Afterhisintroductioneventsmovedswiftly。FirstHelenandMaryappeared，theirfacesshiningandsolemnandmysterious——Helenself-
　　consciousandMarystaringthroughherspectacleslikeaprofoundowl。
　　BecauseJeremyhadknownMaryeversincehecouldremember，hewasunawarethattherewasanythingverypeculiarabouther。Butintruthshewasastrangelookingchild。Verythin，shehadalargehead，withbigoutstandingears，spectacles，andyellowhairpulledbackand“stringy。“Herlargehandswerealwaysred，andherforeheadwasfreckled。Shewasasplainachildasyouwereeverlikelytosee，buttherewascharacterinhermouthandeyes，andalthoughshewasonlysevenyearsold，shecouldreadquitedifficultbooksshewasengagedatthisparticulartimeupon“Ivanhoe“，andshewasageniusatsums。
　　Thepassionofherlife，asthefamilywereallaware，wasJeremy，butitwasanunfortunateanduncomfortablepassion。Shebotheredandworriedhim，shewasinsanelyjealous；shewouldsulkfordaysdidheeverseemtopreferHelentoherself。Nooneunderstoodher；
　　shewasconsidereda“difficultchild，“quiteunlikeanyothermemberofthefamily，exceptpossiblySamuel，Mr。Cole’sbrother-
　　in-law，whowasanunsuccessfulpainterandtherefore“odd。“
　　AsMarywasatpresentonlysevenyearsofageitwouldbetoomuchtosaythatthefamilywasafraidofher。AuntAmy’sattitudewas：
　　“Well，afterall，she’ssuretobecleverwhenshegrowsup，poorchild；“andalthoughtheparishionersofMary’sfatheralwaysalludedtoheras“theludicrousColechild，“theytoldawedlittlestoriesabouttheinfant’smentalcapacities，andconcludedcomfortably，“I’mgladAliceorJaneorMatildaorAnabelisn’tcleverlikethat。Theyoverworkwhentheyareyoung，andthenwhentheygrowup——“
　　MeanwhileMaryledherprivatelife。SheattachedherselftonoonebutJeremy；shewasdelicateandsufferedfromperpetualcolds；shethereforespentmuchofhertimeinthenurseryreading，herhugespectaclesclosetothepage，herthinlegslikeblacksticksstuckuponthefenderinfrontofthefireorcurledupunderheronthewindow-seat。
　　VerydifferentwasHelen。Helenhadamassofdarkblackhair，bigblackeyeswiththickeye-lashes，athinwhiteneck，littlefeet，andalreadyaneyeto“effects“indress。Shewascharmingtostrangers，tothequeercurateswhohauntedthefamilyhall，topoorpeopleandrichpeople，tooldpeopleandyoungpeople。Shewaswarm-heartedbutnotimpulsive，intelligentbutnotclever，sympatheticbutnotsentimental，impatientbutneveruncontrolled。
　　Shelikedalmosteveryoneandalmosteverything，butnooneandnothingmatteredtoherverydeeply；shelikedgoingtochurch，alwayslearntherCollectfirstonSunday，andgavehalfherpocket-
　　moneytothemorningcollection。Shewasgenerousbutneverextravagant，enjoyedfoodbutwasnotgreedy。Shewasquiteawarethatshewasprettyandmightonedaybebeautiful，andshewasgladofthat，butshewasneversillyaboutherlooks。
　　WhenAuntAmy，whowasalwayssillyabouteverything，saidinherpresencetovisitors，“Isn’tHelentheloveliestthingyoueversaw？“shemanagedbyhershyself-confidencetosuggestthatshewaspretty，thatAuntAmywasafool，andlifewasaltogetherveryagreeable，butthatnoneofthesethingswasofanygreatimportance。ShewasverygoodfriendswithJeremy，butsheplayednopartinhislifeatall。Atthesametimesheoftenfoughtwithhim，simplyfromherrealdeepconsciousnessofhersuperioritytohim。
　　Shevaluedherauthorityandasserteditincessantly。Thatauthorityhaduntillastyearbeenunchallenged，butJeremynowwasgrowing。
　　Shehad，althoughshedidnotasyetrealiseit，adifficulttimebeforeher。
　　HelenandMaryadvancedwiththeirpresents，laidthemonthebreakfast-table，andthenretreatedtowatchtheeffectofitall。
　　“ShallInow？“askedJeremy。
　　“Yes，now，“saidHelenandMary。
　　Therewerethreeparcels，onelargeand“shoppy，“twosmallandboundwithfamilypaper，tiedbyfamilyhandswithfamilystring。Hegraspedimmediatelythesituation。Theshoppyparcelwasboughtwithmother’smoneyandonly“pretended“tobefromhissisters；thetwosmallparcelsweretheveryhandiworkoftheladiesthemselves，thesamehavingbeenseenbyalleyesatworkforthelastsixmonths，sometimes，indeed，underthecloakofattemptedsecrecy，butmoreoften——becausewearinessorill-tempermadethemcareless——inthefulllightofday。
　　Hisinterestwascentredalmostentirelyinthe“shoppy“parcel，whichbyitsshapemightbe“soldiers“；butheknewtherulesofthegame，anddisregardingthelarge，ostentatiousbrown-paperedthing，hewentmagnificentlyforthetwosmallincoherentbundles。
　　Heopenedthem。Aflatgreentable-centrewitharedpatternofroses，athicktable-napkinringworkedinyellowworsted，thesewererevealed。
　　“Oh！“hecried，“justwhatIwanted。“Fatheralwayssaidthatonhisbirthday。
　　“Isit？“saidMaryandHelen。
　　“Mine’sthering，“saidMary。“It’sdirtyrather，butitwouldhavegotdirty，anyway，afterwards。“ShewatchedanxiouslytoseewhetherhepreferredHelen’s。
　　Hewatchedthemnervously，lestheshouldbeexpectedtokissthem。
　　Hewipedhismouthwithhishandinstead，andbeganrapidlytotalk：
　　“Jampotwillknownowwhichmineis。She’salwaysgivingmethewrongone。I’llhaveitalways，andthegreenthingtoo。“
　　“It’sforthemiddleofatable，“Heleninterrupted。
　　“Yes，Iknow，“saidJeremyhurriedly。“I’llalwayshaveittoo——likeMary’s——whenI’mgrownupandall……Isay，shallIopentheotheronenow？“
　　“Yes，youcan，“saidHelenandMary，ceasingtotakethecentralplaceintheceremony，spectatorsnowandeagerlyexcited。
　　ButMaryhadalastword。
　　“Youdolikemine，don’tyou？“
　　“Ofcourse，likeanything。“
　　Shewantedtosay“BetterthanHelen’s？“butrestrainedherself。
　　“Iwaseversolongdoingit；IthoughtIwouldn’tfinishitintime。“
　　Hesawwithterrorthatshemeditatedadescentuponhim；akisswasintheair。Shemovedforward；then，tohisextremerelief，thedooropenedandtheeldersarrivingsavedhim。
　　TherewereFatherandMother，UncleSamuelandAuntAmy，allwithpresents，facesofbirthdaytoleranceand“do-as-you-please-to-day，dear“expressions。
　　TheRev。HerbertColewasfortyyearsofage，rectorofSt。James’s，Polchester，duringthelasttenyears，andmarkedoutforgreaterprefermentinthenearfuture。Tobearectoratthirtyisunusual，buthehadgreatreligiousgifts，preachedanadmirable“as-man-to-
　　man“sermon，anddidnotbelieveinthinkingaboutmorethanhecouldsee。Hewasanexcellentfatherintheabstractsense，buttheparishabsorbedtoomuchofhistimetoallowofintimacieswithanyone。
　　Mrs。ColewasthemostplacidladyinEurope。Shehadacomfortablefigure，butwasnotstout，hereadimpleandthereadimple。Nothingcoulddisturbher。Children，servants，herhusband’ssermons，districtvisiting，herTuesday“athomes，“thebutcher，thedean’swife，thewivesofthecanons，thePolchesterclimate，bills，clothes，otherwomen’sclothes——overalltheserocksofperilintheseaofdailylifeherbarquehappilyfloated。Someill-naturedpeoplethoughtherstupid，butinheryoungerdaysshehadlikedTrollope’snovelsintheCornhill，disapprovedplacidlyof“JaneEyre，“andadmiredTennyson，sothatshecouldnotbeconsideredunliterary。
　　Shewaseconomical，warm-hearted，lovedherchildren，talkedonlythegentlestscandal，andwasacompletelyhappywoman——allthisintheplacidestwayintheworld。MissAmyTrefusis，hersister，wasverydifferent，beingthinbothinherfigureandheremotions。Sheskirtedtempestuouslyoverthesurfaceofthings，wasthemostsentimentalofhumanbeings，wasoftenintearsoverreminiscencesofbooksortheweather，wasdeeplyreligiousinasuperficialway，andreally——althoughshewouldhavebeenentirelyastonishedhadyoutoldherso——caredfornooneintheworldbutherself。Shewasdressedalwaysindarkcolours，withthehighshouldersoftheday，elegantbonnetsandlittlechainsthatjingledasshemoved。Inhersoulshefearedanddistrustedchildren，butshedidnotknowthis。
　　Shedidknow，however，thatshefearedanddistrustedherbrotherSamuel。
　　HerbrotherSamuelwasallthattheTrefusisfamily，asaconservativebodywhobelievedintradition，hadleastreasonforunderstanding。HehadbeenafailurefromthefirstmomentofhisentryintotheGrammarSchoolinPolchesterthirty-fiveyearsbeforethisstory。HehadcontinuedafailureatWinchesterandatChristChurch，Oxford。Hehaddesiredtobeapainter；hehadbrokenfromthefamilyandgonetostudyArtinParis。Hehadstarvedandstarved，wasatdeath’sdoor，wasdraggedhome，andtheresuddenlyhadrelapsedintoPolchester，livedfirstonhisfather，thenonhisbrother-in-law，paintedaboutthetown，painted，madecynicalremarksaboutthePolcastrians，painted，madeblasphemousremarksaboutthebishop，thedeanandallthecanons，painted，andrefusedtoleavehisbrother-in-law’shouse。Hewasascandal，ofcourse；hewasfat，untidy，woreabluetam-o’-shanterwhenhewas“out，“andsometimeswentdownOrangeStreetincarpetslippers。
　　Hewasascandal，butwhatareyoutodoifarelativeisobstinateandrefusestogo？Atleastmakehimshave，saythewivesofthecanons。ButnoonehadevermadeSamuelTrefusisdoanythingthathedidnotwanttodo。Hewassometimesnotshavedforthreewholedaysandnights。Atanyrate，thereheis。Itisofnousesayingthathedoesnotexist，asmanyoftheCloseladiestrytodo。Andatleasthedoesnotpaintstrangewomen；heprefersflowersandcowsandthePolchesterwoods，althoughanythinglesslikecows，flowersandwoods，Mrs。Sampson，wifeoftheDean，whooncehadawater-colourintheAcademy，saysshehasneverseen。SamuelTrefusisisafailure，and，whatistrulyawful，hedoesnotmind；nobodybuyshispicturesandhedoesnotcare；and，worsttasteofall，helaughsathisrelations，althoughhelivesonthem。Nothingfurtherneedbesaid。
　　ToHelen，MaryandJeremyhehadalwaysbeenafascinatingobject，althoughtheyrealised，withthatsharpworldlywisdomtobefoundinallinfantsoftenderyears，thathewasafailure，adirtyman，anddislikedchildren。Heveryrarelyspoketothem；wasoncequitewildlyenragedwhenMarywasdiscoveredlickinghispaints。Itwasthepaintsheseemedanxiousabout，notintheleastthepoorlittlething’shealth，ashissisterAmysaid，andhadpubliclybeenheardtosaythathisbrother-in-lawhadonlygotthechildrenhedeserved。
　　NeverthelessJeremyhadalwaysbeeninterestedinhim。Helikedhisfatroundshape，hisrough，untidygreyhair，hisscarletslippers，hisbluetam-o’-shanter，thesmudgesofpaintsometimestobediscoveredonhischeeks，andthejinglingnoiseshemadeinhispocketwithhismoney。HewascertainlymorefunthanAuntAmy。
　　There，then，theyallwerewiththeirpresentsandtheirbirthdayfaces。
　　“ShallIundothemforyou，darling？“ofcoursesaidAuntAmy。
　　Jeremyshookhisheadhedidnotsaywhathethoughtofherandcontinuedtotugatthestring。Hewasgivenalargepairofscissors。HereceivedfromFatherasilverwatch，fromMotherapaint-box，adarkblueandgoldprayerbookwithathicksquashyleathercoverfromAuntAmy。