She
could not see the use of such vehemence; she liked to take things in
a moderate way, and as Claude said, much preferred the passive to the
active voice. Claude, on the contrary, was ashamed of his
constitutional indolence, looked on it as a temptation, and struggled
against it, almost envying his cousin his unabated eagerness and
untiring energy, and liking to be with him, because no one else so
effectually roused him from his habitual languor. His indolence was,
however, so much the effect of ill health, that exertion was
sometimes scarcely in his power, especially in hot weather, and by
the time his brothers' studies were finished each day, he was unfit
for anything but to lie on the grass under the plane-tree.
The days glided on, and the holidays came to an end; Maurice spent
them in adding to his collection of insects, which, with Jane's
assistance, he arranged very neatly; and Reginald and Phyllis
performed several exploits, more agreeable to themselves than
satisfactory to the more rational part of the New Court community.
At the same time, Reginald's devotion to Miss Weston increased; he
never moved from her side when she sang, did not fail to be of the
party when she walked with his sisters, offered her one of his own
puppies, named his little ship 'Alethea,' and was even tolerably
civil to Marianne.
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