ed it.

"Does she make much music?" asked Edgar with his hand under her chin,
turning up her face.

The child shrugged her little shoulders. "She makes a noise," she
said; and those who heard her laughed.

"That is not a very polite way of putting it," said Edgar a little
gravely.

"No," said Josephine.

"You should speak nicely of your sister, my little one," put in
Sebastian.

Fina looked up into his face reproachfully. "You called it a noise
yourself, papa," she said, pouting. "You made her leave off yesterday
as soon as you came in, because you said she made your head ache with
her noise, and set your teeth--something, I don't know what."

"Did I, dear?" he repeated carelessly. "Well, we need not discuss the
subject. I dare say it amuses her to make music, as you call it, and
so we need say no more about it."

"But you did say it was a noise," persisted Fina, climbing on to his
knees and putting her arms round his neck. "And I think it a noise
too."

"Poor Leam's music cannot be very first-rate," remarked Maria, who
was a proficient and played almost as well as a "professional." "Four
years ago she did not know her notes, and four years' practice cannot
be expected to make a perfect pianiste."

"But a person may play very sweetly and yet not be what you call
perfect," said Edgar.

"Do you think so?" Maria answered with a frosty smile. "I do not." Of
what use to have toiled for thirty years early and late at scales
and thorough-bass if a stupid girl like Leam could be allowed to play
sweetly after four years' desultory practice? "Adelaide Birkett, if
you will, plays well," she added; "but Leam, poor child! how should
she?"

"I hope I shall have an opportunity of judging for myself," said
Edgar with his company manner.--"When will you come and dine here,
Dundas?--to-morrow? You and your elder daughter: we shall be very glad
to see you."

He looked to his mother. Mrs. Harrowby had drawn her lips tight, and
wore an injured air doing its best to be resigned. This was
Edgar's first essay in domestic mastership, and it pained her, not
unnaturally.

"Thanks," said Sebastian. "Willingly, if--" looking to Mrs. Harrowby.

"I have no engagement, and Edgar is master now," said that lady.

"And mind that Leam comes too," said Josephine, sharing her favorite
brother's action by design.

"And me," cried Fina.

Whereat they all laughed, which made Fina cry, to be consoled only by
some sweetmeats which Jose