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The Wide, Wide World
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"Oh, I don't know, sir," said Ellen, smiling; "a great many books; I can't tell them all."
"Did you spend all your time over your books?"
"A good deal, sir, lately; not so much before."
"How was that?"
"I couldn't, sir. I had a great many other things to do."
"What else had you to do?"
"Different things," said Ellen, hesitating from the remembrance of her aunt's manner the night before.
"Come, come! answer me."
"I had to sweep and dust," said Ellen, colouring, "and set tables and wash and wipe dishes, and churn, and spin, and – "
Ellen heard Lady Keith's look in her "could you have conceived it?"
"What shall we do with her?" said Mrs. Lindsay; "send her to school or keep her at home?"
"Have you never been to school, Ellen?"
"No, sir; except for a very little while, more than three years ago."
"Would you like it?"
"I would a great deal rather study at home, sir, if you will let me."
"What do you know now?"
"Oh, I can't tell, sir," said Ellen; "I don't know anything very well, unless – "
"Unless what?" said her uncle, laughing; "come! now for your accomplishments."
"I had rather not say what I was going to, uncle; please don't ask me."
"Yes, yes," said he; "I shan't let you off. Unless what?"
"I was going to say, unless riding," said Ellen, colouring.
"Riding! And pray how did you learn to ride? Catch a horse by the mane and mount him by the fence and canter off bare-backed? was that it? eh?"
"Not exactly, sir," said Ellen, laughing.
"Well, but about your other accomplishments. You do not know anything of French, I suppose?"
"Yes, I do, sir."
"Where did you get that?"
"An old Swiss lady in the mountains taught me."
"Country riding and Swiss French," muttered her uncle.
"Did she teach you to speak it?"
"Yes, sir."
Mr. Lindsay and his mother exchanged glances, which Ellen interpreted, "Worse and worse."
"One thing at least can be mended," observed Mr. Lindsay. "She shall go to De Courcey's riding-school as soon as we get to Edinburgh."
"Indeed, uncle, I don't think that will be necessary."
"Who taught you to ride, Ellen?" asked Lady Keith.
"My brother."
"Humph! I fancy a few lessons will do you no harm," she remarked.
Ellen coloured and was silent.
"You know nothing of music, of course?"
"I cannot play, uncle."
"Can you sing?"
"I can sing hymns."
"Sing hymns! That's the only fault I find with you, Ellen, you are too sober. I should like to see you a little more gay, like other children."
"But, uncle, I am not unhappy because I am sober."
"But I am," said he. "I do not know precisely what I shall do with you; I must do something!"
"Can you sing nothing but hymns?" said Lady Keith.
"Yes, ma'am," said Ellen, with some humour twinkling about her eyes and mouth, "I can sing 'Hail Columbia'!"
"Absurd," said Lady Keith.
"Why, Ellen," said her uncle, laughing, "I did not know you could be so stubborn; I thought you were made up of gentleness and mildness. Let me have a good look at you, there's not much stubbornness in those eyes," he said fondly.
"I hope you will never salute my ears with your American ditty," said Lady Keith.
"Tut, tut," said Mr. Lindsay, "she shall sing what she pleases, and the more the better."
"Did you spend all your time over your books?"
"A good deal, sir, lately; not so much before."
"How was that?"
"I couldn't, sir. I had a great many other things to do."
"What else had you to do?"
"Different things," said Ellen, hesitating from the remembrance of her aunt's manner the night before.
"Come, come! answer me."
"I had to sweep and dust," said Ellen, colouring, "and set tables and wash and wipe dishes, and churn, and spin, and – "
Ellen heard Lady Keith's look in her "could you have conceived it?"
"What shall we do with her?" said Mrs. Lindsay; "send her to school or keep her at home?"
"Have you never been to school, Ellen?"
"No, sir; except for a very little while, more than three years ago."
"Would you like it?"
"I would a great deal rather study at home, sir, if you will let me."
"What do you know now?"
"Oh, I can't tell, sir," said Ellen; "I don't know anything very well, unless – "
"Unless what?" said her uncle, laughing; "come! now for your accomplishments."
"I had rather not say what I was going to, uncle; please don't ask me."
"Yes, yes," said he; "I shan't let you off. Unless what?"
"I was going to say, unless riding," said Ellen, colouring.
"Riding! And pray how did you learn to ride? Catch a horse by the mane and mount him by the fence and canter off bare-backed? was that it? eh?"
"Not exactly, sir," said Ellen, laughing.
"Well, but about your other accomplishments. You do not know anything of French, I suppose?"
"Yes, I do, sir."
"Where did you get that?"
"An old Swiss lady in the mountains taught me."
"Country riding and Swiss French," muttered her uncle.
"Did she teach you to speak it?"
"Yes, sir."
Mr. Lindsay and his mother exchanged glances, which Ellen interpreted, "Worse and worse."
"One thing at least can be mended," observed Mr. Lindsay. "She shall go to De Courcey's riding-school as soon as we get to Edinburgh."
"Indeed, uncle, I don't think that will be necessary."
"Who taught you to ride, Ellen?" asked Lady Keith.
"My brother."
"Humph! I fancy a few lessons will do you no harm," she remarked.
Ellen coloured and was silent.
"You know nothing of music, of course?"
"I cannot play, uncle."
"Can you sing?"
"I can sing hymns."
"Sing hymns! That's the only fault I find with you, Ellen, you are too sober. I should like to see you a little more gay, like other children."
"But, uncle, I am not unhappy because I am sober."
"But I am," said he. "I do not know precisely what I shall do with you; I must do something!"
"Can you sing nothing but hymns?" said Lady Keith.
"Yes, ma'am," said Ellen, with some humour twinkling about her eyes and mouth, "I can sing 'Hail Columbia'!"
"Absurd," said Lady Keith.
"Why, Ellen," said her uncle, laughing, "I did not know you could be so stubborn; I thought you were made up of gentleness and mildness. Let me have a good look at you, there's not much stubbornness in those eyes," he said fondly.
"I hope you will never salute my ears with your American ditty," said Lady Keith.
"Tut, tut," said Mr. Lindsay, "she shall sing what she pleases, and the more the better."
Другие электронные книги автора Susan Warner
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Очень интересная!