I was going to remonstrate.

‟ ‟

detest it. It’s a beast!”

I told her she was tired, and I was sorry. I put my hand upon her

head, and touched her forehead, and said it was hot now but would be

cool to-morrow. She still stood pouting and frowning at me, but

presently put down her egg-cup and turned softly towards the bed where

Ada lay.

‟She is very pretty!” she said with the same knitted brow and in the

same uncivil manner.

I assented with a smile.

‟An orphan. Ain’t she?”

‟Yes.”

‟But knows a quantity, I suppose? Can dance, and play music, and

sing? She can talk French, I suppose, and do geography, and globes, and

needlework, and everything?”

‟No doubt,” said I.

I can’t,” she returned. I can’t do anything hardly, except write. I’m ‟ ‟

always writing for Ma. I wonder you two were not ashamed of yourselves

to come in this afternoon and see me able to do nothing else. It was like

your ill nature. Yet you think yourselves very fine, I dare say!”

I could see that the poor girl was near crying, and I resumed my chair

without speaking and looked at her (I hope) as mildly as I felt towards

her.

It’s disgraceful,” she said. You know it is. The whole house is ‟ ‟

disgraceful. The children are disgraceful. I’m disgraceful. Pa’s miserable,

and no wonder! Priscilla drinks—she’s always drinking. It’s a great

shame and a great story of you if you say you didn’t smell her to-day. It

was as bad as a public-house, waiting at dinner; you know it was!”

‟My dear, I don’t know it,” said I.

You do,” she said very shortly. You shan’t say you don’t. You do!”‟ ‟

detest it. It’s a beast!”

I told her she was tired, and I was sorry. I put my hand upon her

head, and touched her forehead, and said it was hot now but would be

cool to-morrow. She still stood pouting and frowning at me, but

presently put down her egg-cup and turned softly towards the bed where

Ada lay.

‟She is very pretty!” she said with the same knitted brow and in the

same uncivil manner.

I assented with a smile.

‟An orphan. Ain’t she?”

‟Yes.”

‟But knows a quantity, I suppose? Can dance, and play music, and

sing? She can talk French, I suppose, and do geography, and globes, and

needlework, and everything?”

‟No doubt,” said I.

I can’t,” she returned. I can’t do anything hardly, except write. I’m ‟ ‟

always writing for Ma. I wonder you two were not ashamed of yourselves

to come in this afternoon and see me able to do nothing else. It was like

your ill nature. Yet you think yourselves very fine, I dare say!”

I could see that the poor girl was near crying, and I resumed my chair

without speaking and looked at her (I hope) as mildly as I felt towards

her.

It’s disgraceful,” she said. You know it is. The whole house is ‟ ‟

disgraceful. The children are disgraceful. I’m disgraceful. Pa’s miserable,

and no wonder! Priscilla drinks—she’s always drinking. It’s a great

shame and a great story of you if you say you didn’t smell her to-day. It

was as bad as a public-house, waiting at dinner; you know it was!”

‟My dear, I don’t know it,” said I.

You do,” she said very shortly. You shan’t say you don’t. You do!”