What are you sitting moping over a book for?
You don't entertain me a bit." "Dear Lillie, I have been talking about every thing I could think of," said John, apologetically.
"Well, I want you to keep on talking, and put up that great heavy book.

What is it, any way ?" "Lecky's 'History of Morals,'" said John.
"How dreadful! do you really mean to read it ?" "Certainly; we are all reading it." "Who all ?" "Why, Gracie, and Letitia and Rose Ferguson." "Rose Ferguson?
I don't believe it.

Why, Rose isn't twenty yet! She cannot care about such stuff." "She does care, and enjoys it too," said John, eagerly.
"It is a pity, then, you didn't get her for a wife instead of me," said Lillie, in a tone of pique.
Now, this sort of thing does well enough occasionally, said by a pretty woman, perfectly sure of her ground, in the early days of the honey-moon; but for steady domestic diet is not to be recommended.
Husbands get tired of swearing allegiance over and over; and John returned to his book quietly, without reply.

He did not like the suggestion; and he thought that it was in very poor taste.

Lillie embroidered in silence a few minutes, and then threw down her work pettishly.
"How close this room is!" John read on.
"John, do open the door!" John rose, opened the door, and returned to his book.
"Now, there's that draft from the hall-window.