'
Dolores felt herself insulted; she turned red all over, with feelings
the old Scotchwoman could not understand. She expected to hear the
message roared out to the whole assembly round the tea-table, but Mysie
had discretion enough to withhold her sister from making it public.
The tea itself, though partaken of by Lady Merrifield, seemed an
indignity to the young lady accustomed to late dinners. After it, the
whole family played at 'dumb crambo.' Dolores was invited to join, and
instructed to 'do the thing you think it is;' but she was entirely
unused to social games, and thought it only ridiculous and stupid when
the word being a rhyme to ite, Fergus gave rather too real a blow to
Wilfred, and Gillian answered, ''Tis not smite;' Wilfred held out a
hand, and was told, ''Tis not right;' Val flourished in the air as if
holding a string, and was informed that 'kite' was wrong; when Hal ran
away as if pursued by Fergus by way of flight; and Mysie performed
antics which she was finally obliged to explain were those of a sprite.
Dolores could not recollect anything, and only felt annoyed at being
made to feel stupid by such nonsense, when Mysie tried to make her a
present of a suggestion by pointing to the back of a letter. Neither
write nor white would come into her head, though little Fergus
signalized himself, just before he was swept off to bed, by seizing a
pen and making strokes!
After his departure, Lady Merrifield read aloud 'The Old oak
Staircase,' which had been kept to begin when Dolores came, Hal taking
the book in turn with his mother.
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