He ran on in this strain for some minutes, hoping that his mother's mood might soften, but in vain.

She listened with the same stony, unresponsive look on her face, never taking the stony, unresponsive eyes from his face; and, as soon as he stopped speaking, she said in an equally stony voice,-- "Mrs.Philbrick, will you be so good as to take off your bonnet and take tea with us?
It is already long past our tea-hour!" Mercy sprang to her feet, and said impulsively, "Oh, no, I thank you.

I did not dream that it was so late.

My mother will be anxious about me.

I must go.