mmonds did not come for nearly a week afterwards. I was rather
afraid what Cecilia would think of them for I expected they would talk
Scotch--I know Angus used to do--and Cecilia is from the South, and I
thought she would be quite shocked. But I find they talk just as we do,
only with a little Scots accent, as if they were walking over sandhills
in their throats--as least that is how it sounds to me. Flora has
rather more of it than Angus, but then her voice is so clear and soft
that it sounds almost pretty. A young gentleman came with them, named
Duncan Keith, who was going with Angus about that business he has to do.
They only stayed one night, didn't [Note 4.] Mr Keith and Angus, and
then went on about their business; but Father was so pleased with Mr
Keith, that he invited him to come back when Angus does, which will be
in about three weeks or a month. So here we are, eight girls instead of
four, with never a young man among us. Father says, when Angus and Mr
Keith come back, we will have Ephraim Hebblethwaite and Ambrose
Catterall to spend the evening, and perhaps Esther Langridge too. I
don't feel quite sure that I should like Esther to come. She is not
only as bad as Sophy with her "buts" and her "comes" but she does not
behave quite genteelly in some other ways: and I don't want Cecilia
Osborne to fancy that we are a set of vulgar creatures who do not know
how to behave. I don't care half so much what Flora thinks.

Cecilia has not been here a fortnight, and yet I keep catching myself
wondering what she will think about everything. It is not that I have
made a friend of her: in fact, I am not sure that I quite like her. She
seems to throw a sort of spell over me, does Cecilia, as if I were
afraid of her and must obey her. I don't half like it.

My Aunt Kezia has put us into rooms in pairs, while they are here. In
Sophy's chamber, where I generally sleep, are Sophy and Charlotte. In
Fanny's, which she and Hatty have when we are by ourselves, are Fanny
and Amelia. In the green spare chamber are Hatty and Cecilia; and in
the blue one, Flora and me. My Aunt Kezia said she thought we should
find that the pleasantest arrangement; but I do wish she had given Flora
to Hatty, and put Cecilia with me. I am sure I should have understood
Cecilia much better than Hatty, who will persist in calling her Cicely,
which she says she does not like because it is such a vulgar name--and
so common, too. Cecilia say