She had a good deal of her
brother's vivacity, with gentleness and grace, which made her very
engaging, and her perfect recollection of the New Court, and of
childish days, charmed her cousins. Lady Rotherwood was very kind
and affectionate, and held out hopes of many future meetings. The
next day Maurice and Reginald came home from school, bringing a
better character for diligence than usual, on which they founded
hopes that the holidays would be left to their own disposal. They
were by no means pleased with the arrangement made with Mr. Stevens
and most unwillingly did they undertake the expedition to Stony
Bridge, performing the journey in a very unsociable manner. Maurice
was no horseman, and chose to jog on foot through three miles of
lane, while Reginald's pony cantered merrily along, its master's head
being intent upon the various winter sports in which William and Lord
Rotherwood allowed him to share. Little did Maurice care for such
diversions; he was, as Adeline said, studying another 'apology.'
This time it was phrenology, for which the cropped heads of Lilias
and Jane afforded unusual facility. There was, however, but a
limited supply of heads willing to be fingered, and Maurice returned
to the most abiding of his tastes, and in an empty room at the Old
Court laboured assiduously to find the secret of perpetual motion.
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