Henceforward she was all in all to her brother. She was a more
spirited and amusing companion to him than his mother had been, from
her greater activity, and perhaps, also, from her originality of
character, which often prompted her to perform her habitual actions
in some new and racy manner. She was tender to lile Will when she
was prompt and sharp with everybody else--with Michael most of all;
for somehow the girl felt that, unprotected by her mother, she must
keep up her own dignity, and not allow her lover to see how strong a
hold he had upon her heart. He called her hard and cruel, and left
her so; and she smiled softly to herself, when his back was turned,
to think how little he guessed how deeply he was loved. For Susan
was merely comely and fine looking; Michael was strikingly handsome,
admired by all the girls for miles round, and quite enough of a
country coxcomb to know it and plume himself accordingly. He was the
second son of his father; the eldest would have High Beck farm, of
course, but there was a good penny in the Kendal bank in store for
Michael. When harvest was over, he went to Chapel Langdale to learn
to dance; and at night, in his merry moods, he would do his steps on
the flag floor of the Yew Nook kitchen, to the secret admiration of
Susan, who had never learned dancing, but who flouted him
perpetually, even while she admired, in accordance with the rule she
seemed to have made for herself about keeping him at a distance so
long as he lived under the same roof with her. One evening he sulked
at some saucy remark of hers; he sitting in the chimney corner with
his arms on his knees, and his head bent forwards, lazily gazing into
the wood-fire on the hearth, and luxuriating in rest after a hard
day's labour; she sitting among the geraniums on the long, low
window-seat, trying to catch the last slanting rays of the autumnal
light to enable her to finish stitching a shirt-collar for Will, who