ap,
which her ingenious fingers had compounded of the lining of certain ugly
old curtains.

His presence in this silent state served, too, as a protection in Mrs.
Langford's periodical visitations to stir the fire; but for him, she
would assuredly have found fault, and probably Beatrice would have
come to a collision with her, which would have put an end to the whole
scheme.

It formed a considerable addition to Henrietta's list of his avocations,
and really by making the utmost of everything he did for other people
during that whole week, she made the number reach even to seventy-nine
by the next Thursday morning. The most noted of these employments were
the looking over a new Act of Parliament with the county member, the
curing grandmamma's old gander of a mysterious lameness, the managing
of an emigration of a whole family to New Zealand, the guessing a riddle
supposed "to have no answer," and the mending of some extraordinary
spring that was broken in Uncle Roger's new drill. Beatrice was charmed
with the list; Aunt Mary said it was delightful to be so precious to
every one; and grandpapa, shaking his head at his son, said he was
ashamed to find that his family contained such a Jack of all trades; to
which Uncle Geoffrey replied, that it was too true that "all work and no
play make Jack a very dull boy."

The breaking up of the frost, with a succession of sleet, snow and
rain, was much in favour of Beatrice and her plans, by taking away
all temptation from the boys to engage in out-of-door amusements; and
Antonio and Bassanio studied their parts so diligently, that Carey
was heard to observe that it might just as well be half year. They had
besides their own proper parts, to undertake those of the Princes of
Arragon and Morocco, since Queen Bee, willing to have as much of Nerissa
as possible, had determined to put their choice, and that of Bassanio,
all into the one scene belonging to "suit." It was one of those
occasions on which she showed little consideration, for she thus gave
Portia an immense quantity to learn in only two days; persuading herself
all the time that it was no such hard task, since the beautiful
speech about mercy Henrietta already knew by heart, and she made
no difficulties about the rest. Indeed, Beatrice thought herself
excessively amiable in doing all she could to show off her cousin's
beauty and acting, whilst taking a subordinate part herself; forgetting
that humility is not shown in ch