visit.'

'I have not heard the story often enough to think so,' said Miss
Weston, 'I will warn you if I do.'

In the meantime Phyllis and Adeline were equally charmed with
Marianne, though shocked at her ignorance of country manners, and,
indeed, Alethea was quite diverted with Lily's pity at the discovery
that she had never before been in the country in the spring. 'What,'
she cried, 'have you never seen the tufts of red on the hazel, nor
the fragrant golden palms, and never heard the blackbird rush
twittering out of the hedge, nor the first nightingale's note, nor
the nightjar's low chirr, nor the chattering of the rooks? O what a
store of sweet memories you have lost! Why, how can you understand
the beginning of the Allegro?'

Both the Miss Westons had so much pleasure in making acquaintance
with 'these delights,' as quite to compensate for their former
ignorance, and soon the New Court rang with their praises. Mr. Mohun
thought very highly of the whole family, and rejoiced in such society
for his daughters, and they speedily became so well acquainted, that
it was the ordinary custom of the Westons to take luncheon at the New
Court on Sunday. On her side, however, Alethea Weston felt some
reluctance to become intimate with the young ladies of the New Court.
She was pleased with Emily's manners, interested by Lily's
earnestness and simplicity, and thought Jane a clever and amusing
little creature, but even their engaging qualities gave her pain, by
reminding her of the sisters she had lost, or by making her think how
they would have liked them. A country house and neighbours like
these had been the objects of many visions of their childhood, and