"Ah, yes," he said, raising his head; for he had resumed his reading, and apparently become oblivious of her presence. "True, I sent for you to tell you the arrangements I have made."
Then, as he looked at the girl, he said suddenly, "How old are you, my daughter?"
"Fifteen," she answered; "almost a woman now."
He sighed. "True, true, and, one would have said, doubly needing a mother's care. But we must not question the Creator's wisdom. 'His ways are not our ways, neither are his thoughts our thoughts.' 'His will be done.' And since, for his own wise purposes, he has thought fit to remove from you a loving mother—'truly a woman one in a thousand'—just at the time of life when you, as it seems to us, most needed her care, I have thought it necessary to get some one to superintend you and the household. And I am glad to say your cousin, Miss Vernon, has consented to remain with us for some time at least, and carry on your education and that of the younger children."
A flash of contempt passed over the girl's face as her father spoke these words, but she only said, "Yes, father, so I expected."
The tone of her voice sounded rebellious, and Dr. Warner said more decidedly, "I need not say, Priscilla, that I expect you all to show her the greatest respect, remembering that she is giving up her own ease and comfort for our sakes. Of your studies we will speak another day. You are not specially clever, Priscilla, but you are well advanced, and know nearly enough for a woman, I daresay. Go on in the meantime as you have been doing. And be kind to your brothers, Priscilla; they are fine boys, with splendid talents, and please God will turn out great men and an honour to their country. Lewis specially is a brilliant scholar, and has made wonderful progress in mathematics lately; and he is a good boy, too, although his mother seemed latterly afraid of his being easily led by companions. But then even the best of women—and she was one of them—can never be good judges of boys, at least of such a talented one as Lewis. Austin also, though not so clever as his brother, is steady, and will do well."
At these words Priscilla could keep silence no longer. "Austin not so clever, father! Why, he is more so than Lewis, and often helps him with the most difficult problems. Oh, it is Austin, and not Lewis, that will be the great man."
Dr. Warner looked up amazed at his daughter's vehemence, but shook his head. "No, no, Priscilla; Austin is not 'fit to hold a candle' to his brother. But what can a girl like you know about mathematical problems? No doubt both boys help each other, but the real helper, I fancy, is Lewis. Girls cannot understand these things."
It was in Priscilla's heart to tell that the real helper was herself. It was to her that Austin came in his difficulties; and when they had together worked out the problems, he helped Lewis.
A long silence followed this conversation.