the daisy chain, or aspirations-第130章

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amusement　and　pleasure　did　still　more　for　her；　and　Norman；　who　was　in
the　parlour　when　the　sisters　appeared；　quite　started　with　surprise
and　satisfaction　at　her　aspect。

〃Well　done。　Flora！〃　he　said。　　〃Why！　I　have　been　telling　Ogilvie　that
one　of　my　sisters　was　very　plain！〃

〃Then；　I　hope　we　have　been　preparing　an　agreeable　surprise　for　him；〃
said　Flora。　　〃Ethel　is　very　much　obliged　to　you。　　By　the　bye；〃　she
said；　in　her　universal　amity；　〃I　must　ask　Harvey　Anderson　to　dinner
one　of　these　days？〃　　Norman　started；　and　his　face　said　〃Don't。〃

〃Oh；　very　well；　it　is　as　you　please。　　I　thought　it　would　please
Stoneborough；　and　that　Edward　was　a　protege　of　yours。　　What　has　he
been　doing？　　Did　we　not　hear　he　had　been　distinguishing　himself？　　Dr。
Hoxton　was　boasting　of　his　two　scholars。〃

〃Ask　him；〃　said　Norman　hurriedly。　〃At　least；〃　said　he；　〃do　not　let
anything　from　me　prevent　you。〃

〃Has　he　been　doing　anything　wrong？〃　reiterated　Flora。

〃Not　that　I　know　of；〃　was　the　blunt　answer；　and；　at　the　same　instant；
Mr。　Ogilvie　arrived。　　He　was　a　pleasant；　high…bred　looking　gentleman；
brown…complexioned；　and　dark…eyed；　with　a　brisk　and　resolute　cast　of
countenance；　that；　Ethel　thought；　might　have　suited　the　Norman　of
Glenbracken；　who　died　on　the　ruddy　Lion　of　Scotland；　and　speaking
with　the　very　same　slight　degree　of　Scottish　intonation　as　she
remembered　in　her　mother；　making　a　most　home…like　sound　in　her　ears。

Presently；　the　rest　of　their　own　party　came　down；　and；　soon　after；
Charles　Cheviot　appeared；　looking　as　quiet　and　tame；　as　he　used　to　be
in　the　schoolboy　days；　when　Norman　would　bring　him　home；　and　he　used
to　be　too　shy　to　speak　a　word。

However；　he　had　learned　the　use　of　his　tongue　by　this　time；　though　it
was　a　very　soft　one；　and　he　stood　by　Ethel；　asking　many　questions
about　Stoneborough；　while　something；　apparently　very　spirited　and
amusing；　was　going　on　between　the　others。

The　dinner　went　off　wellthere　were　few　enough　for　the　conversation
to　be　general。　　The　young　men　began　to　strike　out　sparks　of　wit
against　each　otherFlora　put　in　a　word　or　twoEthel　grew　so　much
interested　in　the　discussion；　that　her　face　lighted　up；　and　she
joined　in　it；　as　if　it　had　been　only　between　her　father　and　brother
keen；　clear；　and　droll。　　After　that；　she　had　her　full　share　in　the
conversation；　and　enjoyed　it　so　much　that；　when　she　left　the　dinner…
table；　she　fetched　her　writing…case　to　sketch　the　colloquy　for
Margaret　and　her　father。

Flora　exclaimed　at　her　for　never　allowing　any　one　to　think　of　rest。
Meta　said　she　should　like　to　do　the　same；　but　it　was　impossible　now；
she　did　not　know　how　she　should　ever　settle　down　to　write　a　letter。
Ethel　was　soon　interruptedthe　gentlemen　entered；　and　Mr。　Ogilvie
came　to　the　window；　where　she　was　sitting；　and　began　to　tell　her　how
much　obliged　to　her　he　and　his　college　were；　for　having　insisted　on
her　brother's　sending　in　his　poem。　　〃Thanks　are　due；　for　our　being
spared　an　infliction　next　week；〃　he　said。

〃Have　you　seen　it？〃　she　asked；　and　she　was　amused　by　the　quick
negative　movement　of　his　head。

〃I　read　my　friend's　poems？　　But　our　lungs　are　prepared！　　Will　you
give　me　my　cueit　is　of　no　use　to　ask　him　when　we　are　to　deafen　you。
One　generally　knows　the　crack　passagessomething　beginning　with　'Oh；
woman！'　but　it　is　well　to　be　in　readinessif　you　would　only　forewarn
me　of　the　telling　hits？〃

〃If　they　cannot　tell　themselves；〃　said　Ethel；　smiling；　〃I　don't　think
they　deserve　the　name。〃

〃Perhaps　you　think　what　does　tell　on　the　undergraduates；
collectively；　is　not　always　what　ought　to　tell　on　them。〃

〃I　don't　know。　　I　dare　say　the　same　would　not　be　a　favourite　with
them　and　with　me。〃

〃I　should　like　to　know　which　are　your　favourites。　　No　doubt　you　have
a　copy　heremade　by　yourself；〃　and　he　looked　towards　her　paper…case。

There　was　the　copy；　and　she　took　it　out；　peering　to　see　whether
Norman　were　looking。

〃Let　me　see；〃　he　said；　as　she　paused　to　open　the　MS。；　〃he　told
me　the　thoughts　were　more　yours　than　his　own。〃

〃Did　he？　　That　was　not　fair。　　One　thought　was　an　old　one；　long　ago
talked　over　between　us；　the　rest　is　all　his　own。〃

Here　Mr。　Ogilvie　took　the　paper；　and　Ethel　saw　his　countenance　show
evident　tokens　of　surprise　and　feeling。

〃Yes；〃　he　said　presently；　〃May　goes　deepdeeper　than　most　men
though　I　doubt　whether　they　will　applaud　this。〃

〃I　should　like　it　better　if　they　did　not；〃　said　Ethel。　　〃It　is　rather
to　be　felt　than　shouted　at。〃

〃And　I　don't　know　how　the　world　would　go　on　if　it　were　felt。　　Few　men
would　do　much　without　the　hope　of　fame；〃　said　Norman　Ogilvie。

〃Is　it　the　question　what　they　would　do？〃　said　Ethel。

〃So　you　call　fame　a　low　motive？　　I　see　where　your　brother's
philosophy　comes　from。〃

〃I　do　not　call　it　a　low　motive〃　Her　pause　was　expressive。

〃Nor　allow　that　the　Non　omnis　moriar　of　Horace　has　in　it　something
divine？〃

〃For　a　heathenyes。〃

〃And　pray；　what　would　you　have　the　moving　spring？〃

〃Duty。〃

〃Would　not　that　end　in　'Mine　be　a　cot；　beside　the　rill'？〃　said　he；
with　an　intonation　of　absurd　sentiment。

〃Well；　and　suppose　an　enemy　came；　would　duty　prompt　not　the　Hay　with
the　jokeor　Winkelried　on　the　spears？〃

〃Nay；　why　not'It　is　my　duty　to　take　care　of　Lucy。'〃

〃Then　Lucy　ought　to　be　broken　on　her　own　wheel。〃

〃Not　at　all！　　It　is　Lucy's　duty　to　keep　her　Colin　from　running　into
danger。〃

〃I　hope　there　are　not　many　Lucies　who　would　think　so。〃

〃I　agree　with　you。　　Most　would　rather　have　Colin　killed　than
disgraced。〃

〃To　be　sure！〃　then；　perceiving　a　knowing　twinkle；　as　if　he　thought
she　had　made　an　admission；　she　added；　〃but　what　is　disgrace？〃

〃Some　say　it　is　misfortune；〃　said　Mr。　Ogilvie。

〃Is　it　not　failure　in　duty？　〃　said　Ethel。

〃Well！〃

〃Colin's　first　duty　is　to　his　king　and　country。　　If　he　fail　in　that；
he　is　disgraced；　in　his　own　eyes；　before　Heaven　and　men。　　If　he　does
it；　there　is　a　reward；　which　seems　to　me　a　better；　more　powerful
motive　for　Lucy　to　set　before　him　than　'My　dear；　I　hope　you　will
distinguish　yourself；'　when　the　fact　is；


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'England　has　forty　thousand　men；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　We　trust；　as　good　as　he。'


〃'Victory　or　Westminster　Abbey！'　is　a　tolerable　war…cry；〃　said　Mr。
Ogilvie。

〃Not　so　good　as　'England　expects　every　man　to　do　his　duty。'　　That
serves　for　those　who　cannot　look　to　Westminster　Abbey。〃

〃Ah！　you　are　an　English　woman！〃

〃Only　by　halves。　　I　had　rather　have　been　the　Master　of　Glenbracken　at
Flodden　than　King　James；　or〃for　she　grew　rather　ashamed　of　having
been　impelled　to　utter　the　personal　allusion〃better　to　have　been
the　Swinton　or　the　Gordon　at　Homildon　than　all　the　rest　put
together。〃

〃I　always　thought　Swinton　a　pig…headed　old　fellow；　and　I　have　little
doubt　that　my　ancestor　was　a　young　ruffian；〃　coolly　answered　the
Master　of　Glenbracken。

〃Why？〃　was　all　that　Ethel　could　say　in　her　indignation。

〃It　was　the　normal　state　of　Scottish　gentlemen；〃　he　answered。

〃If　I　thought　you　were　in　earnest；　I　should　say　you　did　not　deserve
to　be　a　Scot。〃

〃And　so　you　wish　to　make　me　out　a　fause　Scot！〃

〃Ogilvie！〃　called　Norman；　〃are　you　fighting　Scottish　and　English
battles　with　Ethel　there？　　We　want　you　to　tell　us　which　will　be　the
best　day　for　going　to　Blenheim。〃

The　rest　of　the　evening　was　spent　in　arranging　the　programme　of　their
lionising；　in　which　it　appeared　that　the　Scottish　cousin　intended　to
take　his　full　share。　　Ethel　was　not　sorry；　for　he　interested　her
much；　while　provoking　her。　　She　was　obliged　to　put　out　her　full
strength　in　answering　him；　and　felt；　at　the　same　time；　that　he　was
not　making　any　effort　in　using　the　arguments　that　puzzled　hershe
was　in　earnest；　while　he　was　at　play；　and；　though　there　was　something
teasing　in　this；　and　she　knew　it　partook　of　what　her　brothers　called
chaffing；　it　gave　her　that　sense　of　power　on　his　side；　which　is
always　attractive　to　women。　　With　the　knowledge　that；　through　Norman；
she　had　of　his　real　character；　she　understood　that　half；　at　least；　of
what　he　said　was　jest；　and　the　other　half　was　enough　in　earnest　to
make　it　exciting　to　argue　with　him。




CHAPTER　IX。



While　I；　thy　dearest；　sat　apart；
And　felt　thy　triumphs　w