Averil was lively and at ease, showing herself the pleasant well-
informed girl whom Ethel had hitherto only taken on trust, and acting
in a pretty motherly way towards the little sisters. She was more
visibly triumphant than was Leonard, and had been much gratified by a
request from the Bankside curate that she would entirely undertake
the harmonium at the chapel. She had been playing on it during the
absence of the schoolmaster, and with so much better effect than he
could produce, that it had been agreed that he would be best in his
place among the boys.

'Ah!' said the Doctor, 'two things in one are apt to be like Aubrey's
compromise between walking-stick and camp-stool--a little of
neither.'

'I don't mean it to be a little of neither with me, Dr. May,' said
Averil. 'I shall have nothing to do with my choir on week-days, till
I have sent these pupils of mine to bed.'

'Are you going to train the choir too?' asked Leonard.

'I must practise with them, or we shall not understand one another;
besides, they have such a horrid set of tunes, Mr. Scudamour gave me
leave to change them. He is going to have hymnals, and get rid of
Tate and Brady at once.'

'Ah! poor Nahum!' sighed the Doctor with such a genuine sigh, that
Averil turned round on him in amazement.

'Yes,' said Ethel, 'I'm the only one conservative enough to
sympathize with you, papa.'