access to the upper shelves. Opposite were four large windows, now
hidden by their ample curtains; and near them was at one end of the
room a piano, at the other a drawing-desk. The walls were wainscoted
with polished black oak, the panels reflecting the red fire-light
like mirrors. Over the chimney-piece hung a portrait, by Vandyke, of
a pale, dark cavalier, of noble mien, and with arched eyebrows,
called by Lilias, in defiance of dates, by the name of Sir Maurice de
Mohun, the hero of the family, and allowed by every one to be a
striking likeness of Claude, the youth who at that moment lay,
extending a somewhat superfluous length of limb upon the sofa, which
was placed commodiously at right angles to the fire.

The other side of the fire was Mr. Mohun's special domain, and there
he sat at his writing-table, abstracted by deafness and letter
writing, from the various sounds of mirth and nonsense, which
proceeded from the party round the long narrow sofa table, which they
had drawn across the front of the fire, leaving the large round
centre table in darkness and oblivion.

This party had within the last half hour been somewhat thinned; the
three younger girls had gone to bed, the Rector of Beechcroft, Mr.
Robert Devereux, had been called home to attend some parish business,
and there remained Emily and Lilias--tall graceful girls, with soft
hazel eyes, clear dark complexions, and a quantity of long brown
curls. The latter was busily completing a guard for the watch, which
Mr. Hawkesworth had presented to Reginald, a fine handsome boy of
eleven, who, with his elbows on the table, sat contemplating her
progress, and sometimes teasing his brother Maurice, who was
earnestly engaged in constructing a model with some cards, which he
had pilfered from the heap before Emily. She was putting her