s of the times. Guy
had got hold of Mr. Edmonstone's spectacle-case, and was putting its
spring to a hard trial. Mrs. Edmonstone doubted whether to interfere
again; she knew this was not the sort of thing that tried his temper,
yet she particularly disliked playing him off, as it were for Philip's
amusement, and quite as much letting him go on, and lower himself in her
nephew's estimation. The spectacle-case settled the matter--a crack was
heard, it refused to snap at all; and Guy, much discomfited, made many
apologies.

Amy laughed; Philip was much too well-bred to do anything but curl his
lip unconsciously. Mrs. Edmonstone waited till he was gone, then, when
she was wishing Guy 'good-night' at Charles's door, she said,--

'The spectacle-case forestalled me in giving you a lecture on sparing
our nerves. Don't look so very full of compunction--it is only a trick
which your mother would have stopped at five years old, and which you
can soon stop for yourself.'

'Thank you, I will!' said Guy; 'I hardly knew I did it, but I am very
sorry it has teased you.'

Thenceforward it was curious to see how he put down and pushed away all
he had once begun to touch and torture. Mrs. Edmonstone said it was
self command in no common degree; and Philip allowed that to cure so
inveterate a habit required considerable strength of will.

'However,' he said, 'I always gave the Morvilles credit for an iron
resolution. Yes, Amy, you may laugh; but if a man is not resolute in a
little, he will never be resolute in great matters.'

'And Guy has been resolute the right way this time,' said Laura.

'May he always be the same,' said Philip.

Philip had undertaken, on his way back to Broadstone, to conduct
Charlotte to East-hill, where she was to spend the day with a little
niece of Mary Ross. She presently came down, her bonnet-strings tied
in a most resolute-looking bow, and her little figure drawn up so as to
look as womanly is possible for her first walk alone with Philip. She
wished the party at home 'goodbye;' and as Amy and Laura stood watching
her, they could not help laughing to see her tripping feet striving to
keep step, her blue veil discreetly composed and her little head turned
up, as if she was trying hard to be on equal terms with the tall cousin,
who meanwhile looked graciously down from his height, patronising her
like a very small child. After some space, Amy began to wonder what
they could talk about, or whether they w