He had long refused to take a seat either in a shipping office or in a tea-merchant's warehouse; and persisted, in spite of the disapproval of uncles and aunts, in practicing both violin and piano, with the result that he could not perform professionally upon either.

Indeed, for thirty-two years of life he had nothing more substantial to show than a manuscript book containing the score of half an opera.

In this protest of his, Katharine had always given him her support, and as she was generally held to be an extremely sensible person, who dressed too well to be eccentric, he had found her support of some use.

Indeed, when she came down at Christmas she usually spent a great part of her time in private conferences with Henry and with Cassandra, the youngest girl, to whom the silkworms belonged.

With the younger section she had a great reputation for common sense, and for something that they despised but inwardly respected and called knowledge of the world--that is to say, of the way in which respectable elderly people, going to their clubs and dining out with ministers, think and behave.