〃Because　I　cannot　bear　that　he　should　be　deceived；　and　should　feed　on
  false　hopes。　　Do　you　think　it　right；　Richard？〃
  〃I　will　write　to　him；　if　you　like；〃　said　Richard；　〃but　I　think　he
  must　pretty　well　know　the　truth　from　all　the　letters　to　Harry　and　to
  himself。〃
  〃It　would　be　so　much　better　for　him　to　settle　his　mind　at　once；〃　said
  Margaret。
  〃Perhaps　he　would　not　think　so〃
  There　was　a　pause；　while　Margaret　saw　that　her　brother　was　thinking。
  At　last　he　said；　〃Margaret；　will　you　pardon　me？　　I　do　think　that　this
  is　a　little　restlessness。　　The　truth　has　not　been　kept　from　him；　and
  I　do　not　see　that　we　are　called　to　force　it　on　him。　　He　is　sensible
  and　reasonable；　and　will　know　how　to　judge　when　he　comes　home。〃
  〃It　was　to　try　to　save　him　the　pang；〃　murmured　Margaret。
  〃Yes；　but　it　will　be　worse　far　away　than　near。　　I　do　not　mean　that　we
  should　conceal　the　fact；　but　you　have　no　right　to　give　him　up　before
  he　comes　home。　　The　whole　engagement　was　for　the　time　of　his　voyage。〃
  〃Then　you　think　I　ought　not　to　break　it　off　before　his　return？〃
  〃Certainly　not。〃
  〃It　will　be　pain　sparedunless　it　should　be　worse　by　and　by。〃
  〃I　do　not　suppose　we　ought　to　look　to　by　and　by；〃　said　Richard。
  〃How　so？〃
  〃Do　the　clearly　right　thing　for　the　present；　I　mean；〃　he　said；
  〃without　anxiety　for　the　rest。　　How　do　weany　of　usknow　what　may
  be　the　case　in　another　year？〃
  〃Do　not　flatter　me　with　hopes；〃　said　Margaret；　sadly　smiling；　〃I　have
  had　too　many　of　them。〃
  〃No；〃　said　Richard；　〃I　do　not　think　you　will　ever　get　well。　　But　so
  much　may　happen〃
  〃I　had　rather　have　my　mind　made　up　once　for　all；　and　resign　myself；〃
  said　Margaret。
  〃His　will　is　sometimes　that　we　should　be　uncertain；〃　said　Richard。
  〃And　that　is　the　most　trying；〃　said　Margaret。
  〃Just　so〃　and　he　paused　tenderly。
  〃I　feel　how　much　has　been　right；〃　said　Margaret。　　〃This　wedding　has
  brought　my　real　character　before　me。　　I　feel　what　I　should　have　been。
  You　have　no　notion　how　excited　and　elated　I　can　get　about　a　little
  bit　of　dress　out　of　the　common　way　for　myself　or　others；〃　said　she；
  smiling；　〃and　then　all　the　external　show　and　things　belonging　to
  stationI　naturally　care　much　more　for　them　than　even　Flora　does。
  Ethel　would　bear　all　those　things　as　if　they　did　not　existI　could
  not。〃
  〃They　would　be　a　temptation？〃
  〃They　would　once　have　been。　　Yes；　they　would　now；〃　said　Margaret。
  〃And　government；　and　management；　and　influenceyou　would　not　guess
  what　dreams　I　used　to　waste　on　them；　and　now　here　am　I　set　aside　from
  it　all；　good　for　nothing　but　for　all　you　dear　ones　to　be　kind　to。〃
  〃They　would　not　say　so；〃　said　Richard　kindly。
  〃Not　say　it；　but　I　feel　it。　　Papa　and　Ethel　are　all　the　world　to　each
  otherRichard；　I　may　say　it　to　you。　　There　has　been　only　one　thing
  more　hard　to　bear　than　thatdon't　suppose　there　was　a　moment's
  neglect　or　disregard；　but　when　first　I　understood　that　Ethel　could　be
  more　to　him　than　I；　then　I　could　not　always　feel　rightly。　　It　was　the
  punishment　for　always　wanting　to　be　first。〃
  〃My　father　would　be　grieved　that　you　had　the　notion。　　You　should　not
  keep　it。〃
  〃He　does　not　know　it　is　so；〃　said　Margaret；　〃I　am　his　first　care；　I
  fear；　his　second　grief；　but　it　is　not　in　the　nature　of　things　that
  Ethel　should　not　be　more　his　comfort　and　companion。　　Oh！　I　am　glad　it
  was　not　she　who　married！　　What　shall　we　do　when　she　goes？〃
  This　came　from　Margaret's　heart；　so　as　to　show　that　if　there　had　once
  been　a　jealous　pang　of　mortification；　it　had　been　healed　by
  overflowing；　unselfish　affection　and　humility。
  They　went　off　to　praise　Ethel；　and　thence　to　praise　Norman；　and　the
  elder　brother　and　sister；　who　might　have　had　some　jealousy　of　the
  superiority　of　their　juniors；　spent　a　good　happy　hour　in　dwelling　on
  the　shining　qualities　they　loved　so　heartily。
  And　Richard　was　drawn　into　talking　of　his　own　deeper　thoughts；　and
  Margaret　had　again　the　comfort　of　clerical　counseland　now　from　her
  own　most　dear　brother！　　So　they　sat　till　darkness　closed　in；　when
  Ethel　came　down；　bringing　Gertrude　and　her　great　favour；　very　full　of
  chatter；　only　not　quite　sure　whether　she　had　been　bride；　bride's…
  maid；　or　bridegroom。
  The　schoolroom　set；　with　Tom　and　Aubrey；　came　home　soon　after；　and
  tongues　went　fast　with　stories　of　roast…beef；　plum…pudding；　and
  blind…man's…buff。　　How　the　dear　Meta　had　sent　a　cart　to　Cocksmoor　to
  bring　Cherry　herself；　and　how　many　slices　everybody　had　eaten；　and
  how　the　bride's　health　had　been　drunk　by　the　children　in　real　wine；
  and　how　they　had　all　played；　Norman　and　all；　and　how　Hector　had　made
  Blanche　bold　enough　to　extract　a　raisin　from　the　flaming　snap…dragon。
  It　was　not　half　told　when　Dr。　May　came　home；　and　Ethel　went　up　to
  dress　for　her　dinner　at　Abbotstoke；　Mary　following　to　help　her　and
  continue　her　narration；　which　bade　fair　to　entertain　Margaret　the
  whole　evening。
  Dr。　May；　Richard；　and　Ethel　had　a　comfortable　dark　drive　to　the
  Grange；　and；　on　arriving；　found　Hector　deep　in　'Wild　Sports　of　the
  West'；　while　Norman　and　Meta　were　sitting　over　the　fire　talking；　and
  Mr。　Rivers　was　resting　in　his　library。
  And　when　Ethel　and　Meta　spent　the　time　before　the　gentlemen　came　in
  from　the　dining…room；　in　a　happy　tete…a…tete；　Ethel　learned　that　the
  fire…light　dialogue　had　been　the　pleasantest　part　of　the　whole　day；
  and　that　Meta　had　had　confided　to　her　the　existence　of　Decius　Musa
  secret　which　Ethel　had　hitherto　considered　as　her　own　peculiar
  property；　but　she　supposed　it　was　a　pledge　of　the　sisterhood；　which
  Meta　professed　with　all　the　house　of　May。
  CHAPTER　VIII。
  The　rest　all　accepted　the　kind　invitation；
  And　much　bustle　it　caused　in　the　plumed　creation；
  Such　ruffling　of　feathers；　such　pruning　of　coats；
  Such　chirping；　such　whistling；　such　clearing　of　throats；
  Such　polishing　bills；　and　such　oiling　of　pinions；
  Had　never　been　known　in　the　biped　dominions。
  Peacock　at　Home。
  Etheldred　was　thankful　for　that　confidence　to　Meta　Rivers；　for
  without　it；　she　would　hardly　have　succeeded　in　spurring　Norman　up　to
  give　the　finishing　touches　to　Decius；　and　to　send　him　in。　　If　she
  talked　of　the　poem　as　the　devotion　of　Decius；　he　was　willing　enough；
  and　worked　with　spirit；　for　he　liked　the　ideas；　and　enjoyed　the
  expressing　them；　and　trying　to　bring　his　lines　to　his　notion　of
  perfection；　but　if　she　called　it　the　〃Newdigate；〃　or　the　〃Prize
  Poem；〃　and　declared　herself　sure　it　would　be　successful；　he　yawned；
  slackened；　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　and　began　to　read　other　people's
  poetry；　which　Ethel　was　disrespectful　enough　not　to　think　nearly　as
  good　as　his　own。
  It　was　completed　at　last；　and　Ethel　stitched　it　up　with　a　narrow　red
  and　white　ribbonthe　Balliol　colours；　and　set　Meta　at　him　till　a
  promise　was　extorted　that　he　would　send　it　in。
  And；　in　due　time；　Ethel　received　the　following　note：
  〃My　Dear　Ethel；
  〃My　peacock　bubble　has　flown　over　the　house。　　Tell　them　all　about　it。
  …Your　affectionate；
  N。　W。　M。〃
  They　were　too　much　accustomed　to　Norman's　successes　to　be
  extraordinarily　excited；　Ethel　would　have　been　much　mortified　if　the
  prize　had　been　awarded　to　any　one　else；　but；　as　it　was；　it　came
  rather　as　a　matter　of　course。　　The　doctor　was　greatly　pleased；　and
  said　he　should　drive　round　by　Abbotstoke　to　tell　the　news　there；　and
  then　laughed　beyond　measure　to　hear　that　Meta　had　been　in　the　plot；
  saying　he　should　accuse　the　little　humming…bird　of　being　a　magpie；
  stealing　secrets。
  By　this　time　the　bride　and　bridegroom　were　writing　that　they　thought
  of　soon　returning；　they　had　spent　the　early　spring　at　Paris；　had
  wandered　about　in　the　south　of　France；　and　now　were　at　Paris　again。
  Flora's　letters　were　long；　descriptive；　and　affectionate；　and　she　was
  eager　to　be　kept　fully　informed　of　everything　at　home。　　As　soon　as
  she　heard　of　Norman's　success；　she　wrote　a　whole　budget　of　letters；
  declaring　that　she　and　George　would　hear　of　no　refusal；　they　were
  going　to　spend　a　fortnight　at　Oxford　for　the　Commemoration；　and　must
  have　Meta　and　Ethel　with　them　to　hear　Norman's　poem　in　the　theatre。
  Dr。　May；　who　already　had　expressed　a　hankering　to　run　up　for　the　day
  and　take　Ethel　with　him；　was　perfectly　delighted　at　the　proposal；　and
  so　was　Mr。　Rivers；　but　the　young　ladies　made　many　demurs。　　Ethel
  wanted　Mary　to　go　in　her　stead；　and　had　to　be　told　that　this　would
  not　be　by　any　means　the　same　to　the　other　partiesshe　could　not　bear
  to　leave　Margaret；　it　was　a　long　time　since　there　had　been　letters
  from　the　Alcestis；　and　she　did　not　like　to　miss　being　at　home　when
  they　should　come；　and　Meta；　on　her　side；　was　so　unwilling　to　leave
  her　father　that；　at　last；　Dr。　May　scolded　them　both　for　a　pair　of
  conceited；　self…important　damsels；　who　thought　nothing　could　go　on
  without　them；　and　next；　compared　them　to　young　birds；　obliged　to　be
  shoved　by　force　into　flying。
  Meta　consented　first；　on　condition　that　Ethel　would；　and　Ethel　found
  that　her　whole　house　would　be　greatly　disappointed　if　she　refused；　so
  she　proceeded　to　be　grateful；　and　then　discovered　how　extremely
  delightful　the　plan　was。　　Oxford；　of　which　she　had　heard　so　much；　and
  w