"Oh, do you," said Fanny, clapping her white, dimpled hands, "do you
really call us both sisters? And do you tell her how much handsomer Julia
is than I am, and how much more she knows?"
"And how much more does she know?" said Mr. Miller, who was always
interested in whatever Fanny said.
"Oh, she knows a 'heap' more than I do," said Fanny, "I fear I haven't
improved much since you left, for Mr. Wilmot is so very indulgent that he
never scolds when my lessons are but half-learned, but consoles himself, I
suppose, with Julia's great long yarns."
"And are Julia's lessons so very long?" asked Mr. Miller.
"Yes, sir," replied Fanny. "It is the wonder of all the girls how she
manages to commit so much to memory in so short a time, for she never
brings home her books and she spends two-thirds of her time, during school
hours, in writing something on a sheet of foolscap. We girls have our own
suspicions about that paper, for when her lesson is very hard we notice
that she is unusually confined to her notes."
Here Julia angrily exclaimed, "Fanny, what do you mean? Do you intend to
insinuate that I write my lesson down and then read it?"
"Fire and fury," said Mr. Middleton, who had been an attentive listener,
"what's all this about? Tempest, do you write down your task? Good reason
why you don't bring home your books. Speak, girl, quick--are you guilty of
such meanness?"
Julia burst into tears, and said: "No, father, I am not; and I think it
too bad that I should be suspected of such a thing, when I am trying to do
as well as I can."
"I think so too," said Mr. Wilmot, whose sympathies were all with Julia.
Mr. Miller thought otherwise, but he said nothing. Julia had never been a
favorite with him. He understood her character perfectly well and he felt
grieved that his friend should be so deceived in her. Perhaps Julia read
something of what was passing in his mind; for she felt very uneasy for
fear he might tell Mr. Wilmot something unfavorable of her. Nor was she
mistaken in her conjectures, for after the young men had retired for the
night, their conversation naturally enough turned upon the family and the
two girls, both of whom Mr. Wilmot spoke of in the highest terms. Mr.
Miller agreed with him as long as his remarks were confined to Fanny, but
when he came to speak of Julia, and of her superior beauty, intellect and
agreeable manners, he ventured to disagree with him.