thing had given Catherine more
colour than usual, and as Mrs. Leyburn shook hands with the young
clergyman her mother's eyes turned approvingly to her eldest daughter.
'After all, she is as handsome as Rose,' she said to herself--'though it
_is_ quite a different style.'

Rose, who was always tea-maker, dispensed her wares; Catherine took her
favourite low seat beside her mother, clasping Mrs. Leyburn's thin
mittened hand awhile tenderly in her own; Robert and Agnes set up a
lively gossip on the subject of the Thornburghs' guests, in which Rose
joined, while Catherine looked smiling on. She seemed apart from the
rest, Robert thought; not, clearly, by her own will, but by virtue of a
difference of temperament which could not but make itself felt. Yet once
as Rose passed her, Robert saw her stretch out her hand and touch her
sister caressingly, with a bright upward look and smile as though she
would say, 'Is all well? have you had a good time this afternoon,
Roeschen?' Clearly the strong contemplative nature was not strong enough
to dispense with any of the little wants and cravings of human
affection. Compared to the main impression she was making on him, her
suppliant attitude at her mother's feet and her caress of her sister
were like flowers breaking through the stern March soil and changing the
whole spirit of the fields.

Presently he said something of Oxford, and mentioned Merton. Instantly
Mrs. Leyburn fell upon him. Had he ever seen Mr. S---- who had been a
Fellow there, and Rose's godfather?

'I don't acknowledge him,' said Rose, pouting. 'Other people's
godfathers give them mugs and corals. Mine never gave me anything but a
Concordance.'

Robert laughed, and proved to their satisfaction that Mr. S---- had been
extinct before his day. But could they ask him any other questions? Mrs.
Leyburn became quite animated, and, diving into her memory, produced a
number of fragmentary reminiscences of her husband's Queen's friends,
asking him for information about each and all of them. The young man
disentangled all her questions, racked his brains to answer, and showed
all through a quick friendliness, a charming deference as of youth to
age, which confirmed the liking of the whole party for him. Then the
mention of an associate of Richard Leyburn's youth, who had been one of
the Tractarian leaders, led him into talk of Oxford changes and the
influences of the present. He drew for them the famous High Church
preacher