duet." Poor Larkins had no one to make epigrams in her behoof; her
mother was at home tending the younger ones, her father abroad
following the duties of his profession; she had but one protector,
as she thought, and that one was Baroski. Mrs. Crump did not fail
to tell Lumley Limpiter of her own former triumphs, and to sing him
"Tink-a-tink," which we have previously heard, and to state how in
former days she had been called the Ravenswing. And Lumley, on this
hint, made a poem, in which he compared Morgiana's hair to the
plumage of the Raven's wing, and Larkinissa's to that of the canary;
by which two names the ladies began soon to be known in the school.

Ere long the flight of the Ravenswing became evidently stronger,
whereas that of the canary was seen evidently to droop. When
Morgiana sang, all the room would cry "Bravo!" when Amelia
performed, scarce a hand was raised for applause of her, except
Morgiana's own, and that the Larkinses thought was lifted in odious
triumph, rather than in sympathy, for Miss L. was of an envious
turn, and little understood the generosity of her rival.

At last, one day, the crowning victory of the Ravenswing came. In
the trio of Baroski's own opera of "Eliogabalo," "Rosy lips and rosy
wine," Miss Larkins, who was evidently unwell, was taking the part
of the English captive, which she had sung in public concerts before
royal dukes, and with considerable applause, and, from some reason,
performed it so ill, that Baroski, slapping down the music on the
piano in a fury, cried, "Mrs. Howard Walker, as Miss Larkins cannot
sing to-day, will you favour us by taking the part of Boadicetta?"
Mrs. Walker got up smilingly to obey--the triumph was too great to
be withstood; and, as she advanced to the piano, Miss Larkins looked
wildly at her, and stood silent for a while, and, at last, shrieked