Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/166

150 But I’m willing to get all the improvement 1I can out of this trip. That’s what we ’re here for, are n’t we?” and she turned inquiringly toward Amy.

Amy did not know exactly whether or not it was worth while to be offended with Brenda. Or rather she could not tell whether or not Brenda was in earnest.

“It was your mother who suggested our coming in this way. Of course I shall be glad to tell you anything I can about places. But I don’t wish to make myself tiresome.”

“Of course you won’t make yourself tiresome. Brenda did n’t mean that.”

“No, I really did n’t, though I won’t pretend that I am quite as much interested in history as Nora and Julia. They ’re regular cormorants.”

“What in the world is that?” asked Nora, in an aside, while Brenda looked rather proud of her success in using  a particularly uncommon word.

“I’m afraid that you ’ll never tell us anything unless we ask questions; you are altogether too modest,” said  Julia. “So, as I am the oldest, I will begin. Why is that house standing there below us in the middle of the  street? Were they short of sidewalks?”

“That’s the old Town House,” replied Amy. “You can see the date there over the door, 1727. They still hold town meetings there, I believe, though they can’t be  as exciting as in the days of the Revolution when men  like Elbridge Gerry, and Jeremiah Lee, and perhaps Mugford himself used to speak there.”