‘We had not,’ said Miss Clarissa, ‘been in the habit of frequent association with our brother Francis; but there was no decided division or disunion between us. Francis took his road; we took ours. We considered it conducive to the happiness of all parties that it should be so. And it was so.’

Each of the sisters leaned a little forward to speak, shook her head after speaking, and became upright again when silent.

Miss Clarissa never moved her arms. She sometimes played tunes upon them with her fingers — minuets and marches I should think — but never moved them.

‘Our niece’s position, or supposed position, is much changed by our brother Francis’s death,’ said Miss Lavinia; ‘and therefore we consider our brother’s