'I never
suspected it, because you are not disagreeable.'
'Thank you,' said Alethea, laughing, 'your compliment rather
surprises me, for I thought you told me that your brother Claude was
on the duty side of the question.'
'He thinks he is,' said Lily, 'but love is his real motive of action,
as I can prove to you. Poor Claude had a very bad illness when he
was about three years old; and ever since he has been liable to
terrible headaches, and he is not at all strong. Of course he cannot
always study hard, and when first he went to school, every one
scolded him for being idle. I really believe he might have done
more, but then he was so clever that he could keep up without any
trouble, and, as Robert says, that was a great temptation; but still
papa was not satisfied, because he said Claude could do better. So
said Harry. Oh! you cannot think what a person Harry was, as high-
spirited as William, and as gentle as Claude; and in his kind way he
used to try hard to make Claude exert himself, but it never would do-
-he was never in mischief, but he never took pains. Then Harry died,
and when Claude came home, and saw how changed things were, how gray
papa's hair had turned, and how silent and melancholy William had
grown, he set himself with all his might to make up to papa as far as
he could.
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