"Five Leghorn bonnets would have cost too much," said Katherine, "and Mamma wished us all to be alike."
"Ah! she would not let you be smarter than her own girls, eh, Kitty?"
said Harriet, laughing.
"I had been obliged to buy a very nice new straw bonnet at d.y.k.elands,"
said Helen, "and it, would have been a pity not to use that."
"Well, I have no notion of a whole row of sisters being forced to dress alike," said Harriet; "Aunt Mildred might--"
Here Lucy stopped her sister"s speech, by bringing the gown forward to display it. When Harriet had sufficiently explained its excellence she began, "So your cousin, young Merton, is coming, is he?"
"Yes," said Katherine, "we expected him last night, or in the course of this day, but he has not come yet."
"Well, what sort of a young fellow is he?" said Harriet.
"Very clever indeed," said Katherine.
"Oh! then he will not be in my line at all," said Harriet; "those clever boys are never worth speaking to, are they, Lucy?"
"Do you like stupid ones better?" said Helen.
"Capital, isn"t it, Lucy?" cried Harriet; "I did not mean stupid; I only meant, clever boys, as they call them, have no fun, they only read, read for ever, like my brother Allan."
"I am sure Rupert is full of fun," said Katherine.
"Oh, but he is quite a boy, is not he?" said Harriet.
"Nineteen, and at Oxford," said Katherine.
"Oh! I call that quite a boy--don"t you, Lucy?" said Harriet; "is he handsome?"
"Yes, very," said Katherine.
"Not like his sister, then, I suppose," said Harriet.
"Oh! do not you, think Anne pretty?" said Katherine.
"I do not know--no, too small and pale to suit me," said Harriet.
"Rupert is not like Anne," said Katherine, "he has a very bright pink and white complexion, and light hair."
"Is he tall?"
"No, not so tall as your brother George, but slighter. He has had two of his front teeth knocked out by a stone at school," said Katherine.
"What a fuss they did make about those teeth!" muttered Helen.
"Was that the school where Horace is?" said Harriet.
"Yes," said Katherine, "Sandleford."
"How you must miss Horace!" said Lucy.
"Poor little fellow, yes, that we do," said Katherine, "but he was so riotous, he would pull all my things to pieces. n.o.body could manage him but Lizzie, and she never minds what she has on."
"What a tear he did make in my frock!" said Harriet, laughing; "didn"t he, Lucy?"
"How tired you look, Lucy," said Helen, "I am sure you ought to be in bed."
"Oh no, I am not very sleepy," said Lucy, smiling.
"I am dead tired, I am sure," said Harriet, yawning; "it was so hot in the railway carriage."
"Cannot the rest of those things be put away to-morrow morning, Harriet?" said Helen.
"Oh!" said Harriet, yawning, "there will not be time; Lucy may as well do them all now she has begun. How sleepy I am! we walked about London all the morning."
"Come, Helen," said Katherine, "it is quite time for us to be gone; we must be up early to-morrow."
CHAPTER V.
The morning of the twenty-eighth of August was as fine as heart could wish, and the three sisters rose almost as soon as it was light, to fulfil their promise of attending to all the small nondescript matters of arrangement, needful when a large party is expected by a family not much in the habit of receiving company. Katherine, who had quite given up all thoughts of equalling her elder sister in talent, and who prided herself on being the useful member of the family, made herself very busy in the store-room; Helen, arranged the fruit with much taste; and Elizabeth was up-stairs and down, here, there, and everywhere, till it was difficult to find anything which she had not rectified by labour of head or hand.
"Well," said she, as she brought Helen a fresh supply of vine leaves from the garden, "I wonder whether Rupert will come in time. I shall be very sorry if he does not, for he has done a great deal for the church."
"Has he indeed?" said Helen, with an air that expressed, "I should not have thought it."
"O Helen, how can you take so little interest in the church?" said Elizabeth; "do not you remember how much trouble Rupert took to find a pattern for the kneeling-stools, and what a beautiful drawing he sent of those at Magdalen Collegia Chapel? I am sure he would be very much vexed to miss the Consecration."
"I suppose he might come if he pleased," said Helen; "but perhaps he did not choose to get up early enough."
"That is the first time I ever heard Rupert accused of indolence," said Elizabeth.
"I do not mean that he does not generally get up in good time," said Helen; "he is not lazy; but I do not think he chooses to put himself out of the way; and besides, he rather likes to make people anxious about him."
"I know you have never liked Rupert," said Elizabeth drily.
"Papa thinks as I do," said Helen; "I have heard him say that he is a spoiled child, and thinks too much of himself."
"Oh! that was only because Aunt Anne worked that beautiful waistcoat for him," said Elizabeth; "that was not Rupert"s fault."
"And Papa said that he was quite fond enough already of smart waistcoats," said Helen; "and he laughed at his wearing a ring."
"That is only a blood-stone with his crest," said Elizabeth, "and I am sure no one can accuse Rupert of vulgar smartness."