The confidence of the happy family was on this wise. When Leonard
came home with his unpresentable face, he baffled all Ave's anxious
questions, and she was only enlightened by Henry's lamentations, in
his absence, over the hopelessness of a brother who was so low and
vulgar as to box! Her defence being met by a sneer, she flew to tell
Leonard of the calumny, and was laughed at for her innocence, but
extorted that he had fought with a fellow that talked impudently of
some of the Mays--cause fully sufficient in her eyes; nor did Henry
utter any open reproof, though he contrived to exasperate his brother
into fierce retort and angry gesture by an unnecessary injunction not
to show that ungentlemanly face.

Full consciousness of the difficulties presented by the characters of
the two brothers would have been far too oppressive; and perhaps it
was better for Averil that she had it not, but had her own engrossing
interests and employments drawing off her attention and enlivening
her spirits. Her church music was her object in life--the dedication
of the talent that had been cultivated at so much time and cost, and
the greatest honour and enjoyment she could imagine, and she had full
participation from Leonard, who had a hearty love for sacred music,
readily threw himself into her plans, and offered voice and taste to
assist her experiments. Nor had her elder brother any objection to
her being thus brought forward: he was proud of her performance, and
gratified with the compliments it elicited; and all went well till
the new hymnals arrived, and books upon books, full of new tunes,
anthems, and chants, were accumulating on the music-stand.

'What are you about there all the evening, not opening your lips?'

'Leonard is writing out his verses, and I am copying music.'