Major said I ought to appoint a relation, and I had no one else! And
I knew you would all be good to them, if they had lost me too, when
baby was born."

"We would have tried," said Rachel, a little humbly, "but oh! I am
glad you are here, Fanny!"

Nothing could of course be fixed till the Major had "seen about it."
After which he was to come to let Lady Temple know the result; but
she believed he would first go to Scotland to see his brother. He
and his brother were the only survivors of a large family, and he had
been on foreign service for twelve years, so that it would be very
selfish to wish him not to take full time at home. "Selfish,"
thought Rachel; "if he will only stay away long enough, you shall
learn, my dear, how well you can do without him!"

The boys had interrupted the conversation less than the previous one,
because the lesser ones were asleep, or walking out, and the elder
ones having learnt that a new week was to be begun steadily with
lessons, thought it advisable to bring themselves as little into
notice as possible; but fate was sure to pursue them sooner or later,
for Rachel had come down resolved on testing their acquirements, and
deciding on the method to be pursued with them; and though their
mamma, with a curtain instinctive shrinking both for them and for
herself, had put off the ordeal to the utmost by listening to all the
counsel about her affairs, it was not to be averted.

"Now, Fanny, since it seems that more cannot be done at present, let
us see about the children's education. Where are their books?"