endure it, Clara?'

'Britons never shall be slaves!' was the eager response.

'Worthy of the daughter of the Pendragons,' said Louis; 'but it lost
half its effect from being stifled with laughing. You should command
yourself, Clara, when you utter a sentiment. I beg to repeat Miss
Frost Dynevor's novel and striking speech, and declare my adhesion,
'Britons never shall be slaves!' Liberty, fraternity, and equality!
Tyrants, beware!'

'You ungrateful boy!' said Mrs. Frost; 'that's the way you use your
good governess!'

'Only the way the nineteenth century treats all its good governesses,'
said Louis.

'When it gets past them,' said Mary, smiling. 'I hope you did not
think I was not ready to give you up to your tutor?'

Mary found the renunciation more complete than perhaps she had
expected. The return of his cousins had made Fitzjocelyn a different
creature. He did indeed read with James for two hours every morning,
but this was his whole concession to discipline; otherwise he was more
wayward and desultory than ever, and seemed bent on teazing James, and
amusing himself by making Clara extravagantly wild and idle. Tired of
his long confinement, he threw off all prudence with regard to health,
as well as all struggle with his volatile habits; and the more he was
scolded, the more he seemed to delight in making meekly ridiculous
answers and going his own way. Sometimes he and Clara would make an
appointment, at some unearthly hour, to see Mrs. Morris make cheese, or
to find the sun-dew blossom open, or to sketch some effect of morning
sun. Louis would afterwards be tired and unhinged the whole day, but
never convinced, only capable of promoting Clara's chatter; and ready
the next day to stand about with her in the sun at the cottages, to the
increase of her freckles, and the detriment of his ankle. Their
frolics would have been more comprehensible had she been more
attractive; but her boisterous spirits were not engaging to any one but
Louis, who seemed to enjoy them in proportion to her brother's
annoyance, and to let himself down into nearly equal folly.

He gave some slight explanation to Mary, one day when he had been
reminded of one of their former occupations--'Ah! I have no time for
that now. You see there's nobody else to protect that poor Giraffe
from being too rational.'

'Is that her great danger?' said Mary.

'Take my advice, Mary, let her alone. Follow your own judgment, and
not poor J