dragon-fly?' said Phyllis. 'I let it out.'

  'Sold, Maurice!' cried Reginald, laughing at his brother's disaster.

  'Upon my word, Phyl, you are very kind!' said Maurice, angrily. 'If I had known you were such an ill-natured crab-'

  'Oh! Maurice dear, don't say so,' exclaimed Phyllis. 'I thought I might let it out because I caught it myself; and I told you I did not catch it for you to kill; Maurice, indeed, I am sorry I vexed you.'

  'What else did you do it for?' said Maurice. 'It is horrid not to be able to leave one's things a minute-'

  'But I did not know the dragon-fly belonged to you, Maurice,' said Phyllis.

  'That is a puzzler, Mohun senior,' said Reginald.

  'Now, Redgie, do get Maurice to leave off being angry with me,' implored his sister.

  'I will leave off being angry,' said Maurice, seeing his advantage, 'if you will promise never to let out my things again.'

  'I do not think I can promise,' said Phyllis.

  'O yes, you can,' said Reginald, 'you know they are not his.'

  'Promise you will not let out any insects I may get,' said Maurice, 'or I shall say you are as cross as two sticks.'

  'I'll tell you what, Maurice,' said Phyllis, 'I do wish you would not make me promise, for I do not think I can keep it, for I cannot bear to see the beautiful live things killed.'

  'Nonsense,' said Maurice, fiercely, 'I am very angry indeed, you naughty child; promise-'

  'I cannot,' said Phyllis, beginning to cry.

  'Then,' said Maurice, 'I will not speak to you all day.'

  'No, no,' shouted Reginald, 'we will only treat her like the horse-stinger; you wanted a puella, Maurice-here is one for you, here, give her a dose of the turpentine.'

  'Yes,' said Maurice, advancing with his bottle; 'and do you take the poker down to Naylor's to be sharpened, it will just do to stick through her back. Oh! no, not Naylor's-the girls have made a hash there, as they do everything else; but we will settle her before they come out again.'

  Phyllis screamed and begged for mercy-her last ally had deserted her.

  'Promise!' cried the boys.

  'Oh, don't!' was all her answer.

  Reginald caught her and held her fast, Maurice advanced upon her, she struggled, and gave a scream of real terror. The matter was no joke to any one but Reginald, for Maurice was very angry and really meant to frighten her.

  'Hands off, boys, I will not have her bullied,' said Claude, half rising.

  Maurice gave a violent start, Reginald looked round laughing, and exclaimed, 'Who would have thought of Claude sneaking there?' and Phyllis ran to the protecting arm, which he stretched out. To her great surprise, he drew her to him, and kissed her forehead, saying, 'Well done, Phyl!'

  'Oh, I knew he was not going to hurt me,' said Phyllis, still panting from the struggle.

  'To be sure not,' said Maurice, 'I only meant to have a little fun.'

  Claude, with his arm still round his sister's waist, gave Maurice a look, expressing, 'Is that the truth?' and Reginald tumbled head over heels, exclaiming, 'I would not have been Phyl just them.'

  Ada now came running up to them, saying, 'Maurice and Redgie, you are to come in; Mr. and Mrs. Burnet heard your
voices, and begged to see you, because they never saw you last holidays.'

  'More's the pity they should see us now,' said Maurice.

  'I shall not go,' said Reginald.

  'Papa is there, and he sent for you,' said Ada.

  'Plague,' was the answer.

  'See what you get by making such a row,' said Claude. 'If you had been as orderly members of society as I am-'

  'Oh, but Claude,' said Ada, 'papa told me to see if I could find you. Dear Claude, I wish,' she proceeded, taking his hand, and looking engaging, 'I wish you would put your arm round me as you do round Phyl.'

  'You are not worth it, Ada,' said Reginald, and Claude did not contradict him.

  CHAPTER VIII-THE BROTHERS

  'But smiled to hear the creatures he had known

  So long were now in class and order shown -

  Genus and species. "Is it meet," said he,

  "This creature's name should one so sounding be -

  'Tis but a fly, though first-born of the spring,

  Bombylius Majus, dost thou call the thing?"

  It was not till Sunday, that Lily's eager wish was fulfilled, of introducing her friend and her brothers; but, as she might have foreseen, their first meeting did not make the perfections of either party very clear to the other. Claude never spoke to strangers more than he could help, Maurice and Reginald were in the room only a short time; so that the result of Miss Weston's observations, when communicated in reply to Lily's eager inquiries, was only that Claude was very like his father and eldest brother, Reginald very handsome, and Maurice looked like a very funny fellow.

  On Monday, Reginald and Maurice were required to learn what they had always refused to acknowledge, that the holidays were not intended to be spent in idleness. A portion of each morning was to be devoted to study, Claude having undertaken the task of tutor-and hard work he found it; and much did Lily pity him, when, as not unfrequently happened, the summons to the children's dinner would bring him from the study, looking thoroughly fagged-Maurice in so sulky a mood that he would hardly deign to open his lips-Reginald talking fast enough, indeed, but only to murmur at his duties in terms, which, though they made every one laugh, were painful to hear. Then Claude would take his brothers back to the study, and not appear for an hour or more, and when he did come forth, it was with a bad headache. Sometimes, as if to show that it was only through their own fault that their tasks were wearisome, one or both boys would finish quite early, when Reginald would betake himself to the schoolroom and employ his idle time in making it nearly impossible for Ada and Phyllis to learn, by talking, laughing, teasing the canary, overturning everything in pursuing wasps, making Emily fretful by his disobedience, and then laughing at her, and, in short, proving his right to the title he had given himself at the end of the only letter he had written since he first went to school, and which he had subscribed, 'Your affectionate bother, R. Mohun.' So that, for their own sake, all would have preferred the inattentive mornings.

  Lily often tried to persuade Claude to allow her to tell her father how troublesome the boys were, but never with any effect. He once took up a book he had been using with them, and pointing to the name in the first page, in writing, which Lily knew full well, 'Henry Mohun,' she perceived that he meant to convince her that it was useless to try to dissuade him, as he thought the patience and forbearance his brother had shown to him must be repaid by his not shrinking from the task he had imposed upon himself with his young brothers, though he was often obliged to sit up part of the night to pursue his own studies.

  If Claude had rather injudiciously talked too much to Lilias of 'her principle,' and thus kept it alive in her mind, yet his example might have made its fallacy evident. She believed that what she called love had been the turning point in his character, that it had been his earnest desire to follow in Henry's steps, and so try to comfort his father for his loss, that had roused him from his indolence; but she was beginning to see that nothing but a sense of duty could have kept up the power of that first impulse for six years. Lily began to enter a little into his principle, and many things that occurred during these holidays made her mistrust her former judgment. She saw that without the unvarying principle of right and wrong, fraternal love itself would fail in outward acts and words. Forbearance, though undeniably a branch of love, could not exist without constant remembrance of duty; and which of them did not sometimes fail in kindness, meekness, and patience? Did Emily show that softness, which was her most agreeable characteristic, in her whining reproofs-in her complaints that 'no one listened to a word she said'-in her refusal to do justice even to those who had vainly been seeking for peace? Did Lily herself show any of her much valued love, by the sharp manner in which she scolded the boys for roughness towards herself? or for language often used by them on purpose to make her displeasure a matter of amusement? She saw that her want of command of temper was a failure both in love and duty, and when irritated, the thought of duty came sooner to her aid than the feeling of love.

  And Maurice and Reginald were really very provoking. Maurice loved no amusement better than teasing his sisters, and this was almost the only thing in which Reginald agreed with him. Reginald was affectionate, but too reckless and violent not to be very troublesome, and he too often flew into a passion if Maurice attempted to laugh at him; the little girls were often frightened and made unhappy; Phyllis would scream and roar, and Ada would come sobbing to Emily, to be comforted after some rudeness of Reginald's. It was not very often that quarrels went so far, but many a time in thought, word, and deed was the rule of love transgressed, and more than once did Emily feel ready to give up all her dignity, to have Eleanor's hand over the boys once more. Claude, finding that he could do much to prevent mischief, took care not to leave the two boys long together with the elder girls. They were far more inoffensive when separate, as Maurice never practised his tormenting tricks when no one was present to laugh with him, and Reginald was very kind to Phyllis and Ada, although somewhat rude.

  It was a day or two after they returned that Phyllis was leaning on the window-sill in the drawing-room, watching a passing shower, and admiring the soft bright tints of a rainbow upon the dark gray mass of cloud. 'I do set my bow in the cloud,' repeated she to herself over and over again, until Adeline entering the room, she eagerly exclaimed, 'Oh Ada, come and look at this beautiful rainbow, green, and pink, and purple. A double one, with so many stripes, Ada. See, there is a little bit more green.'

  'There is no green in a rainbow,' said Ada.

  'But look, Ada, that is green.'

  'It is not real green. Blue, red, and yellow are the pragmatic colours,' said Ada, with a most triumphant air. 'Now are not they, Maurice?' said she, turning to her brother, who was, as usual, deep in entomology.

  'Pragmatic, you foolish child,' said he. 'Prismatic you mean. I am glad you remember what I tell you, however; I think I might teach you some science in time. You are right in saying that blue, red, and yellow are the prismatic colours. Now do you know what causes a rainbow?'

  'It is to show there is never to be another flood,' said Phyllis, gravely.

  'Oh, I did not mean that,' said Maurice, addressing himself to Ada, whose love of hard words made him deem her a promising pupil, and whom he could lecture without interruption. 'The rainbow is caused by-'

  'But, Maurice!' exclaimed Phyllis, remaining with mouth wide open.

  'The rainbow is occasioned by the refraction of the rays of the sun in the drops of water of which a cloud is composed.'

  'But, Maurice!' again said Phyllis.

  'Well, what do you keep on "but, Mauricing," about?'

  'But, Maurice, I thought it said, "I do set my bow in the cloud." Is not that right? I will look.'

  'I know that, but I know the iris, or rainbow, is a natural phenomenon occasioned by the refraction.'

  'But, Maurice, I can't bear you to say that;' and poor Phyllis sat down and began to cry.

  Ada interfered. 'Why, Maurice, you believe the
Bible, don't you?'

  This last speech was heard by Lilias, who just now entered the room, and greatly surprised her. 'What can you be talking of?' said she.

  'Only some nonsense of the children's,' said Maurice, shortly.

  'But only hear what he says,' cried Ada. 'He says the rainbow was not put there to show there is never to be another flood!'

  'Now, Lily,' said Maurice, 'I do not think there is much use in talking to you, but I wish you to understand that all I said was, that the rainbow, or iris, is a natural phenomenon occasioned by the refraction of the solar-'

  'You will certainly bewilder yourself into something dreadful with that horrid science,' said Lily. 'What is the matter with Phyl?'

  'Only crying because of what I said,' answered Maurice. 'So childish, and you are just as bad.'

  'But do you mean to say,' exclaimed Lily, 'that you set this human theory above the authority of the Bible?'

  'It is common sense,' said Maurice; 'I could make a rainbow any day.'

  Whereupon Phyllis cried the more, and Lily looked infinitely shocked. 'This is philosophy and vain deceit,' said she; 'the very thing that tends to infidelity.'

  'I can't help it-it is universally allowed,' said the boy doggedly.

  It was fortunate that the next person who entered the room was Claude, and all at once he was appealed to by the four disputants, Lily the loudest and most vehement. 'Claude, listen to him, and tell him to throw away these hateful new lights, which lead to everything that is shocking!'

  'Listen to him, with three ladies talking at once?' said Claude. 'No, not Phyl-her tears only are eloquent; but it is a mighty war about the token of peace and love, Lily.'

  'The love would be in driving these horrible philosophical speculations out of Maurice's mind,' said Lily.

  'No one can ever drive out the truth,' said Maurice, with provoking coolness. 'Don't let her scratch out my eyes, Claude.'

  'I am not so sure of that maxim,' said Claude. 'Truth is chiefly injured-I mean, her force weakened, by her own supporters.'