em's fidgets. He wants to be 'father, mother both, and
uncle, all in one,' and so he misses his natural vocation of elder
brother. He wants to make a woman of her before her time; and now he
has his way with her at school, he shall let her have a little
compensation at home.'

'Is this good for her? Is it the only way she can be happy?'

'It is her way, at least; and if you knew the penance she undergoes at
school, you would not grudge it to her. She is under his orders not to
disclose the secrets of her prison-house, lest they should disquiet
Aunt Catharine; and she will not turn to you, because--I beg your
pardon, Mary--she has imbibed a distrust of all school-girls; and
besides, Jem has gone and insisted on your being her friend more than
human nature can stand.'

'It is a great pity,' said Mary, smiling, but grieved; 'I should not
have been able to do her much good--but if I could only try!'

'I'll tell you,' said Louis, coming near, with a look between
confidence and embarrassment; 'is it in the power of woman to make her
dress look rather more like other people's without inflaming the blood
of the Dynevors--cautiously, you know? Even my father does not dare to
give her half-a-sovereign for pocket-money; but do ask your mother if
she could not be made such that those girls should not make her their
laughingstock.'

'You don't mean it!'

'Aye, I do; and she has not even told James, lest he should wish to
spend more upon her. She glories in it, but that is hardly wholesome.'

'Then she told you?'

'Oh, yes! We always were brothers! It is great fun to have her here!
I always wished it, and I'm glad it has come before they have made her
get out of the boy. He will be father to the woman some day; and that
will be soon enough, without teasing her.'

Mary wished to ask whether all this were for Clara's good, but she
could not very well put such a question to him; and, after all, it was
noticeable that, noisy and unguarded as Clara's chatter was, there
never was anything that in itself should not have been said: though her
manner with Louis was unceremonious, it was never flirting; and
refinement of mind was as evident in her rough-and-ready manner as in
his high-bred quietness. This seemed to account for Mrs. Frost's
non-interference, which at first amazed her niece; but Aunt Catharine's
element was chiefly with boys, and her love for Clara, though very
great, showed itself chiefly in still regarding