Lily, whether from her new principle, or her old habits of obedience,
never ventured to touch one of her tempters till after five o'clock,
but, as she was a very rapid reader, she generally contrived to
devour more than a sufficient quantity every evening, so that she did
not enjoy them as much as she would, had she been less voracious in
her appetite, and they made her complain grievously of the dulness of
the latter part of Russell's Modern Europe, which was being read in
the schoolroom, and yawn nearly as much as Phyllis over the
'Pragmatic Sanction.' However, when that book was concluded, and
they began Palgrave's Anglo Saxons, Lily was seized within a sudden
historical fever. She could hardly wait till one o'clock, before she
settled herself at the schoolroom table with her work, and summoned
every one, however occupied, to listen to the reading.
CHAPTER IV--HONEST PHYL
'Multiplication
Is a vexation.'
It was a bright and beautiful afternoon in March, the song of the
blackbird and thrush, and the loud chirp of the titmouse, came
merrily through the schoolroom window, mixed with the sounds of happy
voices in the garden; the western sun shone brightly in, and tinged
the white wainscoted wall with yellow light; the cat sat in the
window-seat, winking at the sun, and sleepily whisking her tail for
the amusement of her kitten, which was darting to and fro, and
patting her on the head, in the hope of rousing her to some more
active sport.
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