'What do you mean, Edmund?'
'I suspect I have done mischief,' said Edmund, after a little consideration, 'and I believe all that remains to be done is to tell you all, and come down from my character of Mentor, which certainly I have not fulfilled particularly well.'
'I am sure I do not understand you,' said Marian.
'Well, then,' said Edmund, speaking in a more free and unembarrassed tone than he had used since he had been at Oakworthy, 'this is the fact of the matter, as Mrs. Cornthwayte would say, Marian. I always thought it very unlucky that you were obliged to live here; but as it could not be helped, and I really knew nothing against the Lyddells, there was no use in honing and moaning about it beforehand, so I tried to make the best of it. Well, I came here, and found things as bad as I expected, and was very glad to find you steady in the principles we learnt at home. Still, I thought you deficient in kindly feeling towards them, and inclined to give way to repining and discontent, and I think you allowed I was not far wrong. To-day, I must allow, I was off my guard, and have made a complete mess of all my prudence.'
'O, I am very glad of it,' said Marian. 'I understand you now, and you are much more like yourself.'
'Yes, it was a very unsuccessful attempt,' said Edmund, again laughing at himself, 'and I am very glad it is over; for I have been obliged to be the high and mighty guardian all this time, and I am very tired of it;' and he yawned.
'Then you don't like them any better than I do,' repeated Marian, in a tone of heartfelt satisfaction.
'Stop, stop, stop; don't think that cousin Edmund means to give you leave to begin hating them.'
'Hating them? O no! but now you will tell me what I ought to do, since there is no possibility of getting away from them.'
'No, there is no possibility,' said Edmund, considering; 'I could not ask the Marchmonts again, though they did make the offer in the first fulness of their hearts. Besides, there are objections; I should not feel satisfied to trust you to so giddy a head as Selina's. No, Marian, it cannot be helped; so let us come to an understanding about these same Lyddells.'
'Well, then, why is it that we do not do better? I know there are faults on my side; but what are the faults on theirs?'
'Marian, I believe the fault to be that they do not look beyond this present life,' said Edmund, in a grave, low tone.
Marian thought a little while, and then said, 'Caroline does, but I see what you mean with the others.'
'Then your conduct should be a witness of your better principles,' said Edmund. 'You may stand on very high ground, and it entirely depends on yourself whether you maintain that position, or sink down to their level.'
'O, but that is awful!' cried Marian; and then in a tone of still greater dismay, 'and Gerald? O, Edmund, what is to become of him?'
'I must trust him to you, Marian.'
'To me!'
'You have great influence over him, and that, rightly used, may be his safeguard. Many a man has owed everything to a sister's influence.' Then, as Marian's eye glistened with somewhat of tender joy and yet of fear, he went on, 'But take care; if you deteriorate, he will be in great danger; and, on the other hand, beware of obstinacy and rigidity in trifles--you know what I mean--which might make goodness distasteful to him.'
'O, worse and worse, Edmund! What is to be done? If I can do him so much harm, I know I can do him very little good; and what will it be when he is older, and will depend less on what I say?'
