He had now come home rather from a sense of duty than an expectation
of pleasure, and he was quite surprised to find how much more
attractive the New Court had become. Emily and Lilias were now
conversible and intelligent companions, better suited to him than
Eleanor had ever been, and he had himself in these four years
acquired a degree of gentleness and consideration which prevented him
from appearing so unapproachable as in days of old. This was
especially the case with regard to Claude, whose sensitive and rather
timid nature had in his childhood suffered much from William's boyish
attempts to make him manly, and as he grew older, had almost felt
himself despised; but now William appreciated his noble qualities,
and was anxious to make amends for his former unkindness.
Claude came home from Oxford, not actually ill, but in the ailing
condition in which he often was, just weak enough to give his sisters
a fair excuse for waiting upon him, and petting him all day long.
About the same time Phyllis and Adeline came back from Broomhill, and
there was great joy at the New Court at the news that Mrs.
Hawkesworth was the happy mother of a little boy.
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