I think he fidgets less,' said Laura; 'but I
think his chief contortions of the scissors have been when Philip has
been here.'

'They have, I believe,' said her mother, I was thinking of giving him a
hint.'

'Well, aunt, you are a tamer of savage beasts if you venture on such a
subject,' said Philip.

'Do you dare me?' she asked, smiling.

'Why, I don't suppose he would do more than give you one of his
lightning glances: but that, I think, is more than you desire.'

'Considerably,' said Mrs. Edmonstone; 'for his sake as much as my own.'

'But,' said Laura, 'mamma has nearly cured him of pawing like a horse in
the hall when he is kept waiting. He said he knew it was impatience,
and begged her to tell him how to cure it. So she treated him as an old
fairy might, and advised him in a grave, mysterious way, always to go
and play the "Harmonious Blacksmith," when he found himself getting
into "a taking", just as if it was a charm. And he always does it most
dutifully.'

'It has a very good effect,' said Mrs. Edmonstone; 'for it is apt to act
as a summons to the other party, as well as a sedative to him.'

'I must say I am curious to see what you will devise this time,' said
Philip; 'since you can't set him to play on the piano; and very few can
bear to be told of a trick of the kind.'

In the course of that evening, Philip caused the great atlas to be
brought out in order to make investigations on the local habitation of
a certain Khan of Kipchack, who existed somewhere in the dark ages. Then
he came to Marco Polo, and Sir John Mandeville; and Guy, who knew both
the books in the library at Redclyffe, grew very eager in talking them
over, and tracing their adventures--then to the Genoese merchants, where
Guy confessed himself perfectly ignorant. Andrea Doria was the only
Genoese he ever heard of; but he hunted out with great interest all the
localities of their numerous settlements. Then came modern Italy, and
its fallen palaces; then the contrast between the republican merchant
and aristocratic lord of the soil; then the corn laws; and then, and not
till then, did Philip glance at his aunt, to show her Guy balancing a
Venetian weight on as few of his fingers as could support it.

'Guy,' said she, smiling, 'does that unfortunate glass inspire you with
any arguments in favour of the Venetians?'

Guy put it down at once, and Philip proceeded to improved methods of
farming, to enable landlords to meet the exigencie