Queechy Volume I Part 43

"Those on the right show when I finished the volume."

"Well, I wonder what you were cut out for!" said the doctor.

"A Quaker! you aren't a Quaker, are you?"

"No, Sir," said Fleda, laughing.

"You look like it," said he.

" 'Feb. 24. Five Penny Magazines, finished Mar. 4.'

"They are in paper numbers, you know, Sir."

" 'April 4. 4 Hist. de. F.'

"Let us see ? the third volume was finished, March 29 ? I declare you keep it up pretty well."

" 'Ap. 19. Incidents of Travel.'

"Whose is that?"

"It is by Mr. Stephens."

"How did you like it?"

"Oh, very much, indeed."

"Ay, I see you did; you finished it by the first of May. 'Tour to the Hebrides' ? what, Johnson's?"

"Yes Sir."

"Read it all fairly through?"

"Yes, Sir; certainly."

He smiled, and went on.

" 'May 12. Peter Simple.'"

There was quite a shout at the heterogeneous character of Fleda's reading, which she, not knowing exactly what to make of it, heard rather abashed.

" 'Peter Simple!' " said the doctor, settling himself to go on with his list; "well, let us see. 'World without Souls.' Why, you Elf! read in two days."

"It is very short, you know, Sir."

"What did you think of it?"

"I liked parts of it very much."

He went on, still smiling.

" 'June 15. Goldsmith's Animated Nature.'

" 'June I8. 1 Life of Was.h.i.+ngton.'

"What Life of Was.h.i.+ngton?"

"Marshall's."

"Hum. ? 'July 9. 2 Goldsmith's An. Na.' As I live, begun the very day the first volume was finished! Did you read the whole of that?"

"Oh yes, Sir. I liked that book very much."

" 'July 12. 5 Hist. de France.'

"Two histories on hand at once! Out of all rule, Miss Fleda!

We must look after you."

"Yes Sir; sometimes I wanted to read one, and sometimes I wanted to read the other."

"And you always do what you want to do, I suppose?"

"I think the reading does me more good in that way."

" 'July 15. Paley's Natural Theology!' "

There was another shout. Poor Fleda's eyes filled with tears.

"What in the world put that book into your head, or before your eyes?" said the doctor.

"I don't know, Sir ? I thought I should like to read it," said Fleda, drooping her eyelids, that the bright drops under them might not be seen.

"And finished in eleven days, as I live!" said the doctor, wagging his head. " 'July 19. 3 Goldsmith's A. N.'

" 'Aug. 6. 4 Do. Do.' "

"That is one of Fleda's favourite books," put in Hugh.

"So it seems. '6 Hist. de France.' ? What does this little cross mean?"

"That shows when the book is finished," said Fleda, looking on the page ? "the last volume, I mean."

" 'Retrospect of Western Travel' ? 'Goldsmith's A. N., last vol.' ? 'Memoires de Sully' ? in the French ?"

"Yes, Sir."

" 'Life of Newton' ? What's this? ? 'Sep. 8. 1 Fairy Queen!' ?

not Spenser's?"

"Yes, Sir, I believe so ? the Fairy Queen, in five volumes."