nd
neither he nor Rivers have forgiven me.'

'Poor child! I don't believe she has ever known a moment's thorough
health or comfort! I always hope that with Flora's patience and
management she may improve.'

'Pshaw, Ethel! she will always be a misfortune to herself and everybody
else.'

'I have faith in good coming out of misfortunes.'

'Illustrated, I suppose, by ravings about your young Ward. Mary is
crazy about his sister, and the Doctor lunatic as to the brother, who
will soon kick at him for his pains.'

'I own to thinking Leonard capable of great things.'

Tom made a grimace equal to what Ethel could do in that way, thrust his
hands deep into his pockets, and philosophically observed, 'Behold the
effects of patronage! Blind Cupid is nothing to him.'

Ethel let it pass, caring too much for Leonard to set him up as a mark
for Tom's satire, which was as different from Aubrey's as quinine from
orange-peel, though properly used, it was a bracing tonic, such as she
often found wholesome. A cynical younger brother is a most valuable
possession to a woman who has taken a certain position in her own world.

Tom was a sterling character, highly and deeply principled, though not
demonstrative, and showing his Scots descent. None of the brothers had
been extravagant, but Tom, with the income of his lately achieved
fellowship, performed feats of economy, such as attaining to the
purchase of an ultra perfect microscope, and he was consistently
industrious, so exactly measuring his own powers that to undertake was
with him to succeed, and no one suffered anxiety on his account. As Dr.
Spencer said, he was as sure to fall on his legs as a sandy cat, and so
nobody cared for him. At home he was sufficient to himself, properly
behaved to his father, civil to Richard, unmerciful in ridicule, but
merciful in dominion over the rest, except Ethel, whom he treated as an
equal, able to retort in kind, reserving for her his most
highly-flavoured sallies, and his few and distant approaches to such
confidence as showed her how little she knew him. His father esteemed
but did not 'get on with' him, and his chief and devoted adherent was
Aubrey, to whom he was always kind and helpful. In person Tom was tall
and well-made, of intelligent face, of which his spectacles seemed a
natural feature, well-moulded fine-grained hand, and dress the
perfection of correctness, though the precision, and dandyism had been
pruned away.

Ethel