Robert, coming to Oxford about a week after,
found him very ill, and wrote to papa and William, but William
scarcely came in time. Harry just knew him, and that was all. He
could not speak, and died that night. Then William stayed at Oxford
to receive papa, and Robert came to tell us.'
'It must have been a terrible shock.'
'Such a loss--he was so very good and clever. Every one looked up to
him--William almost as much as the younger ones. He never was in any
scrape, had all sorts of prizes at Eton, besides getting his
scholarship before he was seventeen.'
Whenever Lily could get Miss Weston alone, it was her way to talk in
this manner. She loved the sound of her own voice so well, that she
was never better satisfied than when engrossing the whole
conversation. Having nothing to talk of but her books, her poor
people, and her family, she gave her friend the full benefit of all
she could say on each subject, while Alethea had kindness enough to
listen with real interest to her long rambling discourses, well
pleased to see her happy.
The next time they met, Lilias told her all she knew or imagined
respecting Eleanor, and of her own debate with Claude, and ended,
'Now, Miss Weston, tell me your opinion, which would you choose for a
sister, Eleanor or Emily?'
'I have some experience of Miss Mohun's delightful manners, and none
of Mrs.
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