Children -- Death -- Juvenile fiction; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Farm life -- Juvenile fiction; Siblings -- Juvenile fiction
Elizabeth, who for the most part was as still as a mouse,
glanced round at these words, one of her few and rare
secondings of anything said by her cousin. She did not know
that her glance shewed cheeks of fire, and eyes all the power
of which seemed to be in full life.
"Can you understand that man?" said the naturalist.
"He don't understand himself," said Elizabeth.
"I don't understand anybody," said Rose. "But I like to hear
the Chancellor speak -- he's so funny, -- only I'm getting
tired. I wish he would stop that man. Oh that Mr. Brick! -- Now
see the Chancellor! --"
"I've decided that point, Mr. Brick!"
Mr. Brick could not think it decided. At least it seemed so,
for he went on.
"What a stupid man!" said Rose.
"He will have the last word," said Mr. Herder.
"Miss Haye, are _you_ tired?" asked Mr. Satterthwaite, leaning
past the white feather.
"I? -- No."
"I am," said Rose. "And so is the Chancellor. Now look at him
--"
"Mr. Brick -- I have decided that point!" came from the lips of
Mr. Justice, a little more curtly than before.
"Now he will stop, --" said Rose.
No -- Mr. Brick was unmoveable.
"Very well!" said the Chancellor, throwing himself half way
round on his chair with a jerk -- "you may go on, and I'll read
the newspaper! --"
Which he did, amid a general titter that went round the
courtroom, till the discomfited Mr. Brick came to a stand. And
Winthrop rose for his next point.
"Are you going to wait till it's all done, Mr. Herder?" said
Rose. "I'm tired to death. Lizzie -- Lizzie!" -- she urged,
pulling her cousin's shoulder.
"What!" said Elizabeth, giving her another sight of the same
face that had flashed upon her half an hour before.
"My goodness!" said Rose. "What's the matter with you?"
"What do you want? --" said Elizabeth with a sort of fiery
impatience, into which not a little disdain found its way.
"You are not interested, are you?" said Rose with a satirical
smile.
"Of course I am!" --
"In that man, Lizzie?"
"What do you want!" said Elizabeth, answering the whisper in a
plain voice.
"I want to go home."
"I'm not ready to go yet."
And her head went round to its former position.
"Lizzie -- Lizzie!" urged Rose in a whisper, -- "How can you
listen to that man! -- you oughtn't to. -- Lizzie! --"
"Hush, Rose! be quiet! -- I _will_ listen. Let me alone."
Nor could Rose move her again by words, whispers, or pulls of
her shoulder. "I am not ready," --she would coolly reply. Mrs.
Haye was in despair, but constrained to keep it to herself for
fear she should be obliged to accept an escort home, and
because of an undefined unwillingness to leave Elizabeth there
alone. She had to wait, and play the agreeable to Mr.
Satterthwaite, for both her other companions were busy
listening; until Winthrop had finished his argument, and the
Chancellor had nodded,
"I allow that exception, Mr. Landholm -- it is well taken -- Mr.
Brick, what have you to say?" --
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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