Henry's young lady, now seized with a strong veneration for justice, insisted on her swain's making restitution of the heap of fruit, by this time collected before her. He, accordingly, slipped his hand over Julia's head, and emptied the young lady's plate on hers. Julia turned round; hustled back from off her own chair, and on to Edmund's knee, supporting herself with one arm over his shoulder; and now, facing the enemy, she took up her plate in her other hand, slid off its whole contents on the table near Henry, still without speaking to him, and asked Edmund to give her more fruit; which he did. "That is not polite, my dear," observed Lady L.; "why should you throw Henry's fruit away, and take the same kind from Edmund?" "Because," answered Julia, speaking distinctly, and with an air of importance and decision which amused every one, "I don't love Henry, and I do love Edmund!" "Explicit, upon my word!" said a gentleman at the other side of the table, who had been all day receiving alternate smiles and frowns from an heiress, to whom he was paying his devotions. "You love poor Henry, then, I suppose," said that gentleman's fair neighbour to Frances. "No, indeed!" said Frances; "I hate Henry!" "And so do I!" said Julia. The twins always made it a point to be exactly of the same opinion. "You must not hate any one, my dears," said Lady L., looking grave. Frances was busily engaged arranging the grey hair of the doctor; and the better to effect her purpose, she was standing on tip-toe on the seat of her chair, with her little arms stretched eagerly across the wrinkled, smiling countenance of the good old man. While Julia, having kept the strong position she had at first taken up on Edmund's knee, was sitting perfectly still. "How marked at this moment," observed Mr. Jackson, aside to Mrs. Montgomery, "are the distinguishing characteristics of the two little girls! Quiescent," he proceeded, "I should hardly know one from the other: the size, the fairness of the skin, the brilliancy of the red in the cheek, but especially the remarkable quantity of curling, floating, flaxen hair, is so exactly the same in both." "The eyes," interrupted Mrs. Montgomery, "are a different colour." "Oh, yes; and in my opinion," said Mr. Jackson, "the dark hazel is the most beautiful eye in the world! Yet, Frances', it must be owned, have many of the poets on their side. Do look," he added, "at the elastic spring of all her movements, and the picturesque air of her every attitude; while Julia's grace is always that of repose, except at the moment of some immediate excitement--I mean, of the feelings, when the colour mounts, the eyes sparkle, and all becomes energetic expression. That little creature will require the greatest nicety of management: her very warmth of heart may lead to a too great vehemence of character." "She has certainly a most affectionate disposition," said Mrs. Montgomery.