Olivia, a Story for Girls - Mrs Molesworth

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1895 Excerpt: ...came to a dead stop, being in fact the momentary impromptu of her own brain. "And are you going to give me a cup of tea?" she continued, with a little smile, as she seated herself composedly on the chair which Amy had forgotten to offer her. "I shall be so glad of it." Amy turned to the tea-table, where all by this time was in readiness. "Alex," she said, when Miss Ibbotson's cup of tea was duly poured out--" Alex," she repeated with a touch of impatience, for her brother did not come forward as quickly as usual, "what is the matter with you? Have you caught a cold? You were all right when you went out." For as she spoke to him, her brother had been seized with a sudden paroxysm of coughing which lasted some moments. "I'm all right," he said, in a moment or two. "No, I don't think I've got a cold." But his face was very red, as he took the cup from his sister's hands. "What a boor Miss Ibbotson will think him!" said Amy to herself, as she followed him with tea-cakes, and bread-and-butter, feeling obliged to be specially deferential and attentive, to make up for her brother's unusual gaucherie. "I hope you had a pleasant journey," she began, as, her own cup in her hand, she seated herself beside her guest. "I forget what time you left home exactly, though I know that the train I looked out was the best one." "Yes," Miss Ibbotson replied. "You were very good to take so much trouble. No, thank you, I am not at all tired. I have quite enjoyed the day." "We have had nothing but comings and goings," Amy proceeded, in a palpably conversation-making tone of voice, the very fact of which tacitly implied the unconscious deference which her...