do so, yet she was much harassed by the
conversation kept up with him for civility's sake. She had been
leading a forlorn dreary life all the afternoon, busy first in helping
grandmamma to write notes to be sent to the intended guests, and
afterwards, with a feeling of intense disgust, putting out of sight all
the preparations for their own self-chosen sport. She desired quiet, and
yet when she found it, it was unendurable, and to talk to her father or
grandfather would be a great relief, yet the first beginning might well
be dreaded. Neither of them was forthcoming, and now in the evening to
hear the quiet grave discussion of Allonfield gossip was excessively
harassing and irritating. No one spoke for their own pleasure, the
thoughts of all were elsewhere, and they only talked thus for the sake
of politeness; but she gave them no credit for this, and felt fretted
and wearied beyond bearing. Even this, however, was better than when
they did return to the engrossing thought, and spoke of the accident,
requiring of her a more exact and particular account of it. She hurried
over it. Grandmamma praised her, and each word was a sting.

"But, my dear," said Mrs. Roger Langford, "what could have made you so
anxious to go to Allonfield?"

"O, Aunt Roger, it was very--" but here Beatrice, whose agitated spirits
made her particularly accessible to momentary emotion, was seized with
such a sense of the absurdity of undertaking so foolish an expedition,
with no other purpose than going to buy a pair of ass's ears, that she
was overpowered by a violent fit of laughing. Grandmamma and Aunt Roger,
after looking at her in amazement for a moment, both started up, and
came towards her with looks of alarm that set her off again still more
uncontrollably. She struggled to speak, but that only made it worse, and
when she perceived that she was supposed to be hysterical, she laughed
the more, though the laughter was positive pain. Once she for a moment
succeeded in recovering some degree of composure, but every kind
demonstration of solicitude brought on a fresh access of laughter, and
a certain whispering threat of calling Philip Carey was worse than all.
When, however, Aunt Roger was actually setting off for the purpose, the
dread of his coming had a salutary effect, and enabled her to make a
violent effort, by which she composed herself, and at length sat quite
still, except for the trembling, which she could not control.

Grandmamma an