"
"Come, my coz; I perceive the colonel is growing particularly polite,
which is a never-failing sign that he tires of our presence."
Cecilia rose, and was leading the way to the door, when Katherine turned
to the lad, and added:
"You can follow us to the drawing-room, child, where we can make our
purchases, without exposing the mystery of our toilets."
"Miss Plowden has forgotten my hornbook, I believe," said
Borroughcliffe, advancing from the standing group who surrounded the
table; "possibly I can find some work in the basket of the boy, better
fitted for the improvement of a grown-up young gentleman than this
elementary treatise."
Cecilia, observing him to take the basket from the lad, resumed her
seat, and her example was necessarily followed by Katherine; though not
without some manifest indications of vexation.
"Come hither, boy, and explain the uses of your wares. This is soap, and
this a penknife, I know; but what name do you affix to this?"
"That? that is tape," returned the lad, with an impatience that might
very naturally be attributed to the interruption that was thus given to
his trade.
"And this?"
"That?" repeated the stripling, pausing, with a hesitation between
sulkiness and doubt; "that?--"
"Come, this is a little ungallant!" cried Katherine; "to keep three
ladies dying with impatience to possess themselves of their finery,
while you detain the boy, to ask the name of a tambouring-needle!"
"I should apologize for asking questions that are so easily answered;
but perhaps he will find the next more difficult to solve," returned
Borroughcliffe, placing the subject of his inquiries in the palm of his
hand, in such a manner as to conceal it from all but the boy and
himself, "This has a name too; what is it?"
"That?--that--is sometimes called--white-line.
Pages:
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405