Page:Shirley (1849 Volume 1).djvu/136

 “What shall we do now, Caroline?” asked Mr. Moore, returning to his seat beside his cousin.

“What shall we do, Robert?” repeated she playfully. “You decide.”

“Not play at chess?”

“No.”

“Nor draughts, nor backgammon?”

“No—no; we both hate silent games that only keep one’s hands employed, don’t we?”

“I believe we do: then, shall we talk scandal?”

“About whom? Are we sufficiently interested in anybody to take a pleasure in pulling their character to pieces?”

“A question that comes to the point. For my part—unamiable as it sounds—I must say, no.”

“And I, too. But it is strange—though we want no third—fourth, I mean (she hastily and with contrition glanced at Hortense), living person among us—so selfish we are in our happiness—though we don’t want to think of the present existing world, it would be pleasant to go back to the past; to hear people that have slept for generations in graves that are perhaps no longer graves now, but gardens and fields, speak to us and tell us their thoughts, and impart their ideas.”

“Who shall be the speaker? What language shall he utter? French?”

“Your French forefathers don’t speak so sweetly, nor so solemnly, nor so impressively as your English