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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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916 Kate was confused; she toyed with some trifle on the table, looked up and smiled, looked down and dropped a tear. ‘Why, Kate,’ said Nicholas, drawing his sister towards him and kissing her, ‘let me see your face. No? Ah! that was but a glimpse; that’s scarcely fair. A longer look than that, Kate. Come--and I’ll read your thoughts for you.’ There was something in this proposition, albeit it was said without the slightest consciousness or application, which so alarmed his sister, that Nicholas laughingly changed the subject to domestic matters, and thus gathered, by degrees, as they left the room and went upstairs together, how lonely Smike had been all night--and by very slow degrees, too; for on this subject also, Kate seemed to speak with some reluctance. ‘Poor fellow,’ said Nicholas, tapping gently at his door, ‘what can be the cause of all this?’ Kate was hanging on her brother’s arm. The door being quickly opened, she had not time to disengage herself, before Smike, very pale and haggard, and completely dressed, confronted them. ‘And have you not been to bed?’ said Nicholas. ‘N-n-no,’ was the reply. Nicholas gently detained his sister, who made an effort to retire; and asked, ‘Why not?’ ‘I could not sleep,’ said Smike, grasping the hand which his friend extended to him. ‘You are not well?’ rejoined Nicholas. ‘I am better, indeed. A great deal better,’ said Smike quickly. ‘Then why do you give way to these fits of melancholy?’ inquired Nicholas, in his kindest manner; ‘or why not tell us the cause? You grow a different creature, Smike.’ |
