Dr. Everett, on his part, seemed courteously bent on
securing an expression of the professor's opinion about matters of which
he either could not, or would not, talk. When at last the disturbed
gentleman resolved to violate what Gracie was sure was a law of good
breeding, and address her in French, what with her embarrassment lest
others should understand, and her own marked ignorance of the language,
she found great difficulty in making a free translation. "Upon my word,
I wish you understood French, or some other tongue, so that we could
escape from this boredom. Does the poor little prisoner have much of
this to endure? Cannot we escape to the music-room, and talk things
over?"
Gracie cast a frightened glance about her to see if there were others
who understood better than herself this sentence, which, for aught she
knew, might contain something startling. But Alfred was busily engaged
in looking up the name of a book which he had vainly tried to recall,
and Dr. Everett was apparently serenely oblivious to any language but
his mother-tongue. Very soon after this Gracie managed to escape with
her caller to the music alcove; thus much of the French she had
understood, and at least Professor Ellis could play; which fact she
resolved that the people in the front parlor should speedily understand.
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