'You feel it, though you will not allow it,' said Lily. 'Now think
of Emily's sympathy, and gentleness, and sweet smile, and tell me if
she is not a complete personification of love. And then Eleanor,
unpoetical--never thrown off her balance by grief or joy, with no ups
and downs--no enthusiasm--no appreciation of the beautiful--her
highest praise "very right," and tell me if there can be a better
image of duty.'
Claude might have had some chance of bringing Lily to her senses, if
he had allowed that there was some truth in what she had said; but he
thought the accusation so unjust in general, that he would not agree
to any part of it, and only answered, 'You have very strange views of
duty and of Eleanor.'
'Well!' replied Lily, 'I only ask you to watch; Emily and I are
determined to act on the principle of love, and you will see if her
government is not more successful than that of duty.'
Such was the principle upon which Lily intended her sister to govern
the household, and to which Emily listened without knowing what she
meant much better than she did herself. Emily's own views, as far as
she possessed any, were to get on as smoothly as she could, and make
everybody pleased and happy, without much trouble to herself, and
also to make the establishment look a little more as if a Lady Emily
had lately been its mistress, than had been the case in Eleanor's
time.
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